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The heroic story of Redan Massy was written up by Brigadier T F J Collins in the Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research Vol XLII no.170 published in June 1964. His account of Massy’s heroism differs greatly from the less flattering entry in the DNB by Henry Meredith Vibart which implies that Massy ran away from the battle. Brigadier Collins of the Green Howards writes:
‘William Godfrey Dunham Massy was born at Rathfarnham, Dublin, on 24th May 1838. He was at Trinity College, Dublin, when the Crimean War broke out, and he interrupted his studies in October 1854, at the age of 16, to join the 19th Regiment in the theatre of war, in which his two cousins, G W H and H F Massy, were both serving. He joined the Depot at Walmer with the reputation he had gained at Trinity College of being a good cricketer, a bold rider and a fine swimmer. In February 1855 he set out for the Crimea to join the regiment, but was detained at Malta with the depot companies of the 19th until July, arriving at the seat of war with a draft for the regiment on the 12th of that month. He and his draft came out wearing the new double-breasted tunic, whereas the regiment was still clothed in the old tailed coatee with white lace across the front. He is depicted in this tunic in all illustrations of the battle, though in fact all ranks wore the shell jacket and pillbox cap in action after the Alma.
He was posted as Company Subaltern to the Grenadier Company which was commanded by his cousin H F Massy, and he no doubt had his share of the arduous duties in the trenches before Sebastopol digging the approach parallels to the fortress, in which Privates Samuel Evans and John Lyons of the 19th won their Victoria Crosses.
The key to the Russian position opposite the British lines was the Redan fortress, much as the Malakoff was the key opposite the French. An attempt to storm these two fortresses was made by the allied armies on 18th June 1855, but the preparations were so inadequate that both attacks failed with heavy loss. After two and a half months further bombardment and sapping, in which breaches in the walls of both strongholds were steadily countered by fresh Russian construction of earthworks and facines, a second grand assault was fixed for 8th September.
On that day in the 19th Regiment there were two last-minute changes. The CO, Colonel Unett, found himself the senior commanding officer of his brigade, with the brigade commander sick. He, or the commander of the other brigade in the Light Division, must lead the assault. He tossed for it and won the honour of leading the whole assault. The other last-minute change was in the Grenadier Company. Captain H F Massy was stricken down with cholera, and Lieutenant W G D Massy, at the age of 17, with two months’ experience in the theatre of war, found himself commanding the Grenadier Company, the corps elite of his regiment, and leading his regiment’s assault.
One is tempted to imagine the thoughts that may well have passed through this young man’s mind when he realised his task and duty. With his inexperience in battle tactics, such as they were, he must have felt that the only thing he could do was to try to be the first of his regiment into the Redan, and if he survived (which was unlikely) to stay there. In the event this is precisely what he did.
So ineffective had the British preparatory bombardment been once again, that the Russians were able to man their defences and pour a murderous fire, both of small-arms and artillery upon the attacking columns. Moreover, so poorly had the trench work of digging the parallels been pursued that the fifth and nearest parallel, from which the whole assaulting force had to debauch, was still nearly 300 yards from the Russian ramparts.
Unett was struck down mortally wounded almost at once, and the head of the assaulting column was repeatedly smashed. The loss of officers trying to lead the remnants to the assault and restore some order among the intermingled regiments, was particularly high. Massy was the first of the regiment into the great fortress, and few joined him there. It was not long before he was the only British soldier on his feet inside it, and with failure becoming more apparent every minute, he continued to stand in an exposed position on the ramparts waiting for the assaulting troops to recover and come up to him, so that he could lead them on again. He was alone and apparently in full view of both attackers and defenders. Exactly how long he remained miraculously spared by bullets and cannon shot is not related. What is recorded in all accounts, is the astonishment of everyone who saw him, and very many of those engaged in the attack did. Finally he was struck down by a shot, which so mangled his leg that the Russians left him; and lying where he fell, he was later grievously crushed by falling masonry when the Russians blew up the fort as they evacuated it that night. He was brought in next day almost dead, and for a week or more was considered unlikely to survive. He was in bed in his tent for 6 months before he could get about on crutches.
To quote one of the typical contemporary accounts from the theatre of war: “Perhaps the most heroic episode of the conflict in the Redan was the extraordinary conduct of a youth named Massy, a Lieutenant in the 19th Regiment, but who was acting as captain of the Grenadier Company of that regiment in the assault. This young officer stood out in the open, in the hope of inducing the soldiers to follow, and there amidst the most terrible fire, he bravely stood with a courage and dignity which excited the astonishment of friends and enemies. Sir de Lacy Evans was called a living target and this young officer may also claim that appellation. He has ever since been known throughout the army by the honourable title of ‘Redan Massy’. He was terribly wounded and bore his sufferings with a fortitude worthy of his active courage.”
At the time of the Crimea the 19th Regiment had the good fortune to have as their surgeon, Thomas Longmore, eventually a Surgeon-General and one of the most distinguished officers of the medical service of the British Army. He was not only an outstanding medical officer but also an exceptional regimental one. He served with the 19th for nearly 16 years, which must be nearly a record, and throughout the whole Crimean War was not absent from duty for a single day. Paper must have been in very short supply in camp in the days of the fall of Sebastopol, and Longmore picked up a folio of paper in the town, on which a long inventory was written in Russian on one side. On the other he proceeded to write the case notes of the 19th officers wounded at the Redan. This most interesting document is now in the RAMC museum at Crookham. Massy was a very long time getting on his feet again. His sufferings from bedsores and from too many visitors (as might be expected) as well as from his wounds, are all clearly described. Port wine appears to have been the principal tonic, and “not more than four glasses a day” was administered quite early on.
His fame spread at once throughout the army and soon reached England, where pictures were in every illustrated paper. He was not awarded the Victoria Cross since that decoration, when first instituted, had not its present significance. He was promoted lieutenant, which with only one year’s service, in those days of purchase was as high a reward as could be wished for. The French Emperor specially nominated him a Knight of the Legion of Honour. In due course he returned to Dublin, where his fellow students of Trinity College presented him with the sword of honour, in July 1856, inscribed: “Presented to Lieutenant W.G.D.Massy of H.M’s 19th Regiment of Foot by some of his fellow students of the University of Dublin, in token of the admiration of his heroic conduct in the assault on the Redan, September 8th, 1855.”
He spent the rest of his regimental service in the 5th Lancers into which his accelerated promotion took him, which he later commanded [1871 - 1879] and of which he eventually became Colonel [4 Oct 1896 - 20 Sep 1906]. The history of this regiment, in a brief resume of his career says, “At the time (the close of the Crimean War) Redan Massy was probably the best known officer in the British Army.” Massy later served in the Afghan War of 1879-1880, commanding the Cavalry Brigade at the battle of Charasiah and in the subsequent operations up to the fall of Kabul. He was at the capture of Sherpur, the action in the Shardel Valley, the sortie from Sherpur, and the final pursuit of the enemy. During these operations he captured 80 guns by a surprise attack, without the loss of a single man. Two of these field pieces mounted on their original carriages were presented to him by the Government and for many years were to be seen at Granstown Hall, Tipperary, the family seat, where they may still be. He eventually rose to the rank of Lieutenant-General and was GOC-in-C Ceylon 1888-1893. He retired in 1898 and died at Granstown on 20th September 1906. A memorial archway was erected to his memory in Rawalpindi and a spacious market-place dedicated to him was built by Sudar Surjan Singh in the same city, at a cost of 20,000 pounds.’
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