Happy Birthday, You Brave Bastard

November 5th, Duncan Boyes

Duncan Gordon Boyes VC,

November 5th, 1846

CW - Suicide


If you're ever in London and find yourself taking a leisurely stroll down St James Street, you might come across what was once a particularly handsome Georgian townhouse that has a rather striking, somewhat out of place, but nonetheless attractive semi-octagonal early Victorian, four-storey tower attached to the outside of it. You will have just come across the jewellers known as Hancock & Co., and if you think you have entered into the sort of Dickensian, Harry-Potter-Wizard-Shop, Tokienesque wonderworld that London is very good, you will be forgiven.

Don't bother going in; you're too poor. Instead, gaze longingly through the window, like a desperate urchin pressed against a restaurant window, watching Mr Bumble tuck into a steaming plate of ox pie. If you peer right at the back, there will be a small doorway that leads down into the cellars, where there is an enormous vault. If you ever robbed the place, you would find that vault crammed with tens of millions of pounds worth of gold, jewels and booty, but, in a corner somewhere, will be something very, very rare. Wrapped in a soft cloth in a walnut box will be an apple-sized lump of bronze. It is not particularly valuable if you melt it down, but legend has it that it comes from the cascabels of a Russian cannon captured at the Siege of Sevastopol during the Crimean War. Recently, metallurgists have suggested that it instead comes from Chinese-made cannon captured during the First Opium Wars of 1839-42.

Very, very, very rarely, the jewellers of Hancock & Co, will receive a telephone call, and they will take the lump of bronze from the walnut box and carefully take a slice, which they will then fashion into a small medal named the Victoria Cross. They have made 1,358 of them, which have been awarded to 1,355 people, meaning that three men, Capt. Noel Chavasse, Lt-Col Arthur Martin-Leake and Capt. Charles Upham have won two of them.

The Victoria Cross is the highest and most prestigious medal in the labyrinthine British honours system. People who have been awarded the VC are spoken of in hushed, awed tones. Only 15 have been awarded since the Second World War. The medal is awarded for:

"... the most conspicuous bravery, or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice, or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy"

Of the 1,355 men to have won the medal, 628 won it posthumously, including Capt. Chavasse's second award was when he was killed at Passchendaele in 1917. People with the initials' VC' after their name come as close as possible to being universally recognised in British society as superheroes. They have the respect of nations in return for their sacrifice and examples of incredible bravery.

But, of course, they are just men. So far, the VC has only ever been awarded to men, with the notable exception of Elizabeth Webber Harris, who was awarded an 'honorary' VC for her actions as a nurse in India.

Some of them became quite famous, some of them less so, but all of them were unbelievably brave, and all of them were terribly affected by war. The war in question was one you've probably never even heard of:  the Shimonoseki Expedition, Japan in 1864, and the VC winner was so affected that it ultimately cost him his life.

Duncan Gordon Boyes was born on 5 November 1846 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. He is remembered for his exceptional bravery as a midshipman in the Royal Navy, which earned him the Victoria Cross (VC), one of the British military's highest honours for gallantry. Despite his youthful promise, Boyes' life was marked by both his courage in the line of duty and personal struggles following his military service, which led to a tragic end at the age of 22.

Born to a military family, Boyes grew up in a tradition of service. His father, Commander George Boyes, served in the Royal Navy, and Duncan's early environment was steeped in naval culture and expectations. This background likely influenced Duncan's own decision to join the Royal Navy, and by his teenage years, he was progressing through the ranks as a promising young officer. His formal enlistment as a midshipman allowed him to begin his career on a path similar to his father's, marked by opportunities for advancement and honour.

At 17, Boyes was assigned to the HMS Euryalus, a wooden screw frigate. This ship, part of the British squadron stationed in Asia, operated in a region experiencing rapid changes and tensions. Britain, along with other Western nations, was asserting influence in East Asia during a period when Japan had only recently opened its ports to foreign trade after centuries of isolation. The diplomatic and economic consequences of this shift created friction, particularly in the domain of Shimonoseki, which opposed Western encroachment. This tension would culminate in what is now known as the Shimonoseki Campaign.

The Shimonoseki Campaign was a military intervention involving a coalition of Western powers: Britain, France, the Netherlands, and the United States. These nations launched a joint assault on Japan's Chōshū Domain in response to Japanese attacks on foreign vessels. The domain had been blocking the Shimonoseki Straits, a vital passage for international shipping, as an expression of resistance against Western influence. For the coalition forces, gaining control of the straits was critical to ensuring safe passage and asserting their presence in the region.

The HMS Euryalus was one of several British vessels taking part in the offensive, which aimed to neutralise the Japanese fortifications along the coastline. The campaign saw intense shelling as British forces bombarded coastal positions held by the Japanese, who retaliated with a fierce defence. On 6 September 1864, during a key phase of this operation, Boyes performed the act of bravery that would lead to his Victoria Cross.

In the midst of the action, Boyes volunteered to carry the Union Jack and lead a shore party in an attempt to capture one of the Japanese fortifications. The mission involved significant danger, as the shore party would be exposed to hostile fire upon landing. Boyes, along with other sailors, pressed forward under a hail of gunfire from the entrenched defenders. Demonstrating extraordinary courage, he planted the Union Jack in a prominent position, refusing to yield despite heavy fire aimed directly at him and his comrades. His actions served as a morale boost to the British forces, who were emboldened by his bravery.

The Victoria Cross was awarded to Boyes for his conspicuous gallantry. The citation for his award highlighted the unflinching courage he displayed under fire and his steadfastness in holding the British flag aloft under direct threat. The VC, instituted by Queen Victoria during the Crimean War, was designed to honour acts of valour regardless of rank, making it accessible to both officers and enlisted men. Boyes' receipt of the VC at such a young age was a remarkable achievement, reflecting the level of bravery he had demonstrated in the line of duty.

The citation was published in the London Gazette of 21 April 1865 and read:

"Duncan Gordon Boyes, Royal Navy, Midshipman of Her Majesty's Ship Euryalus For the conspicuous gallantry, which, according to the testimony of Capt. Alexander CB, at that time Flag Captain to Vice-Admiral Sir Augustus Kuper KCB, Mr. Boyes displayed in the capture of the enemy's stockade. He carried a Colour with the leading company, kept it in advance of all, in the face of the thickest fire, his colour-sergeants having fallen, one mortally, the other dangerously wounded, and he was only detained from proceeding yet further by the orders of his superior officer. The Colour he carried was six times pierced by musket balls."

After the Shimonoseki Campaign, Boyes continued his service with the Royal Navy, although his career would soon take a difficult turn. Despite his early promise, he began to experience personal and professional struggles. In a period when there was limited understanding of the psychological impact of combat, Boyes displayed signs of distress and behaviour that drew criticism within the military. This decline was compounded by a disciplinary incident that eventually led to his dismissal from the Navy in 1867.

The reasons for his dismissal remain a subject of historical interest, though records suggest that he may have violated naval regulations. Such disciplinary issues often held serious consequences in the 19th-century British military, where conduct and decorum were closely guarded standards. For Boyes, this dismissal marked a significant blow. The end of his career and the stripping of his naval identity were factors that likely worsened his mental state.

Boyes' struggles intensified after leaving the Navy, leading to a period of isolation. In an era when mental health was poorly understood and resources for psychological support were minimal, Boyes had few options for coping with his difficulties. Tragically, on 26 January 1869, he died by suicide at the age of 22. His premature death was a sorrowful end for a young man who had shown great promise and bravery on the battlefield.

His Victoria Cross was held by Cheltenham College between 1978 and 1998 when it was sold at auction, the proceeds going towards funding a scholarship in Boyes' name. Today, Duncan Gordon Boyes' Victoria Cross is preserved at the Imperial War Museum.




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