Nowell Salmon

Nowell Salmon
Admiral Salmon as depicted on a cigarette card
Born	20 February 1835 Swarraton, Hampshire
Died	14 February 1912 (aged 76) Southsea, Hampshire
Buried at	St Peter's Churchyard, Curdridge
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Rank	Admiral of the Fleet
Unit	HMS Shannon
Commands held	HMS Defence HMS Valiant Cape of Good Hope Station China Station Portsmouth Command
Battles/wars	Crimean War Indian Mutiny
Awards	Victoria Cross Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Nowell Salmon VC, GCB (20 February 1835 – 14 February 1912) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Naval career

Salmon was the son of Reverend H. Salmon, rector of Swarraton, Hampshire and Emily, the daughter of Admiral Nowell who fought at the Battle of the Saintes and as a commander in the American Revolutionary War. After leaving Marlborough College he joined the Navy as cadet in 1847,^[1] and served from the Baltic to the Cape.

He was 22 years old, and a lieutenant in the Royal Navy, serving in a Naval Brigade from HMS Shannon during the Indian Mutiny when the following deed took place at the siege of Lucknow for which he and John Harrison was awarded the VC. His citation reads

Date of Act of Bravery, 16th November, 1857 For conspicuous gallantry at Lucknow, on the 16th of November, 1857, in climbing up a tree, touching the angle of the Shah Nujjiff, to reply to the fire of the enemy, for which most dangerous service, the late Captain Peel, K.C.B., had called for volunteers.^[2]

He was made captain of the ironclad warships HMS Defence and HMS Valiant and went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Cape of Good Hope and West Coast of Africa Station in 1882,^[1] Commander-in-Chief of the China Station in 1887^[1] and Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth in 1894.^[1]

Family

Major-General Harry Salmon was the grandson of Nowell Salmon's brother. His VC is on display in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Museum, London.

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Memorials in Portsmouth
2. ^ London Gazette: no. 22212. p. 5512. 24 December 1858. Retrieved 26 September 2009.

• Monuments To Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
• National Maritime Museum NRA 30121 NAI/3/1-10
• The Times Obituary of Sir Nowell Salmon (15 February 1912)

External links

• Location of grave and VC medal (Hampshire)

Military offices
Preceded by Sir Frederick Richards	Commander-in-Chief, Cape of Good Hope Station 1882–1885	Succeeded by Sir Walter Hunt-Grubbe
Preceded by Sir Richard Hamilton	Commander-in-Chief, China Station 1887–1890	Succeeded by Sir Frederick Richards
Preceded by The Earl of Clanwilliam	Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth 1894–1897	Succeeded by Sir Michael Culme-Seymour
Honorary titles
Preceded by Sir Algernon Lyons	First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp 1897–1899	Succeeded by Sir Michael Culme-Seymour, Bt.

Persondata
Name	Salmon, Nowell
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	20 February 1835
Place of birth	Swarraton, Hampshire
Date of death	14 February 1912
Place of death	Southsea, Hampshire