Dudley Stagpoole

Dudley Stagpoole
Born	1838 Killunan, County Galway,
Died	1 August 1911 (aged c73) Ware, Hertfordshire
Buried at	Hendon Park Cemetery, Mill Hill
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Rank	Drummer
Unit	57th Regiment of Foot
Battles/wars	Crimean War Second Taranaki War
Awards	Victoria Cross Distinguished Conduct Medal

Dudley Stagpoole VC DCM (1838- 1 August 1911), born in Killunan, County Galway he was an Irish 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.

Details

Stagpoole was about 25 years old, and a Drummer in the 57th Regiment of Foot (later The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own), British Army during the Second Taranaki War campaign of the New Zealand land wars when the following deed took place place on 2 October 1863 at Allan's Hill near Poutoko in Taranaki, for which he and Ensign John Thornton Down were awarded the VC ^[1] and a separate incident at Kaipakopako for which he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.

For their conduct at Pontoko, on the 2nd October, in rescuing a wounded comrade from the rebel Maories. They succeeded in bringing in the wounded man, who was lying at about fifty yards from the bush,although the enemy kept up a very heavy fire from the bush at short range, and also from behind fallen logs close at hand.

The man had been wounded during an engagement with the rebel natives, and Ensign Down, and Drummer Stagpoole, responded to the call of the Officer commanding the detachment of the Regiment for volunteers to bring him in.

The Medal for Distinguished Conduct in the Field has already been conferred on Drummer Stagpoole, for the energy and devotion which

he displayed on the 25th September, 1863, at the affair near Kaipakopako, in having, though wounded in the head, twice volunteered and brought in wounded men.^[2]

Further information

He died in Ware, Hertfordshire on 1 August 1911.

The medal

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment and Queen's Regiment RHQ, Howe Barracks, Canterbury, Kent^[3]

References

1. ^ In the Face of the Enemy by Glyn Harper and Colin Richardson p. 36 (2006, Auckland, HarperCollins) ISBN 1-86950-522-0
2. ^ London Gazette: no. 22896. p. 4552. 23 September 1864. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
3. ^ VC location

Listed in order of publication year

• The New Zealand Wars and the pioneering period vol.1 page 227, James Cowan NZ Government Print reprinted 1883
• The Register of the Victoria Cross (1981, 1988 and 1997)
• Clarke, Brian D. H. (1986). "A register of awards to Irish-born officers and men". The Irish Sword XVI (64): 185–287. 
• Irelands VCs ISBN 1-899243-00-3 (Dept of Economic Development 1995)
• Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross (Richard Doherty & David Truesdale, 2000)

External links

• Dudley Stagpoole, his brothers and descendants
• Location of grave and VC medal (N.W. London)
• Find-A-Grave profile for Dudley Stagpoole

Persondata
Name	Stagpoole, Dudley
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1838
Place of birth	Killunan, County Galway
Date of death	1911
Place of death	Ware, Hertfordshire