Everard Aloysius Lisle Phillipps

Everard Aloysius Lisle Phillipps VC (28 May 1835-17 September 1857) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC). Established in 1856, and Great Britain's highest award, the VC, was awarded for most conspicuous bravery, a daring or pre-eminent act of valour, self-sacrifice or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy. It is the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Details

In 1854 Everard Phillipps sailed for India to join the 11th Bengal Native Infantry. When the Mutiny broke out in 1857, Phillipps' regiment was amongst the first to revolt. When the Queen's proclamation against the insurgents came, he had to read it out as he could speak the native tongue. Riding boldly forward while the bullets whistled round him, he began to read the proclamation, but before he got to the end of the first sentence his horse was shot from under him, and he fell to the ground, himself wounded by a stray bullet. Undeterred, he sprang to his feet and read through the whole proclamation from beginning to end before taking cover.

On the desertion of the Bengal Infantry, he then joined the 60th Rifles. He performed many gallant deeds, and in the months before his death he was wounded three times. At the assault on the city of Delhi, he captured the Water Bastion with a small party and was killed in the streets on 17 September 1857. His death was recorded in the London Gazette on 18 September. Ensign Phillipps was awarded the Victoria Cross fifty years after his death "for many gallant deeds which he performed during the siege of Delhi".