Personal info
- Name: George Henry INGOUVILLE
- D.O.B: 7th Oct, 1826
- D.O.A: 13th Jul, 1855
- D.O.D: 13th Jan, 1869
- Award: Victoria Cross
- Occupation at time of action: Captain of the Mast, HMS Arrogant, Royal Navy
- Book: The Complete History - Volume 1
Off Vyborg, Gulf of Finland, Russia 13 July 1855
13 July 1855
The Crimean War
In July 1855 HMS Arrogant, HMS Magicienne and the gunboat HMS Ruby were detached from the British Baltic fleet to attack the ports at the eastern end of the Gulf of Finland. After destroying Russian positions at Rotchensalm and Svartholm, on 13 July 1855 they attacked Vyborg at the north-eastern corner of the Gulf and the ships of the Russian navy that were anchored there. An underwater barrier meant that the attack had to be carried out by their cutters. In the course of the action one of Arrogant’s cutters was hit by a shell and her magazine blew up. Petty Officer G H Ingouville jumped over her side into the water and towed her away from a Russian battery. Lieutenant G D Dowell, seeing what was happening, rowed over from HMS Ruby with three volunteers and rescued both the cutter and its crew.
Citation
On the 13th of July, 1855, while the boats of the “Arrogant” were engaged with the enemy’s gun- boats and batteries off Viborg, her second cutter was swamped by the blowing up of her magazine, and drifted under a battery. Notwithstanding that he was wounded in the arm, and that the boat was under a very heavy fire, Ingouville, without any order to do so, jumped overboard, caught hold of her painter, and saved her. (Despatch from Captain Yelverton, 18th November, 1855, and Rear-Admiral Honourable Sir R.T. Dundas, 12th December, 1855, No. 759.)
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