‘Lieutenant Bythesea and (Leading) Stoke Johnstone’s action was one of the first gazetted for the award of the Victoria Cross in The London Gazette on February 24th, 1857. Indeed, theirs are only the second action by date (midshipman Charles D. Lucas’ action on June 21st, 1854, occurring first). Since The London Gazette listed recipients by rank, service and even theatre, however, their action was actually listed 22nd and 23rd (Lucas’ coming even later, immediately after Johnstone’s since, as a stoker, Johnstone outranked Lucas who was only a midshipman). When the inaugural investiture for the Victoria Cross was held in Hyde Park on June 26th, 1857, many of those who were gazetted were already on active service elsewhere (especially since the Indian Mutiny had broken out earlier that year in May).
Those men on service elsewhere had their medals sent to their new posts and only 63 men were inaugurated in person in London on that June day. Awards were presented by priority of arm (so Navy before Army – today the other arms follow those) and then by rank (date of commission would decide which man of the same rank would be presented their medal first). Medals were also awarded by the rank held at the time of the investiture not the rank at which the medal was awarded. Commander John Bythesea was the second man to be actually presented with his medal by Queen Victoria (after Commander Henry Raby who had been promoted to commander first, even though his action had taken place at Sevastopol in June 1855).
John ‘William’ Johnstone was one of those not present at the inaugural investiture in June 1857, already being on duty in the Caribbean as part of the Jamaica Division of the North America and West Indies Station aboard HMS Brunswick. His medal is recorded as despatched via registered post (one of the very few so dispensed in the history of the award).’
This episode was written by Murray Dahm.
Murray is an ancient and medieval military historian from New Zealand, living in Australia. He has written more than 100 articles on various aspects of ancient and medieval military history and other historical topics from all periods. He is the author of Macedonian Phalangite vs Persian Warrior, Athenian Hoplite vs Spartan Hoplite and Leuctra 371 BC, all from Osprey Publishing. He is a regular on the Ancient Warfare Podcast.