Graves VC Recipients Shorncliffe Cemetery

Joseph C Brennan VC
b. 08/1818 Probus, Cornwall. d. 24/09/1872 Folkestone, Kent.
Joseph Charles Brennan (1828-1872) was born in the village of St. Probus, Cornwall in August 1828. He enlisted with the Royal Artillery on 27th December 1855, giving his occupation as a “clerk”. His regiment joined Sir Hugh Rose’s Central India Field Force at Mhow on 6th January 1858; Brennan was despatched with a number of men to fight Tantia Topi at Betwa before returning to join the bombardment of the Jhansi Fort. He would be recommended for the Victoria Cross for his actions at Jhansi, and his citation appeared in the London Gazette on 11th November 1859.
On 3rd April 1858 during the assault on Jhansi, he helped bring up two guns of the Hyderabad Contingent, manned by the natives, laying each gun under a heavy fire from the walls of the fort, and directing them accurately as to compel the enemy to abandon the position. He was presented with his VC at Gwalior on 20th April 1860 and he was promoted to quartermaster-sergeant.
In October 1863, while stationed in Delhi with the 22nd Brigade Royal Artillery, he was court-martialled for not attending a commanding officer’s parade. He was found guilty and was reduced to the rank of gunner. He took part in the Bhutan War of 1864-1865 before returning to England. He later regained his sergeant rank and married the daughter of a Royal Artillery pensioner in 1870. They had two children born in 1871 and 1872.
Tragically, Joseph died suddenly of pneumonia at Shorncliffe Camp, Kent on 24th September 1872, leaving his widow with two infants. He was buried in Shorncliffe Military Cemetery, Kent. His medals were auctioned in 2008 and were purchased by a private buyer from South Australia. They have since been purchased by Lord Ashcroft.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: LORD ASHCROFT COLLECTION.
BURIAL PLACE: SHORNCLIFFE MILITARY CEMETERY, KENT.
SECTION F
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Private Patric McHale VC
Born: 1826 Killala, Co Mayo, Ireland. Family: —. Educated: —. Married: —. Career: 18 Dec 1847 enl 5th Regt at Parkstone Barracks, IoW; May 1848-57 Mauritius; svd Indian Mutiny; July-Aug 1857 Relief of Arrah, ops in Jagdispur, Mungulwar; 25 Sept 1857 1st Relief of Lucknow ;2 Oct 1857 VC Action at Phillip’s House, Lucknow, 22 Dec 1857 VC Action at Guilee, nr Lucknow, India; 1861 returned with regt to UK; 1866 at regt depot
Shorncliffe. Final rank: Pte. Died: 26 Oct 1866 Shorncliffe, nr Folkestone, Kent. Buried: Shorncliffe Mil Cem, Folkestone, Sect I. Commemoration: headstone. Other awards: Indian Mutiny Medal 1857-58 with clasps Defence of Lucknow, Lucknow; LS&GC; Regt Medal of Merit. VC Investiture: 24 Dec 1860 Fort William, Calcutta, India. VC location: Alnwick Castle, Northumberland.
For conspicuous bravery at Lucknow on the 2nd October, 1857, when he was the first man at the capture of one of the guns at the Cawnpore Battery,–and again, on the 22nd December, 1857, when, by a bold rush, he was the first to take possession of one of the enemy’s guns, which had sent several rounds of grape through his company, which was skirmishing up to it. On every occasion of attack, Private McHale has been the first to meet the foe, amongst whom he caused such consternation by the boldness of his rush, as to leave little work for those who followed to his support. By his habitual coolness and daring, and sustained bravery in action, his name has become a household word for gallantry among his comrades.

The London Gazette of 19 June 1860, Numb. 22396, p. 2316
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John Doogan VC
b. 03/1853 Aughrim, County Galway, Ireland. d. 24/01/1940 Folkestone, Kent.
John Doogan (1853-1940) was born in March 1853 in Aughrim, County Galway, Ireland. Sadly, little is known of his life surrounding his military service. He enlisted with the 1st Dragoon Guards in circa 1873, and was posted to South Africa by 1880, in order to serve in the First Boer War of 1881.
On 28th January 1881, during the Battle of Laing’s Nek, South Africa, Private Doogan was involved in the charge of the mounted men. During the attack, Doogan became aware that Major Brownlow KDG, had had his horse shot from underneath him and had fallen amongst the Boers. Doogan, who was severely wounded at the time, without hesitation, rode up to the fallen Brownlow, dismounted, and insisted that Brownlow took his horse. Doogan was then wounded a second time, whilst assisting Brownlow to mount his horse. Doogan survived his wounds, and was recommended for the award of the Victoria Cross for his actions.
He was gazetted for the VC in the London Gazette on 14th March 1882, and he was presented with his medal in May 1882, whilst serving in Cork, by the Superintendent of Pensions. Not much is known about Doogan following this, only that in later life, he had moved to live in Kent. He died at his home, 5 Folly Road, Folkestone, aged 86 on the 24th January 1940. He was buried with full military honours in Shorncliffe Military Cemetery.
He bequeathed his medals in his will to his family. Shortly after the end or WWII the family presented the Victoria Cross to the colonel of Doogan’s regiment in Cardiff Castle. Not sure where to display the VC, the colonel gave the medal to the sergeant’s mess, where it was placed over the mess bar for a number of years. In 1956, during the VC Centenary Exhibition, Cardiff Castle loaned Doogan’s VC and other medals to the organisers. Shortly afterwards, the regiment was ordered to Malaya and did a tour of duty. When they returned they had forgotten about the loan of the VC. Sometime later, they assumed the medal was lost and several years later, a search began for the medal. In 1997, a Colonel of the 1st Dragoon Guards received a letter from a London bank requesting he pick up two parcels from the bank’s vault addressed to the regiment. On opening the parcels, Doogan’s medals were discovered. They were returned to display in Cardiff Castle after 41 years being in a bank vault.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: QUEENS DRAGOONS MUSEUM., CARDIFF, WALES.
BURIAL PLACE: SHORNCLIFFE MILITARY CEMETERY, FOLKESTONE, KENT.
PLOT V, GRAVE 1054
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Source

• Text: Sharky Ward/Memorial
• Photos: Anthony (Sharky) Ward
• https://vcgca.org/our-people/profile/497/Patrick--McHALE
• The London Gazette of 19 June 1860, Numb. 22396, p. 2316