V.C. London Gazette 24.2.1857 'On 18 June 1855, immediately after the assault on Sebastopol, a soldier of the 57th Regiment, who had been shot through both legs, was observed sitting up and calling for assistance. Climbing over the breastwork of the advanced sap, Commander Raby and the two Seamen [Curtis and Taylor] proceeded upwards of 70 yards across the open space towards the salient angle of the Redan, and inspite of the heavy fire that was still continuing, succeeded in conveying the wounded soldier to a place of safety, at the imminent risk of their own lives'.

Boatswain's Mate Henry Curtis, V.C., a Carpenter's son, was born at Romsey, Hampshire on 21.12.1822, and joined H.M.S. Victory as a Boy in June 1841. After ten years service he became a Coast Guard in August 1851, and was employed in that occupation when conscripted, or 'picked up' as he himself had it, for H.M.S. Rodney. He was evidently a valuable addition to the ship's company, for the majority of those 'picked up', according to Midshipman (later Admiral) Kennedy, who joined the ship in December 1851, were 'long-shore loafers', 'jailbirds and such alike'.

As a member of the Rodney's crew he served in the Naval Brigade in the Crimea, and on Waterloo Day 1855 participated in the ill-fated British and French assault on the fortress of the Redan at Sebastopol. The French opened the proceedings in the small hours of the morning, but owing to a number of blunders the Russians fully expected their attack, and first light revealed the effort to have failed in terrible slaughter. Lord Raglan reluctantly considered it was his duty to encourage the French by ordering his own troops into the assault. The British troops and Bluejackets were eager, and men not even assigned to the assault were crowding in the forward trenches, determined not to be left behind. The drill had been well practised. A covering party of 100 Riflemen in extended order was to lead the way, followed by twelve Engineer Officers. Then were to come 50 men carrying wool bags to fill the ditches; then 60 men of the Naval Brigade and 60 soldiers with scaling ladders, and then 400 men of the actual storming party. Lord Raglan looked on expectantly. The attacking force was met by a storm of shot from guns which were believed to have been put out of action by the previous day's bombardment, and few men succeeded in crossing the 400 yards of open ground to the abattis in front of the Redan, where they sheltered in craters and folds in the ground seemingly unable to advance or retreat, whilst the Russian guns continued to thunder away above them. At length a general retrograde movement towards the safety of the British trenches began with men scrambling over the dead and wounded who littered the field.

'Charmed Lives'

'One soldier of the 57th (Middlesex) Regiment could be seen from the sailors' trenches, sitting up and calling for help. At once, Lieutenant Henry Raby, of H.M.S. Wasp, who had himself been Second-in-Command of a scaling party, Lieutenant Henry D'Aeth, First Lieutenant of H.M.S. Sidon, Captain of the Forecastle John Taylor of H.M.S. London and Boatswain's Mate Henry Curtis of H.M.S. Rodney, left the shelter of their Battery and ran forward a distance of some 70 yards across open ground towards the salient of the Redan to help the wounded man. He had been shot in both legs and could not help himself, so the four of them had to carry him. All four bore charmed lives - Curtis was supposed actually to have had a shot pass between his legs without hitting him - although the enemy's fire was intense, and none of them was hurt. They all reached the safety of the trenches with the soldier.' Raby, Taylor and Curtis were 'Mentioned' by Captain Lushington and gazetted for the Victoria Cross in the first full list of such awards in early 1857. The unfortunate D'Aeth died of cholera a few weeks after the attack of 18 June and, as there were no posthumous awards at that time, did not receive the Cross which otherwise would surely have been his.

Curtis remained in the Rodney until January 1856 when she was paid off. He then married a brewer's daughter from Alverstoke, near Gosport, who was described on the marriage lines as 'a minor'. He returned briefly to sea in the Ringdove but in November 1856 rejoined the Coast Guard. From March 1858 until his final discharge from the Navy he served in the Battleship Marlborough, the Flagship in the Mediterranean of Vice-Admiral Sir Fanshawe Martin. Lord Charles Beresford joined the Marlborough as a Cadet in 1861 and many years later recalled Curtis as 'the great big Boatswain's Mate' who said to another sailor when he saw the 15 year-old Beresford, 'Mate, 'ere's another orficer kim aboard jist in toime; but, pore little beggar! - he aint long fur this world'. Curtis later obtained the post of Quarter Master on a cross Channel ferry on board which Beresford, as a passenger, identified his old instructor and 'tapped him on the shoulder and cordially shook hands with him'. Henry Curtis, V.C., died on 23.11.1896.

Reference source: The Victoria Cross at Sea, John Winton, 1978.