The Nottingham & Nottinghamshire Victoria Cross Committee
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2638 Sergeant Robert Humpston
VC
BORN: 1832, Derby, son of Samuel Humpston and Mary Humpston of No1 Court Street,
St Werburgh, Derby. In the 1841 Census his father was a Tobacconist.
SERVED: 2nd Battalion, The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)
DATE OF GAZETTE: 24th February 1857
V.C. CITATION: A Russian Rifle Pit, situated among the rocks overhanging the Woronzoff Road, between the 3rd parallel, Right Attack, and the Quarries (at that period in the possession of the enemy) was occupied every night by the Russians. Their riflemen commanded a portion of the Left Attack, and impeded the work in a new battery then being erected on the extreme right front of the 2nd parallel, Left Attack.
It was carried out in daylight on the 22nd of April 1855, by two riflemen, one of whom was Private Humpston; He received a gratuity of £5 and was promoted. The Rifle Pit was subsequently destroyed on further support being obtained.
Robert Humpston and Joseph Bradshaw were invested with their Victoria Crosses by Queen Victoria in Hyde Park on the 26th June 1857.
Sergeant Humpston also served in India at the time of the Indian Mutiny. He returned to England where he worked on the railway as a labourer. In March 1861 Robert married Jeanette Clarke and they had a son born 21st December 1862, named Arthur. The 1871 Census had them living at No 2 Court Street, Derby. Arthur later married Lucy Bird, and they had a son in 1889 named Arthur Robert Humpston, who was killed in action during 1917 at the Battle of Passchendaele
DIED: 22nd December 1884
BURIED: The General Cemetery, Nottingham
Following his death in 1884, Robert Humpston was buried in a pauper’s grave.
In September 2007, following a two year campaign to raise £1,200 to get a headstone for Sergeant Humpston, his grave was dedicated in a ceremony at General Cemetery, Nottingham
Medal entitlement of Sergeant Robert Humpston VC
Victoria Cross
Crimea Medal 1854-1856 2 clasps Alma, Sebastopol
Indian Mutiny Medal 1857-1858 2 clasps Lucknow, Central India
Turkish Crimea Medal 1855-1856
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The Nottingham & Nottinghamshire
Victoria Cross
Committee
Registered Charity in England and Wales.
No 1144298
