James Gorman (VC)

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James Gorman (21 August 1834 – 18 October 1882) was an English sailor who received the Victoria Cross, Britain’s highest award for bravery. At age 20, he served as a seaman in the Royal Navy’s Naval Brigade during the Crimean War. On 5 November 1854, at the Battle of Inkerman, he helped defend the Right Lancaster Battery under heavy enemy fire. With two fellow seamen and others who were wounded, he stood on the banquette and fired steadily until the enemy withdrew, while wounded soldiers helped reload their muskets. He later served in the Second Anglo-Chinese War and rose to the rank of Captain of the AfterGuard. He died in Sydney, Australia, and was buried in Balmain Cemetery, Leichhardt, New South Wales. The cemetery was closed in 1944 and became Pioneers Memorial Park, and a plaque in Loyalty Square commemorates him.