John Byrne

Born in 1832 at Castlecomber, Ireland, he was a labourer before enlisting in the 68 LI in 1850. He was imprisoned whilst the 68 LI was at Malta and he was only released the day his Regiment sailed for the Crimea in 1854. In the Crimea, he gained the Victoria Cross for his bravery at Inkerman on 5 November 1854 and at Sebastopol on 11 May 1855. He was decorated with his Victoria Cross on Corfu on 22 July 1857. In June 1864, at the battle of Te Ranga, New Zealand, he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal and John Murray gained the Victoria Cross for saving Byrne's life. Byrne, who was made a Sergeant in 1866, was discharged in 1869. On 10 July 1879, whilst working as a labourer with the Ordnance Survey in South Wales, he shot at a man who had insulted the Victoria Cross during an argument. John Byrne killed himself the same day. He is buried in St Woolo's Cemetery, Newport.

See "Beyond Praise. The Durham Light Infantrymen who were awarded the Victoria Cross" by Stephen D Shannon, 1998, ISBN 1 897585 44 6. This has a foreword by Richard Annand VC.