NAM.1988-01-3-29

Letter of Captain Frederick Elton, 1855. Elton was awarded his Victoria Cross for setting an example to his men when working in the trenches under heavy fire on 4 Aug1855; the citation also mentioned his bravery on 7 Jun 1855 when he ‘was the first of the party to leave our trenches leading his men; when in the Quarries, he several times rallied his men around him.’ Yet ironically enough, writing to his father in July 1855, Elton had at the time complained of the lack of recognition given to him and his men of the 55th for their night’s work the previous month: [We are awfully disgusted at Lord Raglan's despatch about the Quarries. Our party was not only there but was so desperately engaged that we lost 1 Officer and 27 men killed and 28 wounded and yet the number of the Regiment is not even mentioned while in every other instance] or nearly so, every single officer is mentioned as having greatly distinguished themselves while they were most of them not nearly so forward as we were nor were they in nearly so much danger. It is enough to disgust one of ever going to the front again if it can be avoided and I should not be surprised if it had that effect on the men for of course they look out for being mentioned as a body in the papers just as much as we do.