| John McDermond was born in Scotland sometime around 1832 and it was during the Crimean War that he was awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry in the face of the enemy while serving with the 42nd Regiment of Foot/2nd Division. On 5 November 1854 at the Battle of Inkerman, Crimea, Private McDermond saved the life of Colonel Haly, 17th Foot, who was lying wounded on the ground surrounded by the enemy. Private McDermond rushed to the rescue and killed the Russian who had wounded the colonel. His award was posted in the London Gazzette on 24 February, 1857and he was presented with the V.C. by Major-General the Honorable Sir James Yorke Scarlett, KCB on the Parade Ground at Southsea, Hants on 12 March, 1858. Another source states that the award was made while the 47th was in Malta. McDermond died on 22 July, 1868 in Glasgow, Scotland and rests in an unmarked grave at Woodside Cemetery, Paisley, Scotland. In this photograph McDermond is wearing a three clasp Crimean War Campaign Medal, the Victoria Cross and the French Médaille Militairè. This photo was taken after his promotion to corporal. The apparent dirt on this photograph was actually wear on the glass plate original that was reproduced when the CDV copy was made many years later.This Carte de Visite was copied from a c. 1858 glass plate (Daguerreotype or Ambrotype) original sometime in the 1880's. Carte de Visite Cleer S. Alger - Photographer/Copiest "Diss", England Glass Plate Original c. 1858 CDV Copy c. 1880's |