Mark Scholefield

Mark Scholefield
Depiction of the battle of Inkerman
Born	16 April 1828 London
Died	15 February 1858 (aged 29) On board HMS Acorn
Buried	Buried at sea
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Rank	Quartermaster
Unit	HMS Albion
Battles/wars	Crimean War
Awards	Victoria Cross

Mark Scholefield VC (16 April 1828 – 15 February 1858) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Details

Scholefield was 26 years old, and a seaman in the Royal Navy, serving in the Naval Brigade, during the Crimean War when he earned the VC.

On 5 November 1854 at the Battle of Inkerman, Crimea, the Right Lancaster Battery was attacked and many of the soldiers were wounded. Seaman Scholefield with two other seamen (James Gorman and Thomas Reeves) and two others who were killed during the action, mounted the defense work banquette and, under withering attack from the enemy, kept up a rapid, repulsing fire. The muskets were re-loaded for them by the wounded soldiers under the parapet and eventually the enemy fell back and gave no more trouble.

Further information

He later achieved the rank of quartermaster. His VC is on display in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Museum, London.

References

• Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)