Indian Mutiny Victoria Cross Recipient. He was born Frederick Conker and at some time the family moved to Ireland, where he received a good education at the Dundalk Institution, now Dundalk Grammar School, Country Louth, Ireland. He claimed that he was estranged from his father who described his son's behaviour as akin to that of a whirlpool. It was under the surname Whirlpool that he enlisted in the Honourable East India Company's 3rd (Bombay European) Regiment at Glasgow on October 23, 1854. He embarked on November 30 and arrived in Bombay on March 26, 1855. The Bombay Presidency was unaffected by the outbreak of the Indian Mutiny in May 1857 and the 3rd Regiment was sent as a reinforcement to the Bengal Presidency joining the Central India Field Force in December. In January 1858 the field force captured Rathgarh and in February relieved the siege at Saugor. Jhansi was reached on March 10 and was under siege until assaulted on April 3. Whirlpool volunteered to return and carry away several killed and wounded which he did twice under a very heavy fire from the wall. During the assault of Lohari on May 2 he rushed to the rescue of Lieutenant F C Donne of the 3rd Regiment who was dangerously wounded. In helping this officer he suffered 17 wounds. For his gallantry at Jhansi and Lohari he was awarded the Victoria Cross. He recovered from his wounds after five months in hospital and was medically discharged on February 2, 1859. He then moved to Australia, where he changed his name by deed poll to Frederick Humphrey James. He enlisted in the Victoria Colonial Forces with the Hawthorn and East Kew Rifles. It was in their uniform that Whirlpool became the first person to be publicly presented with the Victoria Cross in Australia. He received his award from Lady Barkly, the wife of Sir Henry Barkly, KCB, the Governor of Victoria, at Albert Park, Melbourne, on 20 June 1861. Whirlpool lived for many years at McGrath's Hill near Windsor, New South Wales until his death in 1899. He was buried in an unmarked grave at the Windsor Presbyterian Cemetery and is commemorated at the New South Wales Garden of Remembrance maintained by the Office of Australian War Graves.
Indian Mutiny Victoria Cross Recipient. He was born Frederick Conker and at some time the family moved to Ireland, where he received a good education at the Dundalk Institution, now Dundalk Grammar School, Country Louth, Ireland. He claimed that he was estranged from his father who described his son's behaviour as akin to that of a whirlpool. It was under the surname Whirlpool that he enlisted in the Honourable East India Company's 3rd (Bombay European) Regiment at Glasgow on October 23, 1854. He embarked on November 30 and arrived in Bombay on March 26, 1855. The Bombay Presidency was unaffected by the outbreak of the Indian Mutiny in May 1857 and the 3rd Regiment was sent as a reinforcement to the Bengal Presidency joining the Central India Field Force in December. In January 1858 the field force captured Rathgarh and in February relieved the siege at Saugor. Jhansi was reached on March 10 and was under siege until assaulted on April 3. Whirlpool volunteered to return and carry away several killed and wounded which he did twice under a very heavy fire from the wall. During the assault of Lohari on May 2 he rushed to the rescue of Lieutenant F C Donne of the 3rd Regiment who was dangerously wounded. In helping this officer he suffered 17 wounds. For his gallantry at Jhansi and Lohari he was awarded the Victoria Cross. He recovered from his wounds after five months in hospital and was medically discharged on February 2, 1859. He then moved to Australia, where he changed his name by deed poll to Frederick Humphrey James. He enlisted in the Victoria Colonial Forces with the Hawthorn and East Kew Rifles. It was in their uniform that Whirlpool became the first person to be publicly presented with the Victoria Cross in Australia. He received his award from Lady Barkly, the wife of Sir Henry Barkly, KCB, the Governor of Victoria, at Albert Park, Melbourne, on 20 June 1861. Whirlpool lived for many years at McGrath's Hill near Windsor, New South Wales until his death in 1899. He was buried in an unmarked grave at the Windsor Presbyterian Cemetery and is commemorated at the New South Wales Garden of Remembrance maintained by the Office of Australian War Graves.
Bio by: Anthony Staunton
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