Afritrex - VC Case Study

Private Samuel Hodge – June 30th 1866
Gambia (West Africa) 4th West Indian Regiment.

On 30 June 1866 at Tubabecelong, near the River Gambia, West Africa, at the storming and capture of the stockaded town, Private Hodge and another man, who was afterwards killed, volunteered to hew down the stockade. After the colonel had effected an entrance Private Hodge followed him through the town, opening with his axe two barricaded gates and so allowing the support troops to enter. On reaching the other side of the town Private Hodge was acclaimed as the bravest man in the regiment, but he was very severely wounded. Dartnell

Lance-Corporal Samuel Hodge VC, 4th West India Regiment. He was born in Tortola in the British Virgin Islands and was the first soldier of African descent to be awarded the Victoria Cross. The first person of African Decent of any of the British armed forces to be awarded the medal was Able Seaman William Hall of the Royal Navy. He was presented with the medal on the 24th June 1867 in British Honduras (now Belize), nearly one year after the action he was involved in. he never fully recovered from his wounds and died less than seven months after receiving his medal.
It should also be noted that the Victoria Cross was not awarded posthumously at this time and his comrade who assisted in the assault, Private Boswell, may have been awarded the medal as well.