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there. We knew our task of getting the militaries to withdraw would be tuff. We set up camp in the school yard at the base of that amazing cliff. My
Lieutenant and I left the camp right away to search for a well in the city and this is when it first happened. The children in the city gathered around us and said "Canada" while pulling our hands to lead us somewhere. Now there was no way we were going anywhere with these kids. This thing smelled of an ambush badly. How did they know the word "Canada" and why were they so eager to lead us away? The two of us then returned to the schoolyard and reported this unusual event to Headquarters (HQ). 2 weeks went by and each patrol that entered the city had the same experience with the kids. Each time they would report it to HQ and say they did not follow the children. Finally HQ got tired of hearing about these children and orders us to investigate. Now this is when it gets embarrassing for us. We geared up to follow these kids like we were entering an ambush...we were ready for anything that may happen. We had over 300 rounds of ammunition per soldier, flak jackets, radios, machine guns. We were not going to be caught off guard. When we entered the city, the same routine happened with the kids, but this time we let them lead us. Weapons on our shoulders we walked through the city slowly waiting for something to happen. I remember how hot it was that day and how much I was sweating. Finally we got to a cemetery on the outskirts of the city and the kids started pointing at this tombstone. We looked at the name "COL DUNN". When we got back to camp we radioed in what had happened. HQ sent a report back to Canada asking them to figure out who this DUNN was. A week later we found out. The kids had led us to the grave of a Canadian war hero R. Dunn, one of the first winners of the Victoria Cross. The highest order of merit issues in the Canadian Forces. This man was a legend. He had gone on safari Africa in 1860s and never returned. He was a Canadian hero who had been lost for over a hundred years. These kids whom we thought were leading us into an ambush had done Canada a great service and located Colonel R. Dunn Victoria Cross. If those kids were not as persistent as they were we would never have followed them and we would have never found Colonel Dunn.
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431:). The official version from the 33rd Regiment is that Dunn was holding his rifle and trying to uncork a brandy flask, when the rifle slipped between his legs and discharged into his chest. He told his servant to run for a doctor, but by the time help arrived, Dunn was dead. However, another version is that Dunn dismounted from his horse and sent his servant to get water for the horse. When the servant returned, Dunn was found dead, possibly a suicide. Still other rumours circulated, possibly of murder.
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had picked
Bentley out as a straggler and were attacking him, trying to knock him out of the saddle. Dunn wheeled his horse and returned to Bentley's aid. He killed two or three of the Russian soldiers, lifted Bentley back up on his horse, and slapped its rear to get it moving back to safety. Dunn
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Dunn was buried in a local cemetery in Senafe. The location was eventually forgotten, until the end of World War II. A British soldier, leading a patrol of
Eritrean Mounted Police, came across a grown-over cemetery, but found that one gravesite had been cleaned and tended recently. It was Dunn's
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Queen
Victoria instituted the Victoria Cross in 1856, for conspicuous acts of bravery by any member of the British military. The award was available for events from 1854 onwards, to include acts of bravery during the Crimean War, which began in late 1853. After the war, it was announced that the
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We had just advanced from our rear camp in
Dekemhare into Senafe. We had crossed both trench lines in Senafe and their mine fields. Tensions were very high for not only the Eritrea and Ethiopian armies but for us as well. There was still military forces in the area, whom were not supposed to be
388:, which he joined with the rank of major. When the 100th Regiment was leaving for Britain, Dunn was presented with a sword which had been recently found on the Plains of Abraham, and was thought to have belonged to General Wolfe. After arriving in Britain, the 100th Regiment was sent to
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Lieutenant Dunn was actively engaged in the battle, leading his troops in the futile attempts to capture the
Russian artillery. When the retreat was finally called, he saw that one of his troopers, Sergeant Robert Bentley, was in trouble. Bentley's horse was badly wounded. Russian
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Dunn sold his commission at the end of the
Crimean War, having conducted an affair with the wife of a fellow officer. She left her husband for Dunn. He returned to Canada in 1856, where he initially ran his family's estate, north of Toronto, and joined a local Masonic lodge.
250:, the highest and most prestigious award for bravery in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Later in life, he assisted in raising a regiment in Canada for the British Army. He was the first Canadian to command a British Army regiment.
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In 1894, one of Dunn's fellow-officers from the 100th Royal
Canadian Regiment of Foot sent three souvenirs back to Canada, including Dunn's camp-stool from the Crimea. The camp-stool and Dunn's sword are now also on display at the Canadian War Museum.
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11th
Hussars could nominate a soldier to receive the Victoria Cross for his bravery. Dunn was the unanimous choice of the regiment. His name was on the list of the first group of recipients of the Victoria Cross, announced in February 1857.
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then noticed that another soldier from his troop, Private Harvey Levett, had been dismounted and was being attacked by a
Russian hussar. Dunn came to Levett's aid, killing the Russian hussar with his lengthy sabre.
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forces had tended the grave, even though they were at war with the Canadian and British armies. The British sent a report to London, but it appears to have been lost for some decades.
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in 1868, he was given the command of the 33rd Regiment, the first Canadian to command a British regiment, but was killed in unusual circumstances during a hunting accident at
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When he was finally back to safety, Dunn found that only 25 had survived from his troop of 110 cavalrymen. Dunn broke down and cried.
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Branch 638 (Kanata), created Alexander Dunn Park, dedicated to Dunn's memory. The park is located on Bellrock Drive in Ottawa.
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844:"United Nations Mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) - Pictures of Sylvie Audet (2000-2001) (sixth picture)"
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Half a century later, the grave was re-discovered by Canadian peacekeeping soldiers, who were part of the
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Canadian War Museum: Dunn and Cockburn Victoria Crosses Loaned to the Canadian War Museum, 17 May 2006.
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On 26 June 1857, Queen Victoria presented the first sixty-two Victoria Crosses at an awards ceremony in
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of 1998–2000. Ben Mitchell of the Canadian Armed Forces gave his account of the re-discovery:
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Dunn's medals came on sale at Sotheby's in 1894. The federal government authorised Sir
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Veterans Affairs Canada — Canadian Victoria Cross Recipients —Alexander Roberts Dunn.
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began. Dunn assisted in raising a regiment in Canada for the British Army, the
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Hamilton Valley of Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of Canada
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246:(15 September 1833 – 25 January 1868) was the first Canadian awarded the
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in 1866, the youngest colonel in the British Army. At the start of the
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In addition to the Victoria Cross, Dunn was also awarded the British
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in 1864, as a lieutenant-colonel. He was promoted to the rank of
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The accounts of Dunn's death vary. It occurred at the town of
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Dunn died of a gunshot wound under mysterious circumstances in
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Arthur Bishop, "Canada And The Victoria Cross: Part 1 of 18",
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100th (Prince of Wales's Royal Canadian) Regiment of Foot
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100th (Prince of Wales's Royal Canadian) Regiment of Foot
649:. National Defence Canada. 16 April 2008. Archived from
297:. When his family returned to England, he attended
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Upper Canada College: Alexander Roberts Dunn 1848.
293:, Receiver General of Upper Canada, and studied at
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321:Charge of the Light Brigade and the Victoria Cross
695:Ben Johnson, "The History of the Victoria Cross"
345:on 25 October 1854, when he was 21 years of age.
940:British military personnel of the Abyssinian War
555:There is a memorial plaque dedicated to Dunn at
478:After the re-discovery of the grave, a group of
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774:""Alexander Roberts Dunn VC" by Gary Magwood,
457:United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea
16:First Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross
935:British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross
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965:Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment officers
950:Crimean War recipients of the Victoria Cross
161:33rd (Duke of Wellington's) Regiment of Foot
628:Legion — Canada's Military History Magazine
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518:(1854–1855). He also received the Turkish
269:to the Eritrea-Ethiopia war of 2000-2001.
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945:Canadian recipients of the Victoria Cross
930:British Army personnel of the Crimean War
732:, Vol. 9, no. 16 (15 August, 1894), p. 1.
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895:https://unmee.unmissions.org/background
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871:, Vol. 9, no. 23 (Dec. 1, 1894), p. 9.
559:in Toronto, near where Dunn was born.
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152:11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own)
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267:United Nations peacekeeping force
955:People educated at Harrow School
684:. 24 February 1857. p. 655.
548:The City of Ottawa, assisted by
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405:British Expedition to Abyssinia
301:. In 1852 at the age of 19, he
263:British Expedition to Abyssinia
199:British Expedition to Abyssinia
925:33rd Regiment of Foot officers
1:
832:. 29 June 1866. p. 3736.
596:. 16 March 1852. p. 226.
305:in a cavalry regiment in the
261:), where he was part of the
975:Upper Canada College alumni
392:to act as garrison troops.
339:Charge of the Light Brigade
329:Charge of the Light Brigade
317:to accommodate his height.
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970:Province of Canada people
960:People from York, Toronto
869:Canadian Military Gazette
730:Canadian Military Gazette
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440:grave. Soldiers of the
395:Dunn exchanged into the
337:for his actions at the
886:Alexander Roberts Dunn
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461:Eritrean–Ethiopian War
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303:purchased a commission
289:) in 1833, the son of
241:Alexander Roberts Dunn
154:("the Cherry Pickers")
25:Alexander Roberts Dunn
920:11th Hussars officers
647:"Alexander Dunn Park"
593:The Edinburgh Gazette
550:Royal Canadian Legion
486:repaired it in 2001.
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397:33rd Regiment of Foot
372:Later military career
333:Dunn was awarded the
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273:Family and early life
170:33rd Regiment of Foot
133:1852–1856; 1858–1868
130:Years of service
524:Abyssinian War Medal
295:Upper Canada College
222:Turkish Crimea Medal
539:Canadian War Museum
516:siege of Sevastopol
512:Battle of Inkermann
508:Battle of Balaclava
415:Death in Abyssinia
343:Battle of Balaclava
195:siege of Sevastopol
191:Battle of Inkermann
187:Battle of Balaclava
829:The London Gazette
809:The London Gazette
778:, 6 November 2017"
681:The London Gazette
630:, January 1, 2004.
522:, and the British
504:Battle of the Alma
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279:York, Upper Canada
183:Battle of the Alma
53:York, Upper Canada
784:on 31 August 2021
520:Crimean War Medal
451:Modern-day Senafe
442:occupying Italian
277:Dunn was born in
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786:. Retrieved
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655:. Retrieved
651:the original
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510:(1854), the
506:(1854), the
496:Crimea Medal
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484:CFB Gagetown
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473:Ben Mitchell
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307:British Army
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213:Crimea Medal
175:Battles/wars
124:British Army
64:(1868-01-25)
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915:1868 deaths
910:1833 births
853:27 November
824:"No. 23132"
804:"No. 22922"
697:Historic UK
676:"No. 21971"
541:in Ottawa.
459:during the
341:during the
179:Crimean War
904:Categories
588:"No. 6160"
563:References
502:, for the
498:with four
92:Allegiance
46:1833-09-15
788:31 August
425:Abyssinia
390:Gibraltar
366:Hyde Park
255:Abyssinia
228:Relations
73:Abyssinia
471:—
234:(father)
167:Commands
110:Service/
83:Senafe,
429:Eritrea
401:colonel
351:lancers
287:Ontario
283:Toronto
281:(later
259:Eritrea
142:Colonel
85:Eritrea
657:22 May
500:clasps
490:Legacy
421:Senafe
409:Senafe
309:, the
217:clasps
215:(four
205:Awards
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112:branch
101:
79:Buried
69:Senafe
427:(now
257:(now
855:2015
790:2021
659:2014
148:Unit
138:Rank
59:Died
40:Born
888:at
423:in
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285:,
244:VC
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71:,
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44:(
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