John Doogan

John Doogan
Born	March 1853 Aughrim, County Galway, Ireland
Died	24 January 1940 (aged 86) Folkestone, Kent
Buried	Shorncliffe Military Cemetery, Folkestone, Kent
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Rank	Private, later Sergeant
Unit	1st King's Dragoon Guards
Battles/wars	First Boer War Battle of Laing's Nek World War I
Awards	Victoria Cross

John Doogan (March 1853 in Aughrim, County Galway – 24 January 1940 in Folkestone, Kent) was an Irish 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.

Award

He was 27 years old, and a private in the 1st Dragoon Guards (The King's), British Army during the First Boer War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 28 January 1881 at the Battle of Laing's Nek, South Africa, during the charge of the mounted men, Private Doogan saw that Major Brownlow, KDG had had his horse shot from under him and was dismounted among the Boers. Doogan rode up and, in spite of being severely wounded himself, dismounted and insisted on Major Brownlow taking his horse, receiving another wound while doing so.

The officer Doogan saved, William Vasey Brownlow, ultimately rose to a Major-General and died in 1926, bequeathing Doogan, his 'former servant', an annuity of £20 a year, (worth around £600 in 2005).

Further service

Doogan left the army by 1882 but he returned to service in World War I as an army recruiter, with the rank of sergeant.

Civilian career

Doogan was working for the General Post Office as a Mail Driver when he was living at Welshpool, Montgomeryshire at the 1891 Census. In the 1901 Census he was employed as a butler when living at Church Cottage, East Shenfield, Berkshire. Following the death of his wife in 1924, he moved to Shropshire (where he had sons living) where he was a farmer at Stapeley Hill between 1926 and 1937 He retired from farming to Folkestone, Kent.

Personal life

Doogan was twice married, but only the first marriage was legal. With his first wife Mary he had ten children (his first child born 1882); two sons of theirs were killed in action in World War I. She died in August 1924.

His second marriage, later proved invalid, took place on 16 September 1929 at Welshpool Registry Office to Martha Maria Roberts, who was 39 years his junior and had been employed as his housekeeper following his widowhood and move into Shropshire. She had previously married at Wrexham, on 8 November 1923, David Philip Roberts, whom she claimed was dead at the time she met Doogan but turned out to be still alive after the later wedding. She stood trial at Shrewsbury Assizes on 20 February 1930, charged with bigamy of which she was found guilty but was leniently bound over in £10, to be forfeit if she was called for trial again, instead of being sentenced to prison (the usual penalty). Doogan, the innocent party, gave evidence as witness, while the estranged legal husband appeared simply to confirm his identity and their own marriage.

Death

He is buried at Shorncliffe Military Cemetery (also known as the Garrison Cemetery) in Folkestone (Plot V. Grave 1054).

Victoria Cross

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Queen's Dragoon Guards Regimental Museum in Cardiff Castle, Wales.

See also

• Ó Dubhagáinn

References

Listed in order of publication year

• The Register of the Victoria Cross (1981, 1988 and 1997)
• Ireland's VCs (Dept of Economic Development, 1995)
• Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross (Richard Doherty & David Truesdale, 2000)
• Shropshire Virtual War Memorial (Neil Evans, 2009)
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission

External links

• Location of grave and VC medal (Kent)
• John Doogan at Find a Grave