Union flag

A British Union Flag (post-1801 pattern) used by the Naval Brigades in the Crimea. The catalogue of the Royal Naval Exhibition 1891 describes it as: 'A splintered flag staff and a riddled Union Jack, repeatedly shot down by the Russian gunners and as repeatedly re-hoisted by the late Captain Sir William Peel'. The flag is made of wool bunting, hand-sewn with cord edging; a rope is attached.

Third son of the Prime Minister, Sir Robert Peel joined the Royal Navy in 1838. He served in 'Princess Charlotte' during the Syrian War, and was present at the capture of Acre in 1840. In 1844 he trained at the gunnery school 'Excellent' passing his examinations in record time. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 1844; to Commander in 1846; and to Captain in 1849, at the age of twenty-five when he was the youngest post captain in the navy. He served as a naval brigade commander at the siege of Sebastopol during the Crimean War. The Victoria Cross was awarded for three acts of gallantry during this campaign. Peel threw a Russian shell bodily over the parapet of a battery preventing it from exploding among powder cases. During the Battle of Inkerman, he managed to warn a group of Grenadier Guards that they were about to be surrounded by the enemy. On 18 June 1855, he led the first party to attempt to scale the Redan wall at Sebastopol, and was wounded in the process. He subsequently led the Naval Brigade during the Indian Mutiny and was wounded again during the second relief of Lucknow. He died a few weeks later having fallen sick with smallpox.

He was awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry during the Crimean War, now in the National Maritime Museum's collection.

Original size: 1372 mm x 2565 mm