EIGHT GRAVES OF VICTORIA CROSS HOLDERS LOCATED IN THE HIGHLAND ROAD CEMETERY, PORTSMOUTH, HAVE BEEN REFURBISHED AND HEADSONES CLEANED.
26 July 2023

The well known military Victoria Cross grave restorer, Steve Davies, has been very busy refurbishing the graves and cleaning the headstones of holders of the Victoria Cross buried in the Highland Road Cemetery, Portsmouth. There are in total eight Victoria Cross graves located in the cemetery and all have been refurbished and will be displayed in this website.


Harding's grave:
before and after

( enlarge )

For the award of the Victoria Cross

[ London Gazette, 15 September 1882 ], Arab Pasha Rebellion, Egypt, 5 July 1882, Gunner Israel Harding, Royal Navy ( HMS 'Alexandra' )

At about nine o'clock, on the morning of the 11th July, whilst Her Majesty's Ship 'Alexandra' was engaging the Forts at Alexandria, a 10-inch spherical shell passed through the ship's side and lodged on the main deck.

Mr. Harding hearing the shout "there is a live shell just above the hatchway" rushed up the ladder from below, and, observing that the fuze was burning, took some water from a tub standing near, and threw it over the projectile, then picked up the shell and put it into the tub.

Had the shell burst, it would have probably destroyed many lives.

Israel Harding was invested with his Victoria Cross by CinC Malta, Lord Alcester, on the 14th November 1882.

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Iain Stewart, 26 July 2023