Lieutenant George Dare Dowell
Royal Marines Artillery

HMS Ruby, Baltic Sea

On 13th July 1855 at the Forth of Viborg in the Gulf of Finland, when an explosion occurred in the magazine of one of the cutters of HMS Arrogant, Lieutenant Dowell, who was on board HMS Ruby, took three volunteers and went, under very heavy fire to the assistance of the cutter. He took up three of the crew, and having rescued the rest and also the Captain of the Mast, George Ingouville, RN, (also awarded the VC in the same action), he then towed the stricken boat out of enemy range.
London Gazette _ 21st November 1857
His Victoria Cross had the Blue Ribbon (won at sea) and he was also presented with the Crimea Medal with Baltic Clasp. He retired from military service with the rank of Brevet Lt. Colonel as Adjutant of the 3rd Brigade, Western Division of Artillery Militia on 29th January 1886. He then emigrated.
He died, aged 79, in Auckland, New Zealand, where he is buried in Purewa Cemetery.