Crimean War 1854 - 1856
John Vincent Rohu was drafted into the Royal Navy in 1854 and saw action on the Baltic and Black Seas on board the Prince Regent and the Royal Albert. John Vincent's diary tallies to a high degree with the official reporting of that campaign. JV joined Prince Regent on 6.3.1854 and was transferred to the Royal Albert on 23.11.1854. The Royal Albert, flagship of Admiral Sir Edmond Lyons, was a steam ship of 107 guns.
During the Black Sea campaign John Vincent discovered a marine chart which indicated the position of the mines which the enemy had laid in the Sea of Azoff. The campaign from 25 May–22 November 1855 between the French and British on one side and the Russian on the other led to the destruction of Russian naval power in the Black Sea. He was discharged from the Navy on 20.8.1856. He was awarded with three medals and two bars for his service during that war.
During the Black Sea campaign John Vincent discovered a marine chart which indicated the position of the mines which the enemy had laid in the Sea of Azoff. The campaign from 25 May–22 November 1855 between the French and British on one side and the Russian on the other led to the destruction of Russian naval power in the Black Sea. He was discharged from the Navy on 20.8.1856. He was awarded with three medals and two bars for his service during that war.
Crimea Diary
JV wrote a diary of his experiences during the Crimean War. The original documents are in the possession of Roy Rohu. There is a small diary (roughly A6 size) and a large diary (about foolscap size). The picture opposite shows two pages from the smaller diary. The cover of this diary is dated 29.6.1856. Click here to read a transcript of the larger Crimea diary.
JV's Medals
Turkish medal, Crimea medal, Baltic medal.
This picture shows the three medals John Vincent received to mark his service during the Crimean War. The first (left) is the Turkish Medal issued by the Sultan of Turkey to British, French and Sardinian troops who took part in the war. Interestingly, the ship carrying these medals to British troops was wrecked and many received a French or Sardinian medal (JV's is the rarer British medal). The second medal (centre) is the Crimea Medal which has two bars, one for action in the siege of Sevastopol, the other for naval action in the Sea of Azoff, both in 1855. The third medal (right) is the Baltic Medal issued to Royal Navy and Royal Marine combatants in the Crimean War.