Colonel distinguished for his gallantry

Jonathan Rowe remembers a Bristol-born military hero who was killed leading his men 170 years ago - in a place that's been in the news again in recent years

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TWO hundred years ago, a Bristol-born 17-year-old was commissioned as an ensign in the army, beginning an illustrious military career that would lead to his death at the age of 47 in the Crimean War.

Lacy Walter Giles Yea was born in Park Row in 1808, the eldest son of Sir William Walter Yea, Baronet, of Pyrland Hall, Cheddon Fitzpaine, near Taunton. Built in 1760, the house was the family home for over a hundred years until 1864 and is now King’s Hall Preparatory School.

Lacy Yea was baptised at St Mary’s Church, Henbury. Educated at Eton, he won a fight, aged 13, against an older boy of 16 by “sheer pluck”.

Yea served mainly with the Royal Fusiliers and rose to become a Lieutenant Colonel in 1850, earning a reputation as a martinet.

In 1854, his regiment was among the British forces fighting in the Crimean War against Russia.

At the Battle of Alma (Alma Road/Avenue/Alma Vale Road, Clifton, and Alma Road/Close, Kingswood are all named after it) in September 1854, his regiment showed conspicuous gallantry and daring, holding their own against more than double their number when the rest of the brigade had fallen back. The achievement was largely due to the leadership of Colonel Yea, but the regiment lost 12 officers and 200 men.

Yea also saw action at the Battle of Inkerman in November 1854.

During the terrible winter campaign, Yea’s care of his men was exemplary. He was the first to provide hospital huts and did everything he could to ensure the necessities and comfort of his men.

In June 1855, Yea commanded a brigade of the Light Division during the Battle of the Great Redan, part of the Siege of Sebastopol. On June 18, he led a storming party against this mini-fort, having to cross a quarter of a mile of open ground under a shower of grapeshot the likes of which even the oldest soldiers had never seen. Yea reached the enemy fortification but was shot dead.