TImothy O'Hea and His Victoria Cross

The only one earned on Canadian soil

From 1854 to 1945, a total of 99 Canadians earned the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the British Empire. Two-thirds of those Victoria Crosses were earned during the First World War.

Throughout the history of the Victoria Cross, only one was ever presented to someone for their actions on Canadian soil, and it wasn’t even presented to a Canadian.

Which brings us to the story of Timothy O’Hea.

Born on June 11, 1843 in Ireland, he served as a private with the First Battalion, Rifle Brigade in the British Army in the Province of Canada. It was in that capacity on June 9, 1866 that he earned his Victoria Cross.

While in Danville, Canada East, a fire broke out in a railway car that contained 910 kilograms of ammunition. That train was on its way between Quebec City and Montreal. As soon as the fire was discovered, the car was disconnected at the Danville Railway Station.

If the car exploded, it would cause devastation in the area.

The sergeant in charge was deciding what to do when Private O’Hea took the keys out of his hand, rushed to the car, opened it and started calling for water and a ladder. He then began to put the fire out without considering the immense danger he was in.

A caboose now marks the spot where his heroic action took place.

Thanks to his actions, that car did not explode and Private O’Hea was presented with the Victoria Cross.

Sadly, O’Hea did not live long.

While stationed in Queensland, Australia, he went out searching for a lost member of the Leichhardt expedition in November 1874. He was believed to have died in the Sturt Stony Desert.

Although there are claims that was not him, and the real Timothy O’Hea was discharged from the British Army in 1868 and died in Ireland shortly after. At this point, it was his brother John who assumed his identity and the pension from the Victoria Cross. Author Elizabeth Reid believed it was John who was the one who actually died in Australia.