Daniel Cambridge was born in Carrickfergus on 27 June 1820 son of Archibald Cambridge and Bridget, formerly Murray. On 24 June 1839 he enlisted as a Driver and Gunner in the 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of. He served with the 2nd Company, 4th Battalion, in Malta (1841-1847) and was then posted to Canada with the 7th Battalion in 1848.

On 21 November 1853 Daniel's posting to Canada came to an end and he returned to England and Woolwich Arsenal, the home of the Royal Artillery. In March 1854 Britain and France declared war on Russia, beginning the Crimean War, and Daniel, now in the 8th Company, 11th Battalion embarked in June with his regiment for the Crimea, arriving there on 19 September 1854. He took part in the defeat of the Russians at Inkerman on 5 November and then returned to Sebastopol. On 3 April 1855 Daniel was promoted to Bombardier. Between April and June 1855 Sebastopol was bombarded four times. The fourth bombardment was followed by the 1st assaults on the Malakov and Redan. The 17 August saw the fifth bombardment of Sebastopol with 600 Allied guns, which lasted for four days. The sixth and final bombardment, which began on 5 September with 775 Allied guns, lasted for 3 days.

On the 8 September Daniel joined the spiking party for the British assault on the Redan. The British were cut down by the Russian's murderous fire from the Redan into the Quarries. As the Artillerymen's spiking party were unable to spike the Russian guns the Gunners helped and carried as many of the wounded infantrymen to safety as they could.

The London Gazette of 23 June 1857 announced the award of the Victoria Cross to Serjeant Daniel Cambridge, and gave the citation as follows: For having volunteered for the spiking party at the assault on the Redan, September 8, 1855, and continuing therewith, after being severely wounded; and for having, in the after part of the same day, gone out in front of the advanced trench, under a heavy fire, to bring in a wounded man, in performing which service, he was himself severely wounded a second time.

Capt. Gronow Davis also received the Victoria Cross for his actions at the Redan on the same day.

Shortly afterwards Daniel also received the Al Valore Militare, the Sardinian Military Medal of Valour. On 21 April 1856 hewas promoted Serjeant and in April 1857 to Quarter Master Serjeant. Daniel was the twenty-second of the original sixty-two medal recipients who received the Cross from Queen Victoria at the first VC Investiture in Hyde Park on 26 June 1857. Later in 1857 he was promoted to Master Gunner with the 8th Coastal Battery, Athlone, Co. Roscommon, Ireland. On 21 February 1862 he was posted to Fort Tarbert, Co. Kerry, Ireland.

Daniel was pensioned as a Master-Gunner after completing thirty-two years' service on 27 June 1871. In that same year he was appointed to Queen Victoria's bodyguard the Yeomen of the Guard.

Daniel Cambridge died from the wounds received in the Crimean War on 4 June 1882 at 57 Frederick Place, Plumstead. His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Artillery Museum (Woolwich, England).

Born:	27 June 1820
Died:	4 June 1882