He was about 29 years old, and a private in the 95th (Derbyshire) Regiment of Foot (later The Sherwood Foresters (The Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) ), British Army during the Indian Mutiny when the following deed took place on 6 January 1858 at the capture of the town of Rowa, India for which he was awarded the VC:For gallant conduct on the 6th of January 1858, at the capture of the entrenched town of Rowa, when he was severely and dangerously wounded in a hand to hand fight with three men, of whom he killed one and wounded another.

As there was no gravestone Burns contacted the Sherwood Foresters Museum in England and they proposed to pay for a stone.

[2] Robert then approached the City Council for permission to erect the memorial stone on a wall in Urney Street (off Shankill Road) were Bernard McQuirt VC died in 1888.

In 2000 a British Army colour party from a regiment based in Northern Ireland finally dedicated the stone in memory of Bernard McQuirt VC.

The inscription on the stone states: Sacred to the memory of Private Bernard McQuirt VC 95th The Derbyshire Regiment who won the regiment's first VC at ROWA CENTRAL INDIA 6th January 1858 he died 5 October 1888 "NINETY – FIVE"[3] Listed in order of publication year