John Alexander Ewart

During the latter he was one of the officers involved in the infamous action later depicted in the painting, "The Thin Red Line" on 25 October, being in charge of the 6th Company of the regiment.

In May 1855 he led his command to the Sea of Azov and aided in the capture of the town of Kertch and adjacent fortress at Yenikale.

[citation needed] In June 1857 he sailed with his troops heading to China to take part in the Second Opium War.

However, at the Cape of Good Hope they received alternative orders and were instead dispatched to help to deal with the Indian Mutiny which had begun some months earlier but remained unresolved.

The regiment were sent to Cawnpore and from there were dispatched to relieve the many trapped in the Siege of Lucknow including the original rescue party of the 78th Highlanders.

On 2 November 1857 he captured the fortified village of Bunterah and on 5 December took supplies and ammunition to the town of Alumbagh relieving Sir Henry Havelock.

During this battle he had his bonnet shot off at distressingly short range and also received two sword wounds, one of which put his right arm in a sling.

On 27 November, with 3000 men, he escorted the evacuation of a large number of civilians in their crossing of the River Ganges.

In the evacuation beginning on 29 November, many persons were successfully got over the bridge on the Ganges, but on the third day, 1 December 1857, Ewart lost his left arm to cannon fire.

He was recommended for a Victoria Cross after the Relief of Lucknow but a decision was made to award only one VC to the three potential candidates.

[4] A memorial to Ewart, designed by Robert Lorimer, was erected in St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh in 1905.