A SURVIVOR of the bloody Indian Mutiny, who won Britain's highest military honour for his courage under fire, is recalled in the first work by local author Chris Bannister.

The booklet, Henry Ward VC 1823-1867, recalls the life and times of one of the town's great heroes, although he lived in Malvern for little more than a year until his death in September 1867.

The work has been put together with the assistance of Ward's great-granddaughter, Miss M Andrew, now living in Australia, who contributed her own researches and photographs, as well as the late Mrs K Newby, of Harleston, Ward's home village, and its historical society.

The author, vice-chairman of Malvern Museum, records the genuine sadness felt by local people at Private Ward's passing and the help granted his widow and children left impoverished as a result.

With financial assistance, Ward was buried at Great Malvern Cemetery and, with the help of donations, his widow and children were able to return to their family home in Scotland.

A little under two years later, the gravestone which can still be seen today - bearing the image of the Victoria Cross - was installed, through the offices of Major General Sir Henry Havelock, whose life Ward had saved.

Ward was born in Harleston in Norfolk in 1823 to a poor agricultural family and enlisted in the army in 1845 in a Highland Regiment, the 78th, then recruiting in his home area.

After a short period training, Ward sailed with his regiment to India. The 78th won battle honours at Koosh-Ab and Persia in 1856-7 but, on their return to Bombay in May that year, ran into events which were to shake the Empire.

It was the imposition of a new type of rifle bullet on native levies which started the problems. The cartridges needed to be broken with the teeth before loading and rumours went round they were greased with cow fat, sacred to Hindus, or pig fat, an animal considered unclean by Muslims. Sepoy levies began to mutiny rather than accept them, a situation that rapidly led to widespread violence.

From Bombay the 78th travelled to Calcutta to join the column en-route to relieve Cawnpore, which they did, only to discover that almost all the European contingent had been butchered. From there the soldiers moved on to Lucknow, also under siege, and fought their way to the city.

Ward was with the rearguard, under the command of Lt Henry Havelock, as they fought their way towards the British Residency, where the small band of defenders were holding on. Havelock was shot and badly wounded and Ward was put in charge of the litter bearing the officer. Although given a guide to take them to the residence, they became lost and ran into the mutineers.

Under heavy fire, some fled but Ward kept the native litter bearers in place, in the meantime picking up another wounded soldier, and the party made safety. His reward was the Victoria Cross.

The 78th returned to Britain in January 1859 but Ward was already in Scotland, in service with Sir Henry Havelock, an arrangement which continued until Havelock was posted to New Zealand in 1863. Ward saw out his service in Dublin and was discharged in April 1865 with an unblemished record.

The family lived initially in Inverness but moved to Malvern in the summer of 1866. Ward died the following year.

n Henry Ward VC 1823-1867 is available at £3.50 from Malvern Museum, Abbey Gateway, or Beacon Books, Worcester Road.