William Hall (VC)

William Nelson Edward Hall was the first Black person, first Nova Scotian, and the third Canadian to receive the Victoria Cross due to his actions in the 1857 Siege of Lucknow, amid the Indian Rebellion. In the face of heavy enemy fire, Hall and an officer from his ship continued to load and fire a 24-pounder gun at the walls of the Shah Nujeef mosque, a prominent stronghold of the Sepoy defence. Hall's actions were integral to the breaking of the siege and subsequent British evacuation.