The burning of the Sarah Sands / Roger Willoughby and Alan Coles

"The fire aboard the troopship Sarah Sands was an epic story of gallantry that transfixed Victorian Britain. When the ship carrying men of the 54th Regiment to India in 1857 to help quell the Mutiny caught fire in the middle of the ocean with no means of summoning help, those aboard had to deal with the potential disaster themselves. Showing extraordinary courage and discipline, they put out the fire without loss of life and successfully nursed the damaged ship 800 miles to Mauritius. The authors not only tell the story of the fire and of the individuals involved - some heroic, some less so - in this well-illustrated book but have also compiled much medallic information. There is a roll of Indian Mutiny Medals to men aboard, a section on lifesaving awards for the incident, a detailed look at why no Victoria Cross was granted and a list of extant medals."--Provided by the publisher.