Victoria Cross awarded to John Sheppard (d. 1884). In 1855, Sheppard planned to paddle into Sebastopol Harbour by night, fix an explosive with a time fuse to the hull of a Russian warship and then escape by means of a canvas duck punt he had invented for the purpose. He made two attempts without success but was Mentioned in Despatches and gazetted for the VC in 1857.

John Sheppard was born 22 September 1817 in Kingston upon Hull. He is first recorded in the Navy in 1840 as an Ordinary Seaman. He retired with the rank of Boatswain First Class in 1870. He died 17 December 1884 and is buried in Padstow Cemetery. The Museum also holds the following medals awarded to him: Medal for Conspicuous Gallantry (MED2358), Baltic Medal 1854–55 (MED2359), Crimean Medal, one bar Sebastopol (MED2360), Badge of the Legion d' Honneur, 5th Chevalier (MED2362), Sardinian Medal 'Al Valore Militare' (MED2363), Turkish Medal for the Crimea (MED2364), China Medal, bar Canton 1857 (MED2361).

The medal comprises a bronze Maltese Cross fitted with a loop, ring and a blue ribbon suspended from a bar of ornamental laurel leaves by a V. In the centre of the obverse face is a Royal Crown surmounted by a lion, crowned passant, guardant, both within a ribbon, together with the inscription, ‘FOR VALOUR’. The reverse is inscribed, ‘BOATSWAIN JOHN SHEPHERD’, along with the date, ‘13 JULY 16 AUGT 1855’.