Victoria Cross awarded to Petty Officer Thomas Pride (1835-93). In 1864, the Japanese decided to close the Shimoneseki Straits to foreign shipping and any ships that tried to sail through the straits were fired on. HMS ‘Euryalus’ led an international squadron out to Japan to bombard the Japanese batteries. On 6 September Thomas Pride was one of two colour sergeants accompanying Midshipman Boyes from the ‘Euryalus’ in carrying the Queen's Colour into action against the enemy. They kept the flag flying although they were under heavy fire which killed the other colour sergeant and severely wounded Thomas Pride. Both Boyes and Pride were presented with the Victoria Cross in Portsmouth on 22 September 1865. Pride was born in 1835 and entered the Navy in 1854. He was discharged from the Navy in 1866 and died in 1893. He is buried in Branksome, Dorset.

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, ‘THOS PRIDE. CAPT. OF THE AFTER GD. H.M.S. EURYALUS’, along with the date, ‘SEPT 6 1864’.