A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Luckraft, Alfred (a)
LUCKRAFT, K.L.H., K.R.G. (Captain, 1838. f-p., 24; h-p., 24.)
Alfred Luckraft, born 2 April, 1792, is brother of the present Capt. William, and half-brother of the late Lieut. John Luckraft, R.N.
This officer, whose name had been borne since 25 July, 1799, on the books of the Monarch 74, Capt. Jas. Robt. Mosse, embarked in that ship in Jan. 1801, and on 2 of the following April was present, as Fst.-cl. Vol., in the action oif Copenhagen. After a servitude of 19 months in the Blenheim 74, bearing the flag of Sir Archibald Dickson, Oiseau frigate, Capt. Phillips, and Courageux 74, Capt. John Okes Hardy, he joined, in April, 1803, the Maes 74, Capts. John Sutton, Geo. Duff, Robt. Dudley Oliver, and Wm. Lukin. While in that ship, in which he soon attained the rating of Midshipman, we find him present and slightly wounded in the leg at the battle of Trafalgar 21 Oct. 1805[1] – contributing, next, to the capture, 28 July, 1806, of Le Rhin, of 44 guns and 318 men – assisting also, 25 Sept. in the same year, at the taking, by a force under Sir Sam. Hood, of four heavy French frigates, two of which, the Gloire 46 and Infatigable 44, struck to the Maes – and accompanying, in 1807, the expedition to Copenhagen. In consideration of the wound he received at Trafalgar he was presented with a gratuity from the Patriotic Fund. He became Sub-Lieutenant, in March, 1808, of the Steady gun-brig, Capt. Arthur Stow, and in the course of the same year sailed for South America, where, in Jan. and Feb. 1809, and May, 1810, he was in succession nominated Acting-Lieutenant of the Agamemnon 64, Capt. Jonas Rose, Hyacinth 18, Capt. John Carter, and President 38, Capt. Adam Mackenzie. On his return to England he was confirmed, 3 Sept. 1810, to a Lieutenancy in the Bellerophon 74, bearing the flag in the North Sea of Rear-Admiral John Ferrier, with whom he continued to serve in the Scarborough 74 until May, 1814. From the following Sept. until Sept. 1815 we find him employed on the Home station as Senior of the Foxhound sloop, Capts. John Parish and Thos. Warrand. Being next, 4 Feb. 1828, appointed First to the Blonde 46, Capt. Edm. Lyons, he very highly distinguished himself, in Oct. of the same year, during the operations conducted, in unison with the French, against Morea Castle, the last stronghold of the Turks in the Peloponnesus. On that occasion, landing with a party of seamen, he assumed command, supported by the present Capt. Sidney Colpoys Dacres, of the central of five breaching batteries, named George the Fourth’s Battery. He remained in the trenches 12 days and nights, during the three last of which he worked his only 4 guns with such effect as to expend upwards of 1000 18-pound shot, and 6000 lbs. weight of powder. The greatness indeed of Lieut. Luckraft’s exertions not only procured a strong recommendation in his behalf from his own Commander-in-Chief Sir Pulteney Malcolm, hut had the effect of eliciting the loud praise of the French Admiral De Rigny, and of obtaining for him the insignia of the Legion of Honour and of the Redeemer of Greece.[2] His promotion to the rank of Commander did not, however, take place until 28 Oct. 1829; at which period he was invested with the command of the Procris sloop. He was afterwards appointed – 30 Nov. 1829, to the Camelion 10, attached to the force in the Mediterranean, whence he returned in March, 1830 – 20 June, 1831, to the Revenge 78, Capts. Jas. Hillyar and Donald Hugh Mackay, employed, until March, 1834, on the Lisbon station – and 13 July, 1835, to the Russell 74, Capt. Sir Wm. Henry Dillon, again in the Mediterranean. He was superseded from the latter ship on being advanced to his present rank 28 June, 1838, and has since been on half-pay.
During the late war Capt. Luckraft was never a single day on shore. He is married and has issue two sons and two daughters. One of his sons, Alfred, is a Lieutenant R.N.