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The Victoria Cross
"It is ordained that the Cross shall only be awarded for most conspicuous bravery, or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy."

 

The Victoria Cross is the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. The metal for the Victoria Cross is taken mainly from guns captured from the Russians in the Crimean War. The components of the decoration are then treated chemically to obtain the uniform dark brown finish which is darker on some issues than on others.
 Originally the ribbon was dark blue for the Royal Navy and crimson for the Army. Shortly before the Royal Air Force was formed on 1st April 1918 the King approved the recommendation that what had been the Army ribbon should be adopted by all recipients. The reverse of the medal is engraved with details of the recipient along with the date on which the act of gallantry was performed. The suspender bar is also engraved with rank, name and regiment, or other description of the recipient. Occasionally the recipient's full (or abbreviated) first names appear.




A few instances of what the 1354 recipients of the VC did to earn it

On 23 August 1914 at Mons, Belgium, Nimy Bridge was being defended by a single company of Royal Fusiliers and a machine-gun section with Lieutenant Dease in command. The gun fire was intense, and the casualties very heavy, but the lieutenant went on firing in spite of his wounds, until he was hit for the fifth time and was carried away to a place of safety where he died. A private S.F. Godley of the same battalion who had been assisting the lieutenant while he was still able to operate the guns, took over, and alone he used the gun. Private Godley held the enemy from the bridge single-handed for two hours under very heavy fire and was wounded twice. His gallant action covered the retreat of his comrades, but he was eventually taken prisoner. His final act was to destroy the gun and throw the pieces into the canal. Both the Lieutenant and the Private earned the V.C. with the Private becoming the first Private to be awarded the VC in the First World War.

 

On 24 July 1918 at Rossignol Wood, north of Hebuterne, France, it was necessary to destroy an impassable wire block and Sergeant Travis volunteered for this duty. In broad daylight and in close proximity to enemy posts he crawled out, successfully bombing the block and the attacking parties were able to pass through. A little later when a bombing party was held up by machine-guns Sergeant Travis rushed the position, capturing the guns and killing the crew and also an officer and three men who attacked him, thus enabling the bombing party to advance. He was killed the next day while going from post to post encouraging his men.

 

On 20 March 1917 in Egypt, during an aerial bomb attack, a pilot was forced to land behind enemy lines, with hostile cavalry approaching. Lieutenant McNamara, seeing the situation, came down through heavy fire to the rescue, despite the fact that he himself was wounded. He landed about 200 yards from the damaged plane, and the pilot climbed into his machine, but owing to his injury he could not keep it straight and it turned over. The two officers extricated themselves, set fire to the machine and made their way to the damaged one, which they succeeded in starting. Finally, Lieutenant McNamara, although weak from loss of blood, flew the machine back to the aerodrome (70 miles away).

 

Three people have earned two V.C's here's their story...

First V.C.
Between 22 and 30 May 1941 in Crete, Greece, Second Lieutenant Upham displayed outstanding leadership and courage in the very close-quarter fighting. He was blown up by one mortar shell and badly wounded by another. He was also wounded in the foot, but in spite of his wounds and a severe attack of dysentery, he refused to go to hospital. He carried a wounded man back to safety when his company was forced to retire on 22 May and on 30 May he beat off an attack at Sphakia, 22 Germans falling to his short-range fire.
Second V.C.
On 14/15 July 1942 at El Ruweisat Ridge, Western Desert, Captain Upham, in spite of being twice wounded, insisted on remaining with his men. Just before dawn he led his company in a determined attack, capturing the objective after fierce fighting; he himself destroyed a German tank and several guns and vehicles with hand grenades. Although his arm had been broken by a machine-gun bullet, he continued to dominate the situation and when at last, weak from loss of blood, he had his wounds dressed, he immediately returned to his men, remaining with them until he was again severely wounded and unable to move.

 



First V.C.
On 9 August 1916, at Guillemont, France, Captain Chavasse attended to the wounded all day under heavy fire, frequently in view of the enemy, and during the night he continued searching for wounded in front of the enemy's lines. Next day, under heavy shell fire he and a stretcher bearer carried an urgent case 500 yards to safety, being wounded himself during the journey. The same night, with 20 volunteers, he rescued three wounded men from a shell-hole 36 yards from enemy trenches, buried the bodies of two officers and collected many identity discs. Altogether he saved the lives of some 20 wounded men.
Second V.C.
During the period 31 July to 2 August 1917, at Wieltje, Belgium, Captain Chavasse although severely wounded early in the action while carrying a wounded officer to the dressing station, refused to leave his post and in addition to his normal duties, went out repeatedly under heavy fire to attend the wounded. During this time, although practically without food, worn with fatigue and faint from his wound, he helped to carry in badly wounded men, being instrumental in saving many who would otherwise have died under the bad weather conditions. Captain Chavasse subsequently died of his wounds.

 



First V.C.
On 8 February 1902, at Vlakfontein, South Africa, Surgeon Captain Martin-Leake went out into the firing line to dress a wounded man under very heavy enemy fire only 100 yards off. He then attended a badly wounded officer and while doing so was shot himself. He only gave up when thoroughly exhausted and then refused water until other wounded men had been served.
Second V.C.
During the period 29 October to 8 November 1914 near Zonnebeke, Belgium, Lieutenant Martin-Leake showed most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty in rescuing, whilst exposed to constant fire, a large number of the wounded who were lying dose to the enemy's trenches.

 

 

If you would like to find out details of every one of the recipients of the V.C. then get yourself across to http://www.chapter-one.com/vc/name.asp for the lot detailed in alphabetical order.

 
Here are some more unusual facts about the V.C.

It was actually possible to have a V.C. taken off you if it was so deemed. This involved the person's name being erased from the official Register and their pension cancelled. There are eight cases where this has happened. King George V was very much against the possibility that anyone could lose thier V.C. and he was once quoted in a letter as saying 'Even if a VC bearer be sentenced to hang for murder, he should be allowed to wear his VC on the scaffold'. The eight men who forfeited theirs were :

  • Midshipman Edward Daniel, Crimean War
    Convicted of desertion / evading court martial.
  • Sergeant James McGuire,Indian Mutiny
    Convicted of theft of a cow.
  • Private Valentine Bambrick, Indian Mutiny
    Convicted of assault and theft of a comrade's medals.
  • Private Michael Murphy, Indian Mutiny
    Convicted of theft of 10 bushels of oats.
  • Private Thomas Lane, China
    Convicted of desertion on active service & theft of a horse, arms and accoutrements.
  • Private Frederick Corbett, Egypt & Sudan
    Convicted of embezzlement & theft from an officer.
  • Gunner James Collis, Afghan War
    Convicted of bigamy.
  • Private George Ravenhill, Boer War
    Convicted of theft of iron.



  • The youngest winner of the V.C. was just 15 years old (actually there are two 15 yr old winners)!
  • The oldest winner of the V.C. was 61 years old.
  • There has been three cases of father and son awards and four cases of brothers awarded.
  • There has yet to be a V.C. awarded to a woman.

    • It is worth remembering that many servicemen who merited the Victoria Cross never received it because their actions went unnoticed, or the witnesses were killed, or whose self-sacrifice resulted in a lonely death in an unmarked grave. This is true no matter what the nationality of the person and is the reason why the tomb of a nation's unknown warrior usually has the highest gallantry decoration bestowed upon it.

     

     





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