This article is part of an alphabetical series: see
(A–F) and
(G–M).
The
Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest award of the
United Kingdom honours system. It is awarded for
gallantry "
in the face of the enemy" to members of the British armed forces. It may be awarded posthumously. It was previously awarded to Commonwealth countries, most of which have established their own honours systems and no longer recommend British honours. It may be awarded to a person of any
military rank in any service and to civilians under military command although no civilian has received the award since 1879. Since the first awards were presented by
Queen Victoria in 1857, two thirds of all awards have been personally presented by the
British monarch. These investitures are usually held at
Buckingham Palace.
The first citations of the VC, particularly those in the initial gazette of 24 February 1857, varied in the details of each action; some specify date ranges while some specify a single date. The original
Royal Warrant did not contain a specific clause regarding posthumous awards, although official policy was to not award the VC posthumously.[1] Between 1897 and 1901, several notices were issued in the London Gazette regarding soldiers who would have been awarded the VC had they survived. In a partial reversal of policy in 1902, six of the soldiers mentioned were granted the VC, but not "officially" awarded the medal. In 1907, the posthumous policy was completely reversed and medals were sent to the next of kin of the six soldiers.[2] The Victoria Cross warrant was not officially amended to explicitly allow posthumous awards until 1920, but one quarter of all awards for the
First World War were posthumous.[1][3] Three people have been awarded the VC and
Bar, which is a medal for two actions;
Noel Chavasse,
Arthur Martin-Leake and
Charles Upham.[4] Chavasse received both medals for actions in the First World War, while Martin-Leake was awarded his first VC for actions in the
Second Boer War, and his second for actions during the First World War. Charles Upham received both VCs for actions during the
Second World War.
The Victoria Cross has been awarded 1,358 times to 1,355 individual recipients. The largest number of recipients for one campaign is the First World War, for which 628 medals were awarded to 627 recipients.[5] The largest number awarded for actions on a single day was 24 on 16 November 1857, at the
Second Relief of Lucknow, during the
Indian Mutiny.[6] The largest number awarded for a single action was 18, for the
assault on Sikandar Bagh, during the Second Relief of Lucknow. The largest number awarded to one unit during a single action was seven, to the 2nd/
24th Foot, for the defence of
Rorke's Drift (22–23 January 1879), during the
Zulu War.[7] Since 1991, Australia, Canada and New Zealand have created their own separate Victoria Crosses: the
Victoria Cross for Australia, the
Victoria Cross for Canada, and the
Victoria Cross for New Zealand. Only three of these separate medals have been awarded, all for actions in the
War in Afghanistan;
Willie Apiata received the Victoria Cross for New Zealand on 26 July 2007;
Mark Donaldson received the Victoria Cross for Australia on 16 January 2009; and
Ben Roberts-Smith was awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia on 23 January 2011.[8] As these are separate medals, they are not included in this list.[9]
The youngest recipient of the VC was
Andrew Fitzgibbon, who was fifteen at the time of the action that earned him the VC. By comparison, the oldest recipient was
William Raynor at 61 at the time of his action in 1857.[10] There have been several VCs awarded to close relatives. Four pairs of brothers and three fathers and sons have been awarded the VC. In his book Victoria Cross Heroes,Lord Ashcroft notes the story of the Gough family as possibly the "bravest family." Major
Charles Gough was awarded the VC in 1857 for saving his brother, Lieutenant
Hugh Gough, who in the same year went on to win a VC of his own, after he charged enemy guns. Charles' son,
John Gough, then went on to win the family's third VC in 1903.[11]
Recipients (N–Z)
By default this list sorts alphabetically. Indian and Nepalese convention is for the family name first and the given name second;[12] this is reflected in this list. The rank column sorts by the
rank of the recipient at the time of the action. This column sorts by the
comparative rank of the recipient within the
British Armed Forces command structure. Within the British Armed Forces the Navy is the Senior Service, followed by the Army and then the Royal Air Force (RAF).
This along with a * indicates that the Victoria Cross was awarded posthumously.
A ^ Between 1858 and 1881, the Victoria Cross could be awarded for actions taken "under circumstances of extreme danger" not in the face of the enemy. O'Hea single-handedly put out a fire in an ammunition cart, and was awarded the VC for that action. This rule was changed in 1881 to allow only acts "in the presence of the enemy".[13]
D ^ Recipient awarded the Victoria Cross for multiple acts of valour or for an extended period of sustained courage and outstanding leadership, rather than a single act of valour.
E ^ Parslow and Smith were
Masters in the
Merchant Navy and as civilians, they were not eligible for the VC. They were both posthumously promoted to Lieutenant in the
Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) to facilitate the awarding of the VC.[14]
F ^ Newton was captured by Japanese forces and beheaded 11 days later.[15]
^"The Victoria Cross". Imperial War Museum Exhibits and Firearms Collections. Archived from
the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2006.
This article is part of an alphabetical series: see
(A–F) and
(G–M).
The
Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest award of the
United Kingdom honours system. It is awarded for
gallantry "
in the face of the enemy" to members of the British armed forces. It may be awarded posthumously. It was previously awarded to Commonwealth countries, most of which have established their own honours systems and no longer recommend British honours. It may be awarded to a person of any
military rank in any service and to civilians under military command although no civilian has received the award since 1879. Since the first awards were presented by
Queen Victoria in 1857, two thirds of all awards have been personally presented by the
British monarch. These investitures are usually held at
Buckingham Palace.
The first citations of the VC, particularly those in the initial gazette of 24 February 1857, varied in the details of each action; some specify date ranges while some specify a single date. The original
Royal Warrant did not contain a specific clause regarding posthumous awards, although official policy was to not award the VC posthumously.[1] Between 1897 and 1901, several notices were issued in the London Gazette regarding soldiers who would have been awarded the VC had they survived. In a partial reversal of policy in 1902, six of the soldiers mentioned were granted the VC, but not "officially" awarded the medal. In 1907, the posthumous policy was completely reversed and medals were sent to the next of kin of the six soldiers.[2] The Victoria Cross warrant was not officially amended to explicitly allow posthumous awards until 1920, but one quarter of all awards for the
First World War were posthumous.[1][3] Three people have been awarded the VC and
Bar, which is a medal for two actions;
Noel Chavasse,
Arthur Martin-Leake and
Charles Upham.[4] Chavasse received both medals for actions in the First World War, while Martin-Leake was awarded his first VC for actions in the
Second Boer War, and his second for actions during the First World War. Charles Upham received both VCs for actions during the
Second World War.
The Victoria Cross has been awarded 1,358 times to 1,355 individual recipients. The largest number of recipients for one campaign is the First World War, for which 628 medals were awarded to 627 recipients.[5] The largest number awarded for actions on a single day was 24 on 16 November 1857, at the
Second Relief of Lucknow, during the
Indian Mutiny.[6] The largest number awarded for a single action was 18, for the
assault on Sikandar Bagh, during the Second Relief of Lucknow. The largest number awarded to one unit during a single action was seven, to the 2nd/
24th Foot, for the defence of
Rorke's Drift (22–23 January 1879), during the
Zulu War.[7] Since 1991, Australia, Canada and New Zealand have created their own separate Victoria Crosses: the
Victoria Cross for Australia, the
Victoria Cross for Canada, and the
Victoria Cross for New Zealand. Only three of these separate medals have been awarded, all for actions in the
War in Afghanistan;
Willie Apiata received the Victoria Cross for New Zealand on 26 July 2007;
Mark Donaldson received the Victoria Cross for Australia on 16 January 2009; and
Ben Roberts-Smith was awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia on 23 January 2011.[8] As these are separate medals, they are not included in this list.[9]
The youngest recipient of the VC was
Andrew Fitzgibbon, who was fifteen at the time of the action that earned him the VC. By comparison, the oldest recipient was
William Raynor at 61 at the time of his action in 1857.[10] There have been several VCs awarded to close relatives. Four pairs of brothers and three fathers and sons have been awarded the VC. In his book Victoria Cross Heroes,Lord Ashcroft notes the story of the Gough family as possibly the "bravest family." Major
Charles Gough was awarded the VC in 1857 for saving his brother, Lieutenant
Hugh Gough, who in the same year went on to win a VC of his own, after he charged enemy guns. Charles' son,
John Gough, then went on to win the family's third VC in 1903.[11]
Recipients (N–Z)
By default this list sorts alphabetically. Indian and Nepalese convention is for the family name first and the given name second;[12] this is reflected in this list. The rank column sorts by the
rank of the recipient at the time of the action. This column sorts by the
comparative rank of the recipient within the
British Armed Forces command structure. Within the British Armed Forces the Navy is the Senior Service, followed by the Army and then the Royal Air Force (RAF).
This along with a * indicates that the Victoria Cross was awarded posthumously.
A ^ Between 1858 and 1881, the Victoria Cross could be awarded for actions taken "under circumstances of extreme danger" not in the face of the enemy. O'Hea single-handedly put out a fire in an ammunition cart, and was awarded the VC for that action. This rule was changed in 1881 to allow only acts "in the presence of the enemy".[13]
D ^ Recipient awarded the Victoria Cross for multiple acts of valour or for an extended period of sustained courage and outstanding leadership, rather than a single act of valour.
E ^ Parslow and Smith were
Masters in the
Merchant Navy and as civilians, they were not eligible for the VC. They were both posthumously promoted to Lieutenant in the
Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) to facilitate the awarding of the VC.[14]
F ^ Newton was captured by Japanese forces and beheaded 11 days later.[15]
^"The Victoria Cross". Imperial War Museum Exhibits and Firearms Collections. Archived from
the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2006.