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| Victoria Cross (VC) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Victoria Cross |
| Type | Military decoration |
| Established | 1856 |
| First awarded | 1857 |
Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of the United Kingdom, United Kingdom-aligned forces, and former British Empire and Commonwealth countries. Instituted during the Crimean War era, the medal has been conferred in conflicts ranging from the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and the Second Boer War to the First World War, Second World War, the Falklands War, and modern operations such as Iraq War and Afghanistan campaign. The VC occupies a central place alongside other decorations such as the Order of the Garter, George Cross, Distinguished Service Order, and Military Cross in the British and Commonwealth honours system.
The VC was instituted by letters patent under Queen Victoria in 1856, following reports of gallantry during the Siege of Sevastopol and actions involving figures like Lord Raglan and units such as the Royal Navy and British Army. Early proponents included members of Parliament like Sir Charles Shaw Lefevre and military reformers influenced by events at Balaclava and the Charge of the Light Brigade. The original warrant and subsequent amendments were shaped by officials in Downing Street, the War Office, and Admiralty figures including Sir Sidney Herbert. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries the VC was awarded in colonial campaigns in India, Sudan Campaign, Boxer Rebellion, and the Zulu War, involving leaders like Lord Chelmsford and regiments such as the Queen's Own Rifles.
Regulations for the VC were set out in royal warrants addressed to commanders like Duke of Wellington-era successors and later revised by ministries such as the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence. Eligibility extended to all ranks of the British Army, Royal Navy, and later the Royal Air Force, as well as colonial forces including the Canadian Militia, Australian Imperial Force, and New Zealand Expeditionary Force. The award is given for conspicuous gallantry "in the face of the enemy", a phrase linked to cases from the Indian Mutiny and decisions by courts-martial or commanding officers, reviewed by Cabinets and monarchs such as Edward VII and Elizabeth II. Amendments addressed issues like civilian eligibility and posthumous recognition after debates involving figures like Winston Churchill and committees in the House of Commons.
The medal's design—maltese cross or cross pattée suspended from a scroll bearing "For Valour"—was selected by royal advisers and artists contemporary with Prince Albert. The metal is traditionally described as bronze from captured guns, reportedly from the Siege of Sevastopol trophies, a narrative involving officials from the Ordnance Office and foundries associated with the Royal Mint. Makers over time included firms such as Hancocks & Co. and workshops in London under the oversight of the Monarch's despatches. Presentation cases and ribbons evolved with uniform regulations from authorities like the War Office and the Admiralty to conform with dress rules used by regiments like the Grenadier Guards and squadrons of the Royal Air Force.
Awards are typically announced in official lists published by offices including the London Gazette and invested by the sovereign at ceremonies in locations such as Buckingham Palace or during campaigns by commanders-general like Field Marshal Montgomery. Nominations arise from brigade and divisional commanders, forwarded through chains to Secretaries of State and reviewed by honours committees influenced by legal advisers in the Cabinet Office. Investitures have been conducted by monarchs and occasionally by governors-general in dominions such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand; notable investitures included ceremonies presided over by King George V and Queen Elizabeth II.
Recipients span a wide array of individuals including privates, non-commissioned officers, and officers from units like the Coldstream Guards, Royal Fusiliers, Seaforth Highlanders, and the Royal Canadian Regiment. Famous awardees include Charles Upham (New Zealand), Albert Jacka (Australia), Noel Godfrey Chavasse (medical officer), Ned Kelly is not to be linked, but others like William Harvey Carney and John Simpson Kirkpatrick are associated with distinct actions. Engagements resulting in awards include the Battle of the Somme, Gallipoli Campaign, Battle of Rorke's Drift, and Operation Desert Storm. The list of recipients reflects campaigns involving leaders and formations such as Lord Kitchener, Sir Douglas Haig, Admiral Jellicoe, and allied contingents from the Canadian Expeditionary Force and Australian Imperial Force.
Initially, the warrant did not explicitly allow posthumous awards; policy evolved following debates in the Victorian and Edwardian eras and after criticism stemming from First World War casualties and cases reviewed by parliamentary debates in the House of Lords. Rules on posthumous awards were modified, permitting recognition of those killed in action and allowing subsequent bars for additional acts of valour; only a small number of individuals have received a bar, with notable multi-recipient discussions involving committees and coronations presided over by monarchs like George VI.
The VC has influenced war literature, memorialization, and museum curation in institutions such as the Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, and the National Army Museum. It features in biographies of figures like Florence Nightingale-era contemporaries, wartime histories by historians referencing the Cambridge University Press corpus, and exhibitions curated by bodies such as the British Museum. The medal's prestige shaped debates in parliaments across the Commonwealth of Nations and inspired similar decorations like the Medal of Honor comparisons in the United States, discourse in journals such as the Journal of Military History, and portrayals in films and novels set during the Crimean War and World War I.
Category:British military awards