TheVictoria Cross (VC) is amilitary decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of armed forces of someCommonwealth countries and previousBritish Empire territories. It takes precedence over all other orders, decorations and medals, and may be awarded to a person of anyrank in any service and to civilians under military command.[1] The award was officially constituted whenQueen Victoria issued awarrant under theRoyal sign-manual on 29 January 1856 that wasgazetted on 5 February 1856.[2] The order was backdated to 1854 to recognise acts of valour during theCrimean War.[3] The first awards ceremony was held on 26 June 1857, where Queen Victoria invested 62 of the 111 Crimean recipients in a ceremony in Hyde Park.[4]
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 originalRoyal Warrant did not contain a specific clause regarding posthumous awards, although official policy was to not award the VC posthumously.[5] Between 1897 and 1901, several notices were issued in theLondon 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.[6] The Victoria Cross warrant was not officially amended to explicitly allow posthumous awards until 1920, but one quarter of all awards for theFirst World War were posthumous.[7][8] Three people have been awarded the VC andBar, which is a medal for two actions;Noel Chavasse,Arthur Martin-Leake andCharles Upham.[9] Chavasse received both medals for actions in the First World War, while Martin-Leake was awarded his first VC for actions in theSecond Boer War, and his second for actions during the First World War. Charles Upham received both VCs for actions during theSecond 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.[10] The largest number awarded for actions on a single day was 24 on 16 November 1857, at theSecond Relief of Lucknow, during theIndian Mutiny.[11] The largest number awarded for a single action was 18, for theassault on Sikandar Bagh, during the Second Relief of Lucknow. The largest number awarded to one unit during a single action was 7, to the 2nd/24th Foot, for the defence ofRorke's Drift (22–23 January 1879), during theZulu War.[12]
This along with a ‡ indicates that the row is a link to a separate page containing the recipients of wars or campaigns with a large number of recipients.
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]
