Andz From South Africa, joined Feb 2004, 8247 posts, RR: 13 Posted (6 years 3 months 3 weeks 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 831 times:
150 years ago the VC was created by Queen Victoria to award soldiers for valour in the face of the enemy. In that time 1,355 recipients have been recognised. The cross is said to be made of bronze from cannon captured from the Russians during the Crimean War, although this has recently been called into question. The VC is the highest honour in the British honour system.
JeffSFO From United States of America, joined Dec 2004, 809 posts, RR: 6 Reply 3, posted (6 years 3 months 3 weeks 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 807 times:
Quoting Matt72033 (Reply 2): isnt there only a very few amount of people who have been alive to recieve it?
Yes, according to the Wikipedia article about the Victoria Cross:
Only one in ten VC recipients in the 20th century is said to have survived the action for which they received the VC.
I first learned about the Victoria Cross after seeing the film Zulu, which depicted the real life battle of Rorke's Drift, South Africa in 1879. 139 British soldiers defending a small outpost were pitted against 4,000 or more Zulu warriors, who had annihiliated 1,200 British soldiers at the Battle of Isandlwana the day before. After a night of battle, the British held their ground and fended off their attackers, prompting them to withdraw--an amazing feat of arms. Out of this action 11 Victoria Crosses were awarded, which, to this day, are the most received for a single action.
Another Victoria Cross recipient that I recall was Flight Lieutenant David S.A. Lord of the RAF, who received it posthumously during World War II. He and his C-47 crew were ordered to drop desperately needed supplies to trapped British paratroopers in Holland during Operation Market Garden in 1944. While taking enemy fire approaching the drop zone, the starboard engine caught fire but they maintained their heading and made their drop. Lord was informed by his dispatchers at the end of the run that two cargo cannisters remained, so with the engine still on fire he flew back into formation to make another pass on the drop zone and did so, which took another 8 minutes. Afterwards, he ordered his crew to abandon the aircraft while he stayed behind to give them the best chance of survival. While the crew were donning their parachutes the wing collapsed and only 1 person made it out alive. I remember reading that in Cornelius Ryan's A Bridge Too Far and it really tore me up.
Canon 5D Mark II, 5D + EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS + EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L II + Tamron AF28-75mm f/2.8
Andz From South Africa, joined Feb 2004, 8247 posts, RR: 13 Reply 4, posted (6 years 3 months 3 weeks 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 804 times:
There is some conflict in the dates awarded, according to the Wikipedia article in my starter post the last medal awarded prior to last year was in 1969, but http://www.victoriacross.net says that awards were made after the 1982 Falklands war. The site has obviously not been updated recently as the latest recipient is not mentioned.
After Monday and Tuesday even the calendar says WTF...
JeffSFO From United States of America, joined Dec 2004, 809 posts, RR: 6 Reply 5, posted (6 years 3 months 3 weeks 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 800 times:
Quoting Andz (Reply 4): There is some conflict in the dates awarded, according to the Wikipedia article in my starter post the last medal awarded prior to last year was in 1969
FYI:
Since the end of the Second World War the VC has been awarded only twelve times. Four were awarded during the Korean War, one in the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation in 1965, four in the Vietnam War, two during the Falklands War in 1982, and one in the Second Gulf War in 2004.
JeffSFO From United States of America, joined Dec 2004, 809 posts, RR: 6 Reply 7, posted (6 years 3 months 3 weeks 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 790 times:
Quoting Andz (Reply 6): I looked in the list of living recipients, were the Falklands awards posthumous?
JeffSFO From United States of America, joined Dec 2004, 809 posts, RR: 6 Reply 9, posted (6 years 3 months 3 weeks 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 781 times:
Quoting Andz (Reply 8): Ah then that explains it..... thanks Jeff.
No worries Andz. Great topic, BTW.
Canon 5D Mark II, 5D + EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS + EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L II + Tamron AF28-75mm f/2.8
GDB From United Kingdom, joined exactly 11 years ago today! , 12357 posts, RR: 83 Reply 10, posted (6 years 3 months 3 weeks 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 766 times:
The latest winner, Pvt Beharry, is very fortunate to be alive to get his (well deserved) VC.
'H' Jones's VC was somewhat controversial, since many thought a battalion commander should not do what he did.
However, Jones had a reputation for taking 'leading 'from the front' to it's limits.
Others just called him hotheaded.
But, the medal is about raw courage, not the chain of command.
As the article states, it's as much 2 Para's VC, as they conducted an action against a well dug in enemy, who outnumbered them nearly 3-1.
With very little artillery or air support.
There is also the George Cross, roughly equivalent to the VC, but it can also be awarded to civilians too.
The whole Island of Malta was awarded the GC in WW2, for holding out against relentless attack from both German and Italian forces.
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