What is the criteria for a Victoria Cross?

What is the criteria for a Victoria Cross?

It is awarded to persons who, in the presence of the enemy, display the most conspicuous gallantry; a daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice; or extreme devotion to duty.

What kinds of things would win a soldier the Victoria Cross?

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

Which battle had the most Victoria Crosses awarded?

Rorke’s Drift, 1879 – The highest number of Victoria Crosses awarded in a single action.

What makes a person eligible for the Victoria Cross?

… 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. A recommendation for the VC is normally issued by an officer at regimental level, or equivalent, and has to be supported by three witnesses, although this has been waived on occasion.

How many times has the Victoria Cross been awarded?

The VC was introduced on 29 January 1856 by Queen Victoria to honour acts of valour during the Crimean War. Since then, the medal has been awarded 1,358 times to 1,355 individual recipients. Only 15 medals, of which 11 were to members of the British Army and four were to members of the Australian Army, have been awarded since the Second World War.

Who are the posthumous recipients of the Victoria Cross?

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. Three people have been awarded the VC and Bar, which is a medal for two actions; Noel Chavasse, Arthur Martin-Leake and Charles Upham.

Is the Victoria Cross the same as the VC?

Since the VC, a British imperial medal, was not compatible with the new Australian system of honours and awards, Queen Elizabeth II agreed to a new award; ‘The Victoria Cross for Australia’. The medal itself is completely unchanged, and is in fact a Victoria Cross in everything but name.