Victoria Cross – The Facts

Throughout the preceding pages, myriad facts, figures, statistics, and astonishing details in respect of the Victoria Cross and those who have been awarded the decoration have been laid out. Presented here is a summary of just some of the essential facts

The Victoria Cross was created on 29 January 1856.

The Victoria Cross recognises acts of extreme bravery carried out under direct enemy fire.

Since 1856, 1,354 people have been awarded the Victoria Cross (although it has been awarded 1,358 times).

The Victoria Cross is hand-made, traditionally using bronze taken from a gun captured in the Crimean War.

The Victoria Cross was deliberately intended to have little actual value. Its value lies in what it stands for and what must be done to earn it.

The inscription on the Victoria Cross is For Valour, that inscription personally chosen by Queen Victoria, after whom the medal was named.

Queen Victoria turned down the first suggestion for the inscription, For the Brave, having taken the view that all her solders were brave.

A Victoria Cross action must be seen by witnesses. After the case is carefully considered, it is sent for approval by the monarch.

The two youngest recipients of the Victoria Cross were Thomas Flinn in 1857 and Andrew Fitzgibbon in 1860. Both were aged 15 years and 3 months.

The oldest recipient of the Victoria Cross was 69-year-old William Raynor who heroically defended an ammunition store in Delhi for five hours in 1857.

Four pairs of brothers have earned the Victoria Cross, including Major Charles Gough and his brother Lieutenant Hugh Gough in 1858.

Three fathers and sons have earned the Victoria Cross, including Major Charles Gough in 1857 and his son Major John Gough in 1903.

Only three people have received the Victoria Cross twice: Surgeon Captain Arthur Martin-Leake in 1902 and 1914, Captain Noel Chavasse in 1916 and 1917, and Captain Charles Upham in 1941 and 1942.

It was only in 1902 that the Victoria Cross started to be awarded posthumously. Since then, there have been 295 ‘posthumous’ Victoria Crosses. It is the only gallantry award that may be granted posthumously.

Only one set of brothers have each received a Victoria Cross and a George Cross: Captain Derek Seagrim a VC in 1943, and Major Hugh Seagrim GC in 1943

The Victoria Cross has been awarded to three soldiers for their relatively recent bravery in Afghanistan: posthumously to Corporal Bryan Budd of the 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment in 2006, to Corporal Willia Apiata of the New Zealand SAS in 2007, and to Trooper Mark Donaldson of the Australian SAS in 2009.

■ On 19 May 1856, Queen Victoria signed her approval of the plans for the Royal Victoria Hospital at Netley, alongside Southampton Water - a vast military hospital. Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone - a 2 tonne block of Welsh granite - Under the stone was placed a box containing a Victoria Cross, Crimea Medal, and a set of coins of her Realm. The VC was the only one officially issued unnamed. When the hospital was decommissioned and then demolished in 1966, the medal was retrieved and engraved with the date of its recovery. It is now displayed at the Museum of Military Medicine, Aldershot. (AS)