Victoria Cross

The Victoria Cross, Britain’s supreme award for gallantry, is a medal which has not only been associated with supreme heroism and self-sacrifice but has also seen mystery, drama, controversy, tragedy, theft, and misinformation ever since its inception by Queen Victoria in 1856. In its history, it has been awarded 1,358 times across all ranks and services. It is the only medal which can be awarded posthumously. This lavish special edition will be both text and illustration heavy, the publication being packed full of fascinating detail regarding the VC, its history, conflicts where it has been won, how it is made, unusual stories relating to the medal and individual stories of VC heroism. This will include the story of the first VC, medals from Rorke’s Drift, double VC winners, father-and-son VC winners, the posthumous WW1 ‘Boy VC’ Jack Cornwell whose brother stood in for his portrait when it was realised that no photographs of him existed, the first air VC, and gallantry throughout the Second World War - including the likes of Dambuster Guy Gibson and the ‘Chindit’ who carried on fighting despite having had his arm cut off by a sword-wielding Japanese officer. The remarkable stories span the VC’s entire history and include The Falklands, Gulf War, Afghanistan and include the tale of a WW2 VC awarded retrospectively to an Australian sailor by Queen Elizabeth in 2021. All conflicts will be covered (including Australian VCs in Vietnam) and all services – land, sea, and air. Well over 200 illustrations appear, many of them in colour. Some of these will be original colour photographs, others will be reproductions of relevant artwork, and others will be colourised with maps, charts, tables, and diagrams will also be included where appropriate. This 132-page special edition is perfect for the well-informed military enthusiast, medal enthusiasts and collectors, plus those who enjoy reading tales of extraordinary heroism.