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The Victoria Cross ('''VC''') is a Military Decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of armed forces of some Commonwealth countries and previous British Empire territories. It may be awarded to a person of any Rank in any service and civilians under military command, and is presented to the recipient by the British Monarch during an investiture held at Buckingham Palace . As it is the highest award for bravery in the United Kingdom, it takes precedence over other Postnominals and medals. The VC was introduced in 1856 by Queen Victoria to reward acts of valour during the Crimean War . Since then the medal has been awarded 1,356 times to 1,353 individual recipients. Only 14 medals have been awarded since the end of the Second World War . The medal itself is made from the Gunmetal of a weapon supposedly captured at the Siege Of Sevastopol , but several historians have since questioned the true origin of the gunmetal. Due to its rarity, the VC is highly prized and the medal can reach over £ 200,000 at auction and there are a number of public and private collections devoted to it, most notably that of Lord Ashcroft , which contains over one-tenth of the total VCs awarded. ORIGIN In 1854, after 40 years of peace, Britain found itself fighting a major war against Russia. The Crimean War was one of the first wars with modern reporting, and the dispatches of William Howard Russell described many acts of bravery and valour by British servicemen that went unrewarded.Ashcroft, Michael, Preface to Victoria Cross Heroes Before the Crimean War, there was no official standardised system for recognition of gallantry within the British armed forces. Officers were eligible for an award of one of the junior grades of the Order Of The Bath and Brevet Promotions whilst a Mention In Despatches existed as an alternative award for acts of lesser gallantry. This structure was actually very limited; in actual practice awards of the Order of the Bath were confined to officers of Field Rank Original Warrant Foreword: '''' Brevet promotions or Mentions in Despatches were largely confined to those who were under the immediate notice of the commanders in the field, generally members of the commander's own Staff.British Gallantry Awards, p283 In other European countries there existed awards that did not discriminate against class or rank; France awarded the Légion D'honneur (Legion of Honour) and The Netherlands gave the Order Of William . There was a growing feeling amongst the public and in the Royal Court that a new award was needed to recognise incidents of gallantry that were unconnected with a man's lengthy or meritorious service. Queen Victoria signed a Royal Warrant on 29 January 1856 that officially recognised the VC. The order was backdated to 1854 to recognise acts of valour during the Crimean War .Ashcroft, Michael, p.7-10 1857 where Queen Victoria invested 62 of the 111 Crimean recipients in a ceremony in Hyde Park. It was originally intended that the VCs would be cast from the of two Cannon s that were captured from the Russia ns at the Siege Of Sevastopol .3 The historian John Glanfield has since proven through the use of X-Rays of older Victoria Crosses that the metal used for VCs is in fact from antique Chinese guns and not of Russian origin.45 It was also thought that some medals made during the First World War were composed of metal captured from different Chinese guns during the Boxer Rebellion but the original metal was used after the war. It is also believed that another source of metal was used between 1942 and 1945 to create five Second World War VCs when the Sevastopol metal went missing. The barrels of the cannon in question are stationed outside the Officers' Mess at the Royal Artillery Barracks at Woolwich . The remaining portion of the only remaining cascabel, weighing 358 oz (10 kg), is stored in a vault maintained by 15 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps at Donnington, Telford . It can only be removed under armed guard. It is estimated that approximately 80 to 85 more VCs could be cast from this source. A single company of jewellers, Hancocks of London, has been responsible for the production of every VC awarded since its inception.6 APPEARANCE The decoration is a , who thought some might erroneously consider that only the recipients of the VC were brave in battle.7 The decoration, suspension bar and link weigh about 0.87 Troy Ounce s (27 g).Ashcroft, Michael, p.16 The cross is suspended by a ring from a Serif fed "V" to a bar ornamented with laurel leaves, through which the ribbon passes. The reverse of the suspension bar is engraved with the recipient's name, rank, number and unit. On the reverse of the medal is a circular panel on which the date of the act for which it was awarded is engraved in the centre. The ribbon is crimson, 38 mm (1.5 inches) wide. The original (1856) specification for the award stated that the ribbon should be red for army recipients and blue for naval ones.Original warrant, Clause Two: '''' However the dark blue ribbon was abolished soon after the formation of the Royal Air Force on 1 April 1918 . On 22 May 1920 King George V signed a warrant that stated all recipients would now receive a red ribbon and the living recipients of the naval version were required to exchange their ribbons for the new colour.8 Although the Army warrants state the colour as being red it is defined by most commentators as being crimson or "wine-red".9 AWARDING THE MEDAL The Victoria Cross is awarded for Awards of the Victoria Cross have always been announced in the pages of the '' until it reaches the Secretary Of State For War , (now the Secretary Of State For Defence ) and then the monarch. Today, Royal assent is still required and the VCs are presented by the monarch. Originally, the VC could not be awarded posthumously, and could not be awarded to Indian or African troops (although it could be awarded to their European officers).10 Colonial troops were not eligible for the VC during the New Zealand Land Wars , so the New Zealand Cross (1869) was created.11 One colonial soldier, Major Charles Heaphy was awarded the VC for his actions in 1864, as he was under British command.12 In 1905 it was made available to be awarded posthumously. In the twentieth century it was made available to all troops in the service of the Crown (the first Indian soldier, Khudadad Khan , received it in 1914). 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.Warrant Amendment dated 1858-08-10: '''' Six such awards were made during this period - five of them for a single incident (a shipwreck off the Andaman Islands in 1867). In 1881, the criteria were changed again and the VC was only awarded for acts of valour "in the face of the enemy". Due to this it has been suggested by many historians including Lord Ashcroft that the changing nature of warfare will result in fewer VCs being awarded. The prevalence of more remote fighting techniques has meant that the opportunity to carry out acts of bravery are diminishing. The corresponding honour for acts of valour that do not qualify as "in the face of the enemy" is the George Cross , which ranks alongside the VC. Separate Commonwealth awards See Also: Victoria Cross for Australia Victoria Cross (Canada) Victoria Cross for New Zealand headstones.]] In recent years, several Commonwealth countries have introduced their own honours systems, separate from the British Honours System . Australia , Canada and New Zealand 13 have each introduced their own decorations for gallantry and bravery, replacing British decorations such as the Military Cross with their own awards. Most Commonwealth countries, however, still recognise some form of the VC as their highest decoration for valour. Australia was the first Commonwealth nation to create its own VC, on 15 January 1991 . Although it is a separate award, its appearance is identical to its British counterpart.14 Canada followed suit when in 1993 Queen Elizabeth signed Letters Patent creating the Canadian VC, which is also similar to the British version, except that the legend has been changed from FOR VALOUR to the Latin PRO VALORE.15 New Zealand was the third country to adapt the VC into its own honours system. While the New Zealand and Australian VCs are technically separate awards, the decoration is identical to the British design, including being cast from the same Crimean War gunmetal as the British VC. As of July 2007, only one of the separate VCs have been awarded, to a New Zealand serviceman, Bill Apiata , on 2 July 2007 , for his actions in conflict in Afghanistan in 2004. A Canadian version has been cast though that was originally to be awarded to the Unknown Soldier at the rededication of the Vimy Memorial on 7 April 2007 . This date was chosen as it was the 90th anniversary of the Battle Of Vimy Ridge but pressure from Veterans organisations caused the plan to be dropped.16 The New Zealand and Australian awards created are still created from the gunmetal captured during the Crimean War but the Canadian VC is not. It is currently made from an unspecified source. AUTHORITY AND PRIVILEGES Order of precedence As the highest award for valour of the United Kingdom, the Victoria Cross is always the first award to be presented at an investiture, even before Knight hoods, as was shown at the investiture of Johnson Beharry who received his medal before General Sir Mike Jackson .Beharry, Johnson p.359 Due to its status the VC is always the first medal worn in a row of medals and it always appears first in Post-nominal Letters before any other awards or honours.17 Similar acts of extreme valour that don't take place in the face of the enemy are honoured with the George Cross which has equal precedence but is awarded second due to fact that the GC is newer. Salute There is a widespread erroneous myth that it is statutory for "all ranks to salute a bearer of the Victoria Cross." There is no official requirement that appears in the official Warrant of the VC, nor in Queen's Regulations And Orders but tradition dictates that this occurs and as such the Chiefs of Staff will salute a private soldier awarded a VC or GC.18 Annuity The original warrant stated that NCOs and private soldiers or seamen on the Victoria Cross Register were entitled to a £10 per annum or people who joined the British forces before 31 March 1949 while domiciled in Canada or Newfoundland receive $ 3,000 per year.19 The Australian Government provides the two surviving Australian recipients a Victoria Cross Allowance under Subsection 103.4 of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.20 In January 2006 the amount was Australian Dollar 3,230 per year which is indexed annually in line with Australian Consumer Price Index increases. Australian Veteran's Entitlement Act 1986, Clause 103, ''Victoria Cross allowance granted to a veteran under this section is payable at the rate of Australian Dollar 3,230 per year. The amount fixed by this subsection is indexed annually in line with CPI increases.'', (accessdate=2007-06-30)21 RECIPIENTS See Also: List of Victoria Cross recipients on 22 January 1879 ]] A total of 1,356 Victoria Crosses have been awarded since 1856 to 1,352 people.22 Three people have been awarded the VC and of the First World War. (The British Unknown Warrior was reciprocally awarded the US Medal Of Honor .)Victoria Cross Register One VC is in existence that is not counted in any official records. In 1856, Queen Victoria laid a Victoria Cross beneath the foundation stone of Netley Military Hospital .23 When the hospital was demolished in 1966 the VC, known as "The Netley VC", was retrieved and is now on display in the Army Medical Services Museum, Ash, near Aldershot. There are several statistics related to the largest number of VCs awarded in individual battles or wars. The largest number awarded for actions on a single day was 24 on 16 November 1857 , at the Relief Of Lucknow and the amount awarded in a single action was 11 for the defence of Rorke's Drift on 22 January 1879 .The record for the number of Victoria Crosses awarded in a single conflict was 634 during the First World War . Following the death in November 2005 of Captain Umrao Singh , the last surviving India n holder of the VC there were only twelve surviving holders of the VC – six British, two Australians and four Gurkha s – eight of them for exploits during the Second World War. Eight of the twelve surviving holders of the Victoria Cross attended the 150th Anniversary service of remembrance at Westminster Abbey on 26 June 2006 .24 An Irishman, Surgeon General William Manley , remains the sole recipient of both the Victoria Cross and the Iron Cross . The Victoria Cross was awarded for his actions during the Waikato-Hauhau Maori War , New Zealand on 29 April 1864 whilst the Iron Cross was awarded for tending the wounded during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71.25 New Zealand Flying Officer Lloyd Trigg , has the distinction of being the only serviceman ever awarded a VC on evidence solely provided by the enemy, for an action in which there were no surviving Allied witnesses.Ashcroft, Michael, p.296-298, Information on ''Flying Officer Lloyd Allan Trigg'' The recommendation was made by the captain of the German U-boat '' U-468 '' sunk by Trigg's aircraft. Lieutenant-Commander Gerard Roope was also awarded a VC on recommendation of the enemy, the captain of the '' Admiral Hipper '', but there were also numerous surviving Allied witnesses to corroborate his actions.26 Victoria Cross after World War II Since the end of the , one in the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation in 1965, four to Australians in the Vietnam War , two during the Falklands War in 1982, one in the Iraq War in 2004, and one in the War In Afghanistan - in 2004. The Victoria Cross for New Zealand has been awarded once, which was earned in 2004 but awarded in 2007. In March 2002, it was widely reported in the media that the VC was to be awarded to an unnamed Regimental Sergeant Major in the SAS for his involvement in fighting in the Tora Bora cave complex in November 2001.27 There was some debate over whether he should be named but a compromise was reached that his name, and some specific details of the action, would be withheld from the official announcement in the ''London Gazette''.28 However, this did not happen; the VC award was never confirmed, and he and another member of the SAS, who had also been discussed as a possible VC recipient, were awarded Conspicuous Gallantry Cross es in October 2002 instead. The two awards given in the 21st century to British personnel have been for actions in the Afghanistan Conflict and the Iraq War . On 18 March 2005 , Private Johnson Beharry of the 1st Battalion, Princess Of Wales's Royal Regiment became the first recipient of the VC since Sergeant Ian McKay in 1982.The most recent award of the Victoria Cross to a British service person was the posthumous award on 14 December 2006 to Corporal Bryan Budd of 3 Para . It was awarded for two separate acts of "inspirational leadership and the greatest valour" which led to his death, during actions against the Taliban in Afghanistan in July and August 2006.29 It was announced on 2 July 2007 that Corporal Bill Apiata of the Special Air Service Of New Zealand (NZ SAS) was awarded the Victoria Cross For New Zealand for carrying a severely wounded comrade 70 metres over rocky ground while under heavy machine-gun fire during the Afghanistan conflict in 2004.3031 Forfeited VCs :''See also Victoria Cross Forfeitures The original Royal Warrant involved an expulsion clause that allowed for a recipient's name to be erased from the official register in certain wholly discreditable circumstances, and his pension cancelled.Original Warrant Clause 15: '''' King George V though felt very strongly that the decoration should never be forfeited and in a letter to his Private Secretary, Lord Stamfordham , on 26 July 1920 , his views are forcibly expressed: After his intervention the rules pertaining to forfeitures were changed in 1931 and the eight men who had lost their VCs were restored to official lists.33 VALUE OF THE VC Sales of the VC Some recipients have felt the need to sell their medals, often to avoid rows between their children: Their inherent value has been highlighted by several recent sales; in April 2004 the VC awarded in 1944 to Sergeant Norman Jackson , RAF , was sold at auction for £235,250. On 24 July 2006 , an auction at Bonhams in Sydney of the VC awarded to Captain Alfred Shout fetched a world record hammer price of AU$ 1 million. Captain Alfred Shout was awarded the VC posthumously in 1915 for hand-to-hand combat at the Lone Pine trenches in Gallipoli Turkey . The buyer ( Kerry Stokes ) has indicated that it will be displayed at the Australian War Memorial with the eight other VCs awarded to Australians at Gallipoli.34 Thefts of the VC Given the rarity of the Victoria Cross and the fact they are rarely sold, these decorations are highly prized on the Black Market . Several VCs have been stolen and being valuable have been placed on the Interpol watch-list for stolen items.35 The VC awarded to Milton Gregg , which was donated to the Royal Canadian Regiment Museum in London, Ontario Canada in 1979, was stolen on Canada Day , ( 1 July 1980 ), when the museum was overcrowded36 and has been missing since. A VC awarded in 1917 to Canadian soldier Corporal Filip Konowal 37 was stolen from the same museum in 1973 and was not recovered until 2004.38 COLLECTIONS featured on Canadian postage stamps. The stamp on the right also contains a facsimile of words handwritten by "Elizabeth R"]] In the UK In 2004 a national Victoria Cross and George Cross memorial was installed in Westminster Abbey close to the tomb of The Unknown Warrior .39 Westminster Abbey is a living monument to British history in that it contains monuments and memorials to central figures in British History including Charles Darwin and James VI & I . As such it was a significant honour for the VC to be commemorated in Westminster Abbey.40 National Museums with significant (10 or more) VC holdings in the UK include:41 (note=Many VCs are on loan to the museum and are owned by individuals and not owned by the museums themselves.) Outside the UK (note 1=It is the largest publicly held collection in the world.42 including all nine VCs awarded to Australians at Gallipoli.) Private collections Lord Ashcroft British businessman and politician Lord Ashcroft has amassed a private collection of over 140 VCs. Lord Ashcroft purchased his first medal in 1986 and the collection now contains over a tenth of the medals ever awarded, the largest private collection of such medals ever accumulated. The medals are now looked after by ''The Ashcroft Collection'' and a book detailing the collection was published in November 2006.43 Canon William Lummis :''See also Canon William Lummis Canon William Murrell Lummis, MC , was a military historian who built up an archive on the service records and final resting places of Victoria Cross holders.44 This was then summarised into a pamphlet which was taken to be an authoritative source on these matters. However, Lummis was aware of short-comings in his work and encouraged David Harvey to continue it. The result was Harvey's seminal book '' Monuments To Courage .'' In 2007 the Royal Mail used material from Lummis' archives to produce a collection of stamps commemorating Victoria Cross winners.45 SIMILAR DECORATIONS Within the United Kingdom
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