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Victoria Cross (VC)
TERMSFor 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.BARA bar is awarded for additional acts of bravery. Only 3 have been awarded, none to a Canadian.DESCRIPTIONA cross pattee, 1.375 inches across, with a dark brown finish. Made from cannons captured from the Russians during the Crimean War.OBVERSEThe obverse displays the Royal Crown surmounted by a lion guardant. Below the crown, a scroll bearing the inscription: FOR VALOURREVERSERaised edges with the date of the act engraved within a raised circle.MOUNTINGA straight bar (ornamented with laurels), slotted for the ribbon, has a V-lug below. A small link joins the V-lug to a semi-circular lug on the top of the cross.RIBBONThe crimson ribbon is 1.5 inches wide and a miniature cross is worn on the ribbon in undress. The ribbon was dark blue for naval recipients until 1918 with Able Seaman William HALL, RN, being the only Canadian VC winner to wear the blue ribbon.NAMINGThe recipient's rank, name and regiment are engraved on the reverse of the mounting bar.DATESThe medal was instituted on 05 February 1856 with awards retroactive to 1854. The first award to a Canadian was in February 1857, to Lt. Alexander DUNN (Charge of the Light Brigade).ISSUEDThere have been 1,351 Victoria Crosses and 3 Bars awarded worldwide, 94 to Canadians (Canadian-born or serving in the Canadian Army or with a close connection to Canada).All 94 Canadian winners of the VC follow (full citations to these awards are recorded in 1000 Brave Canadians, published by The Unitrade Press):Prior to the South African War (4)DUNN, Alexander RobertHALL, William READE, Herbert Taylor DOUGLAS, Campbell Mellis The South African (Boer) War (4)COCKBURN, Hampden Z.C.HOLLAND, Edward J.G. RICHARDSON, Arthur H.L. TURNER, Richard E.W. World War One (70)ALGIE, Wallace LloydBARKER, William George BARRON, Colin Fraser BELLEW, Edward Donald BENT, Philip Eric BISHOP, William Avery BOURKE, Rowland R.L. BRERETON, Alexander P. BRILLANT, Jean BROWN, Harry CAIRNS, Hugh CAMPBELL, Frederick W. CLARKE, Leo CLARK-KENNEDY, William. Hew COMBE, Robert Grierson COPPINS, Frederick G. CROAK, John Bernard De WIND, Edmund DINESEN, Thomas FISHER, Fred FLOWERDEW, Gordon M. GOOD, Herman James GREGG, Milton Fowler HALL, Frederick William HANNA, Robert HARVEY, Frederick M.W. HOBSON, Frederick HOLMES, Thomas William HONEY, Samuel Lewis HUTCHESON, Bellenden S. KAEBLE, Joseph KERR, George Fraser KERR, John Chipman KINROSS, Cecil John KNIGHT, Arthur George KONOWAL, Filip LEARMONTH, Okill M. LYALL, Graham Thomson MacDOWELL, Thain W. MacGREGOR, John MacKENZIE, Hugh McKEAN, George Burdon McLEOD, Alan Arnett MERRIFIELD, William METCALF, William Henry MILNE, William Johnstone MINER, Harry G.B. MITCHELL, Coulson N. MULLIN, George Harry NUNNEY, Claude J.P. O'KELLY, Christopher P.J. O'LEARY, Michael O'ROURKE, Michael James PATTISON, John George PEARKES, George Randolph PECK, Cyrus Wesley RAYFIELD, Walter Leigh RICHARDSON, James C. RICKETTS, Thomas ROBERTSON, James Peter RUTHERFORD, Charles S. SCRIMGER, Francis A.C. SHANKLAND, Robert SIFTON, Ellis Wellwood SPALL, Robert STRACHAN, Harcus TAIT, James Edward WILKINSON, Thomas O.L. YOUNG, Francis ZENGEL, Raphael Louis World War Two (16) |
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