Her Majesty preferred that the motto on the Cross read “For Valour rather than For the Brave as this would lead to the inference that only those are deemed brave who have got the Cross.”. Some of the mystique of the original Victoria Cross is linked to the metal used to make it. The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. Later that year Capt. The first crosses were awarded during the Crimean War. 'The Cross looks very well in form, but the metal is ugly; it is copper and not bronze and will look very heavy on a red coat'. His son, Brevet Major W. Congreve D.S.O., M.C., also of the Rifle Brigade was awarded his Victoria Cross posthumously for action during the period 6th to 20th July 1916. It is possible for any serving member of the armed forces to obtain this award. These abbreviated versions of the suspender bar are attached to the ribbon above the original and the details of the new award are engraved to the reverse. The Hon. British Victorian Campaign Medals, 1839 to 1880 For Campaigns in India, Afghanistan, Africa, etc. Gough of the 5th Bengal European Cavalry was awarded the Victoria Cross for actions on the 15th and 18th of August 1857 and for further actions on the 22nd of January and 23rd of February 1858. Das Victoria-Kreuz (engl.Victoria Cross) ist die höchste Kriegsauszeichnung der Streitkräfte des Vereinigten Königreichs und einiger Staaten des Commonwealth.Es wird für herausragende Tapferkeit im Angesicht des Feindes verliehen und steht innerhalb der Rangfolge der Orden und Ehrenzeichen des Vereinigten Königreichs mit dem zivilen Georgs-Kreuz an erster Stelle. From the beginning, however, it had been decided that the new decoration would be made of base metal and the first proof which the Queen received was not at all to her taste. The obverse and reverse are hand chased even to the minutest detail and the whole medal has a special bronze finish applied at the end of the process. The Victoria cross is called the Victoria cross because queen Victoria invented it to give to people for there bravery.answ2. The inscription on the Victoria Cross is “For Valour”, a traditional word for bravery. To date no woman has been awarded the Victoria Cross. The instituting of such a medal had the full support of both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and henceforth they were both closely involved with its development. The prototype Victoria Cross was made by the London jewellers Hancocks & Co, who still make VCs for presentation today. During the 1914-18 War the time required to produce the Victoria Crosses meant that the engraving was done directly after the manufacturing process was complete. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The British or Imperial Victoria Cross was originally created by Queen Victoria in 1856 and made retrospective to include the Crimean War (1854–1856). I, the Governor of Victoria, do hereby direct that all vessels belonging to, or permanently in the service of the Government of Victoria, shall wear the Blue Ensign, having in the centre of the fly thereof the distinctive Badge of the Colony, viz – five white stars, representing the constellation of the Southern Cross, surmounted by an Imperial Crown. D uring the first four decades of Queen Victoria's long reign, the British Empire waged campaigns in India, Afghanistan, the Crimea, China, South Africa, and other areas. The bronze from which all Victoria Crosses are made is supplied by the Central Ordnance Depot in Donnington. During the Indian Mutiny Major C.J.S. What is it?? As each medal is finished to order, they can take up to four weeks to be delivered. It is just a rental for him. Queen Victoria established the Victoria Cross, which originally honored acts of bravery during the Crimean War. Victoria Sponge Cake is a two-layer sponge-like airy cake that is filled with a layer of jam and whipped cream. The medals are removed from the sand moulds when the metal has cooled, and then the hand finishing process begins. The Victoria Cross was created by Queen Victoria in 1856 and made retrospective to 1854 to include the Crimean War. It was, and still is, awarded “for most conspicuous bravery, or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacri… The Victoria Cross is the highest honour that can be awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth Armed Forces for gallantry in active service. Updates? Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for valour in the British armed forces, awarded for extreme bravery in the face of the enemy.It was instituted in 1856 by Queen Victoria at the request of her consort, Prince Albert. Average score for this quiz is 6 / 10. Victoria Sponge Cake is considered the quintessential English teatime treat. The Original Warrant Clause 1 states that the Victoria Cross "shall consist of a Maltese cross of bronze". It is awarded in recognition of the most exceptional bravery displayed in the presence of the enemy, although in rare instances the decoration has been given to mark other courageous acts. Throughout its life, the Cross has been manufactured by Hancocks and Co, Jewellers of London. His second Victoria Cross would come during the First Battle of El Alamein in 1942 that would end with him bleeding out, unable to move, and subsequently captured by the Germans. So great is the prestige of the Victoria Cross that it takes precedence over all other orders and medals in Britain, and recipients are entitled to add V.C. The original idea for the Victoria Cross was proposed by the Duke of Newcastle in 1854, and the Royal Warrant for the creation of the medal was signed by Queen Victoria at Buckingham Palace on 29 January 1856. The Victoria Cross is the highest decoration awarded to members of the military of the United Kingdom, Commonwealth countries and former British Empire territories. After thirty-nine years of peace, the British found themselves in a war against the Russian Republic in 1854. The company produced fine quality jewellery and prestigious items of silver in its own workshops and clearly had both the excellent reputation and the quality of craftsmen necessary to produce this new award. The current source of Victoria Cross metal is thought to be a cascabel – the round protrusion at the back of a cannon – stored at a Ministry of Defence depot in Donnington, Shropshire. Australians were eligible for the Victoria Cross and other awards under the Imperial system of honours, until the Victoria Cross was instituted in the Australian honours system by Letters Patent on 15 January 1991. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Roberts of the Kings Royal Rifle Corps. Corrections? All the Victorian Crosses presented so far have been made out of Gun Metal, taken from Russian Weapons seized during the Crimean War, although some speculation surrounds suggestions that during and immediately after the First World War, bronze from Chinese cannons was used for a short period. Roberts (later to become Field Marshal Lord Roberts) was awarded his Victoria Cross for action on the 2nd of January 1858. (Level 1 Gallantry Award) This is the highest award for gallantry. In 1992, the Queen approved a Canadian Victoria Cross. … The widely-held belief that Britain's top military honour - the Victoria Cross - is made from melted-down Russian guns is false, new research has claimed. A revised proof was submitted on the 21st February with more amendments being made. W.N. It was available to all soldiers and "neither rank, nor long service, nor wounds, nor any other circumstance or condition whatsoever, save the merit of conspicuous bravery" could make one eligible - truly a democratic award. Lt. F.S. It is possible for any serving member of the armed forces to obtain this award. Here is a list of those servicemen who received the award. By Stephen Sherman, Dec. 2008.Updated July 20, 2011. The Victoria Cross is hand-made, traditionally using bronze taken from a gun captured in the Crimean War. The Victoria Cross takes the form of a Maltese cross shape medal made of bronze, the obverse of which has as its main feature the Royal Crown surmounted by a standing lion with a ribbon underneath bearing the motto For Valour. Congreve of the Rifle Brigade in the same action as Lt. Since then, the Cross has become the highest award of the British honors system. The first one was made to the specifications of Prince Albert who wanted a “simple cross”. It is cut into small “sandwiches” and served in a similar manner. Since then a total of 1,358 medals have been awarded to 1,355 recipients….. 628 Victoria Crosses were awarded (two of which were Bars to the V.C. Typically twelve Victoria Crosses are produced at a time. Instituted by Queen Victoria, the Victoria Cross is Britain’s highest award for valour in war and has been awarded 1,358 times. Martin Leake, in 1914. Gough of the Rifle Brigade was awarded a Victoria Cross for action on the 22nd of April 1903. But one long-held belief – that Victoria Cross medals were made from enemy guns captured during the Crimean war against Russia – is unlikely to be true, and originated instead from speculation in the press, according to new research. It was instituted by Queen Victoria in 1856 and from that day forwards Hancocks has been exceptionally proud to be the sole supplier of this prestigious award. Auction and sale results of the Victoria Cross. Traditionally it is sand cast in moulds usually containing four specimens at a time. The Victoria Cross is the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Take the Quiz: The Victoria Cross. It is not unusual to see Victoria Crosses making huge sums at auction, but last week the man who made these medals of gallantry was the one in the spotlight. It follows, therefore, that no individual Victoria Cross has ever been made specifically for an individual award, there being a stock of medals held in reserve. Coin Information: The Victoria Cross is the highest award for gallantry that a British and Commonwealth serviceman can achieve. Originally the practice was for Hancocks to manufacture the medals, place the correct ribbons on them and deliver them to the War Office. To date this is the only instance of a Victoria Cross being awarded twice in the same war to a living recipient. The first Bar was awarded to Surgeon Capt. The George Cross … The reverse of the medal is unique in that each one issued is engraved with the individual details of the recipient. Further proofs were subsequently created until, on the 3rd March 1856, the matter was finalised when the samples were returned, with one having been chosen as satisfactory. The Victoria Cross (VC), instituted in 1856 by Queen Victoria, is the Commonwealth's premier military decoration for gallantry. The first Victoria Cross is generally accepted as that awarded to Lt. Charles D. Lucas R.N. The Victoria Cross, to which this Bar was added, was awarded in 1902 for action in the South African War resulting in awards for action in two different wars. Only 1,348 crosses have been awarded since the honour was instituted. And so in early 1856 with increasing public support, Queen Victoria ordered the War Office to strike a new medal, the Victoria Cross, which was made open to all members of the British armed forces regardless of rank. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the institution of the Victoria Cross, The Royal Mint struck two fifty pence coins. C.F. The Victoria Cross is hand-made, traditionally using bronze taken from a gun captured in the Crimean War. In some cases they have been awarded to a father and son and there are at least two cases of the Victoria Cross being bestowed on brothers. The Gough family in fact have a remarkable record because another member of the family, Captain and Brevet Major A.E. The third was awarded to Capt. Making the Victoria Cross. The Victoria Cross is given to members of the armed forces from across the Commonwealth and previous British Empire territories for valour in the face of the enemy. This metal is cut from cannons captured from the Russians at Sebastopol during the Crimean War. While there is no solid proof of this, the story is taken to be true. Each recipient receives an annual pension of £10,000 tax free. Upham in 1942, the original Victoria Cross award being in 1941. The Gun metal used to make the Victoria cross, which is from a Russian cannon captured during the Crimean War, and is used to make the highest award for bravery the British armed forces can bestow on... Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Victoria-Cross-British-military-decoration. The British Victoria Cross is reputed to have been manufactured with bronze from Russian cannons captured at Sevastopol (formerly known as Sebastopol) during the Crimean War of 1853-1856. The Victoria Cross was instituted by Queen Victoria's Royal warrant in 1856, and the first examples were presented by her in June 1857. Omissions? The Victoria Cross was deliberately intended to have little actual value. The Victoria Cross is the highest award for acts of bravery in wartime. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. This is a unique opportunity to own an official replica Victoria Cross from the medal’s makers. photo 1.JPG (42.9 KB) photo 2.JPG (55.6 KB) Reply. George Osborne to raise Victoria Cross and George Cross payments to £10,000 This article is more than 5 years old. The second Bar was awarded to Capt. Although the 1920 Royal Warrant made provision for awards to women serving in the Armed Forces, no women have been awarded a VC. It is suspended from a letter V which supports a bar decorated with laurel leaves through which the crimson ribbon passes. In this instance the original Victoria Cross was awarded in 1916 thus making it a double award for actions in the same war. It is cut into small “sandwiches” and served in a similar manner. The suspender bar from which the cross itself is hung, is cast at the same time as the medal and receives the same hand finishing. Uniquely an award was made in 1921 to the Unknown Warrior of the United States of America and this was laid on his tomb in Arlington Cemetery by Admiral Lord Beatty on the 11th November 1921. The Victoria Cross was meant to have a simple design though in an era when medals for bravery were anything but simple, the design won few friends in the media of the time. 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