Victoria Cross facts

While investigating facts about Victoria Cross 50p and Victoria Cross Winners, I found out little known, but curios details like:

A British bomb detection dog named Theo died from stress a few hours after seeing his handler get shot. The pair had set a record for bomb detection, and the dog was posthumously awarded an honour equivalent to the Victoria Cross.

how much is a victoria cross worth?

The Order of the White Feather. During WW1 women would shame non-uniformed men, giving them a white feather for cowardice. One recipient was George Samson who was on his way in civilian clothes to be awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry in the Gallipoli campaign.

What is the victoria cross made of?

In my opinion, it is useful to put together a list of the most interesting details from trusted sources that I've come across answering what is the victoria cross awarded for. Here are 50 of the best facts about Victoria Cross Recipients and Victoria Cross Medal I managed to collect.

what is the victoria cross?

During WWII, India produced the largest volunteer Army in world history, over 2.5 million men. Winston Churchill called their bravery "Unsurpassed", with at least 38 Indians awarded the Victoria Cross or the George Cross.
The most decorated enlisted man in the British Army in WWI was a conscientious objector who never fired a single shot. He was a stretcher bearer who won the Victoria cross for charging into fire unarmed and carrying out 3 wounded men on his back
Originally it was suggested the scroll on the Victoria Cross, Britain's most prestigious military award, should bear the legend ‘FOR THE BRAVE’ but Queen Victoria herself changed this to 'FOR VALOUR' as the former implied that not all Soldiers were brave.
New Zealand Victoria Cross recepitant James Ward, won it for actions during a raid over Germany on 7 July 1941. When his aircraft was set on fire, Ward crawled out onto the wing, several thousand feet in the air, and smothered the flames out. The bomber made it back
Tul Bahadur Pun was a Gurkha who won the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest award for Valor in combat in WWII, and was denied a visa to live there because he 'failed to demonstrate strong ties to the UK.'
Filip Konowal, a Canadian WW1 veteran and Victoria Cross recipient, upon discovering that a bootlegger had viciously beaten a friend of his, disarmed the man and stabbed him to death. Konowal later told police: "I've killed fifty-two of them, that makes the fifty-third."
During WW1 to save his fellow soldiers from being killed by enemy fire, Irish soldier Michael O'Leary charged two German barricades alone killing 8 German soldiers. It was reported that he charged the second barricade to kill a German he took a dislike to. He was awarded the Victoria Cross
Frank Durrant, a WW2 British Commando who, while shot 16 times and in Command of a small wooden boat - Took on a German Destroyer so ferociously the German captain recommended to the British Army he was awarded the Victoria Cross. He was.
Sgt Thomas Durrant who posthumously received the Victoria Cross following recommendation made by a German commander of an enemy destroyer that he fought against. He repeatedly refused to leave his exposed Lewis gun, sustaining severe injury until the enemies boarded his ship
An English soldier in the British Army during World War II deserted after being jailed for overstaying leave, stole the identity of an Irish laborer and joined the Irish Guards, winning the Victoria Cross and getting mentioned as an example of Irish heroism in a speech by Winston Churchill

victoria cross facts — What does the victoria cross look like?

Why was the victoria cross made?

You can easily fact check why was the victoria cross introduced by examining the linked well-known sources.

About Bing, a military dog who parachuted over Normandy on D-Day. He was coaxed with meat to drop out of the plane, and landed in a tree. He also took part in the crossing of the Rhine, and survived the war. He was given the Dickin Medal (animal version of Victoria Cross) for his actions.

Flying Officer Lloyd Allan Trigg of New Zealand is the only Victoria Cross recipient to receive the award based solely on testimony provided by enemy combatants. His VC was awarded on the testimony of the surviving crew of the German U-boat his plane sank with depth charges. - source

The only tombstone you can't walk on in Westminster Abbey is that of 'The Unknown Warrior'. The US awarded the British soldier the 'Medal of Honor'. When the US created their own similar tomb, the soldier was awarded the 'Victoria Cross' - source

Queen Victoria awarded Florence Nightingale the Royal Red Cross in 1883.

There was a famed man the 'Nazis could not kill' who was the only man on D-Day to be awarded the Victoria Cross medal of gallantry in the face of the enemy. - source

When was the last victoria cross awarded?

New Zealander Captain Charles Upham, The Only Combat Soldier In History To Be Awarded The Victoria Cross Twice didn't want the award insisting "I don't want to be treated differently from any other bastard."

How much is a victoria cross 50p worth?

Lieutenant Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa Ngarimu filled a breach in his battalion line with only rocks and a tommy gun. He was awarded the Victoria Cross

Pine Street in Winnipeg, Canada, later renamed Valour Road due to three neighbors all from the same block winning the Victoria Cross, the U.K.'s highest military honour

Elijah Wood crossed South Africa's Victoria Falls on ropes, and was the first person to do so

A recipient of the Victoria Cross, who had tea with Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, was refused a visa to settle in the UK, because he "failed to demonstrate strong ties with the UK"

A street in Winnipeg was home to three men who served in WWI and were each awarded the Victoria Cross.

When was the first victoria cross awarded?

The burial ceremony of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey, 1920. Amongst the special guests that attended the ceremony were 100 recipients of the Victoria Cross (the highest military honour in the British Empire) and 100 women whose husbands and all their sons had died fighting in WWI.

James Allen Ward VC. The WW2 airman who earned the Victoria Cross after he crawled out over his aircraft's wing (while still flying) to extinguish a fire after being hit by anti-aircraft cannons.

Bill Speakman, one of the 10 living recipients of the Victoria Cross, who when out of grenades resorted to throwing beer bottles at the enemy.

The British army captured 2 bronze cannons from Russia during the Crimean War and 160 years later they still use the gun metal of these cannons to create their most prestigious medal, the Victoria Cross

Many bridges have been built to cross the Brisbane River including the Victoria Bridge (1865), the William Jolly Bridge in 1932, the Story Bridge (1940), The Captain Cook Bridge (1972), the Gateway Bridge (1986), the Goodwill Bridge (2001), and a duplicate of the Gateway Bridge (2010).

How to get from kings cross to victoria station by tube?

There was an Irish born British soldier named William Manley who won both the Victoria Cross and the Iron Cross during his service.

Tourists can bungee jump from a bridge crossing the river downstream of the falls. With strong ropes tied to their ankles, they fall 364 feet until they hang upside down just above the water.

George V proclaimed that a Victoria Cross decoration could never be taken away; "Even were a VC to be sentenced to be hanged for murder, he should be allowed to wear his VC on the scaffold."

An British naval Captain during WW2 received the Victoria Cross posthumously partially on the recommendation of the Captain of the German ship that sunk his.

Simon the cat, who received the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross during WW2

Apart from England, Ireland outranks Scotland and every other country that was once part of the British Empire in terms of the number of Victoria Cross recipients. When population is taken into account Ireland's awards would be the equivalent of England gaining 2,850 Victoria Crosses

The British and Americans awarded each country's 'unknown warrior' the highest possible honour. 'The Unknown Warrior' holds Medal of Honor and 'The Unknown Soldier' holds Victoria Cross.

Gustav the pigeon, who served in WWII and was awarded the animal version of the Victoria Cross, only to be killed when the man cleaning the pigeon loft stepped on him.

Thain Wendell MacDowell a Canadian Soldier was awarded the Victoria Cross at the Battle of Vimy Ridge for capturing two German officers and 75 soldiers in a tunnel with the assistance of only two runners by pretending to be part of a larger group.

Able Seacat Simon who was wounded during the Yangtze River incident aboard HMS Amethyst and won the Dickin Medal, the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross.

William Leefe Robinson was the first (British) pilot to shoot down a German airship (Zeppelin) during the First World War. For this, he was awarded The Victoria Cross and £3500 in prize money.

John Edmondson was awarded a Victoria Cross in WW2 after killing 3 Germans during a bayonet charge after he was shot in the stomach and neck during the initial charge. He later died of his wounds.

This is our collection of basic interesting facts about Victoria Cross. The fact lists are intended for research in school, for college students or just to feed your brain with new realities. Possible use cases are in quizzes, differences, riddles, homework facts legend, cover facts, and many more. Whatever your case, learn the truth of the matter why is Victoria Cross so important!