Victoria Cross Recipients

The first Victoria Cross is generally accepted as that awarded to Lt. Charles D. Lucas R.N. 1854,

"... a remarkable instance of coolness and presence of mind in action, he having taken up, and thrown overboard, a live shell thrown on board the 'Hecla' by the enemy while the fuse was burning ".

The first Bar was awarded to Surgeon Capt. Martin Leake, in 1914.

The Victoria Cross to which this Bar was added to was awarded in 1902 for action in the South African War. This resulted in a separate award in 2 Wars. He died in 1953.

The second Bar was awarded to Capt. Chavasse in 1917 and was a posthumous award. In this instance the original Victoria Cross was awarded in 1916 thus making it a double award in the same War.

The third was awarded to Capt. Upham in 1942, the original Victoria Cross award being in 1941. To date this is the only instance of a Victoria Cross being awarded in the same War with the recipient being alive at the time of the award of the Bar. Capt. Upham died in 1995.

Interested in more of Hancocks history? Select one of the following links:

Charles F. Hancock

The Devonshire Parure

The Victoria Cross
- The medal itself
- Metal & manufacture
- Supply
- Recipients

19th Century Exhibitions

Personalities

1856 - 1914

522 Victorian Crosses were awarded

1914 - 1920

633 Victoria Crosses were awarded – 2 of which were bars to the V.C.

1920 - 1939

6 Victoria Crosses were awarded – 1 of which was to the American Unknown Warrior.

1939 - 1945

182 Victoria Crosses were awarded – in addition there was 1 bar awarded.

1945 - date

13 Victoria Crosses were awarded- 4 during the Korean War, 1 awarded for action in Borneo, 4 awarded during the Vietnam War, 2 for the Falklands War and 2 have been awarded in the recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

There are two instances of the Victoria Cross being bestowed on father and son though never during the same War.

There are two instances of the Victoria Cross being awarded to brothers, once during the Indian Mutiny, once during the 1914-18 War.

Uniquely an award was made in 1921 to the Unknown Warrior of the United States of America and this was laid on the tomb of this Warrior in Arlington Cemetery by Admiral Lord Beatty on 11th. November 1921.

The first investiture took place in Hyde Park on the 26th June 1857 when 62 Crosses were presented by Her Majesty Queen Victoria.

To date no woman has been awarded the Victoria Cross.
Each recipient receives an annual pension of £1,300.00 tax free.
On inception and until a new Warrant signed by King George V in February 1931 it was possible for a recipient to have his Victoria Cross forfeited for various acts of misconduct. There are eight cases of such forfeiture the last being in 1908.

There are two instances of the Victoria Cross being bestowed on father and son though never during the same War.
There are two instances of the Victoria Cross being awarded to brothers, once during the Indian Mutiny, once during the 1914-18 War.

Uniquely an award was made in 1921 to the Unknown Warrior of the United States of America and this was laid on the tomb of this Warrior in Arlington Cemetery by Admiral Lord Beatty on 11th. November 1921.

The first investiture took place in Hyde Park on the 26th June 1857 when 62 Crosses were presented by Her Majesty Queen Victoria.

To date no woman has been awarded the Victoria Cross.
Each recipient receives an annual pension of £1,300.00 tax free.
On inception and until a new Warrant signed by King George V in February 1931 it was possible for a recipient to have his Victoria Cross forfeited for various acts of misconduct. There are eight cases of such forfeiture the last being in 1908.

It is the usual practice for the Victoria Cross to be awarded personally by the reigning Sovereign and this is so at the present time. Not all Victoria Crosses have been so awarded owing to the difficulties of travel in the 19th. century, but the majority of awards since 1914 have been personal investitures. In the case of posthumous awards the investiture is made to a next-of-kin of the recipient.

There are several cases of the Victoria Cross being awarded to more than one member of a family. In some cases they have been awarded to a Father and Son and there are at least 2 cases of the Victoria Cross being bestowed on brothers. During the Indian Mutiny Major C.J.S. Gough of the 5th Bengal European Cavalry was awarded the Victoria Cross for actions on the 15th and 18th of August 1857 and from further actions on the 22nd of January and 23rd of February 1858. his brother Lt. H.H. Gough serving with the 1st Bengal European Light Cavalry was awarded his Victoria Cross for actions on the 12th of November 1857 and the 25th February 1858.

During the First World War a Victoria Cross was awarded to Lt. R.V. Bradford MC of the 91st Battalion Durham Light Infantry for action on the 1st of October 1916. He received his V.C. from the hand of the King in Hyde Park on 2nd June 1917. His brother Lt. Cmdr . G.N. Bradford of the Royal Navy was awarded his Victoria Cross posthumously for action on the 22nd/23rd of April 1918.

The Gough family in fact have a remarkable record because another member of the family, Captain and Brevet Major A.E. Gough of the Rifle Brigade was awarded a Victoria Cross for action on the 22nd of April 1963. The Gough family have thus been awarded 3 Victoria Crosses.

There are instances where V.C's have been bestowed on Father and Son. In the first instance Lt. F .S. Roberts - later to become Field Marshal Lord Roberts - was awarded his Victoria Cross for action on the 2nd of January 1858. His son Lt. The Hon. F.H.S. Roberts of the Kings Royal Rifle Corps. was awarded his Victoria Cross on the 15th of December 1899.

There is a procedure laid down for a ballot award to be made in the circumstances of conspicuous valour by a "group" of men such as a platoon, an artillery battery, and the like. Where it is not possible to single out an individual act of valour then a ballot takes place amongst the personnel involved. The officers elect an officer; the N.C.O's elect an N.C.O; the other ranks elect one from their number. This is done by secret ballot and any dead are eligible. Such ballots resulted in Victoria Crosses being awarded during the Indian Mutiny, the South African War, 1914-18 War at Gallipoli and during three Naval incidents.

There have been instances of a number of Victoria Crosses being awarded for the same action:- 

22/23 January 1879

14 Victoria Crosses, Isandhlwana & Rorke's Drift (Zulu War)

25th April 1915

12 Victoria Crosses, Gallipoli

7/8 August 1915

7 Victoria Crosses, Gallipoli

By contrast only one V.C. was awarded for action during the Battle of Britain and only one V.C. was awarded for action on D.Day.

Although the Victoria Cross itself is made of valueless metal the award has a unique interest throughout the world and is much acclaimed by collectors.

In the case of the Congreve family the Victoria Cross was awarded to Capt. W.N. Congreve of the Rifle Brigade in the same action as Lt. The Ron. F.H.S. Roberts - 15th of December 1899. 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.