"War, aged 22, he fought at the Battle of Rorke's Drift (22–23 January 1879), and was awarded the VC for his actions. The citation was published in the ""London Gazette"": The soldiers were assisted in passing out ammunition by Padre George Smith. Hitch was severely wounded during the action, and was still in the Royal Victoria Military Hospital, Netley, Southampton when he received his medal from Queen Victoria. He was one of the eleven recipients of the VC awarded for their part in the battle. Hitch's wounds were so severe that they led to his discharge from service. He then"
"single action is seven, to the 2nd/24th Foot, for the defence of Rorke's Drift, 22–23 January 1879, during the Zulu War. The greatest number won in a single conflict is 628, being for the First World War. There are five living holders of the VC—one RAF (WW2), three British Army (Confrontation, Iraq and Afghanistan) and one Australian Army (Vietnam). Eight of the then-twelve surviving holders of the Victoria Cross attended the 150th Anniversary service of remembrance at Westminster Abbey on 26 June 2006. In the 1990s, Australia and New Zealand created their own highest award with both named in honour"
"five of the ten officers who commanded the five British armies were provided by the cavalry, while another ten commanded corps, and twenty-seven served as divisional commanders. Among other decorations for their valour, eight cavalrymen were awarded the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest award for bravery in the face of the enemy. Three of the awards came in the first month of the war. All but one of the thirty-two British regular army cavalry regiments fought in a recognised theatre of war, either on the Western Front or in the Mesopotamia Campaign, during which over 5,600 cavalrymen were killed, including several"
"Cross warrant. The last award to be forfeited was in 1908 and none have been restored. A total of 1,358 Victoria Crosses have been awarded since 1856 to 1,355 men. There are several statistics related to the greatest number of VCs awarded in individual battles or wars. The greatest number of Victoria Crosses awarded for a single day was 24 for deeds performed during the Indian Mutiny on 16 November 1857, 23 for deeds at Lucknow and one by Francis David Millet Brown for action at Narnoul, south of Delhi. The greatest number won by a single unit during a"
"died, while another seven Australians and a US crewman were seriously injured. On 23 January 2011, Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith was awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia at Campbell Barracks in Perth, for his actions on 11 June 2010. Roberts-Smith's patrol commander, identified only as Sergeant P, was awarded the Star of Gallantry for his role in the engagement. In total 13 individual awards for bravery were made, while the Special Air Service Regiment and 2nd Commando Regiment were awarded the battle honour ""Eastern Shah Wali Kot"" for their actions. Shah Wali Kot Offensive The Shah Wali Kot Offensive was a"
"the Victoria Cross for his extreme bravery, leadership and calmness under fire and despite being wounded. His would be the first and only VC awarded to the brigade and the division throughout the war. He survived his injuries and remained in the Army after the war where he later achieved the rank of major. During the crossing, the brigade suffered heavy casualties, with 7th Royal Norfolks sustaining 42 killed, 111 wounded and 73 missing, for a total of 226 casualties, 6th North Staffords had 76 casualties and 7th South Staffords lost its CO, Lieutenant Colonel J.G. Bullock, killed in action."
"on 12 April 1917, the Canadian Corps was in firm control of the ridge. The corps suffered 10,602 casualties: 3,598 killed and 7,004 wounded. The German 6th Army suffered an unknown number of casualties with approximately 4,000 men becoming prisoners of war. Four members of the Canadian Corps received the Victoria Cross, the highest military decoration awarded to British and Commonwealth forces for valour, for their actions during the battle: At least two Orders Pour le Mérite, the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order, were awarded to German commanders for their actions during the battle: Following the defeat, the Chief"
"Victoria Cross for Australia for his actions during this battle. Keighran ""with complete disregard for his own safety, broke cover on multiple occasions to draw intense and accurate enemy fire to identify enemy locations and direct return fire from Australian and Afghan fire support elements"". Later in the battle Keighran ""when his patrol sustained a casualty, again on his own initiative and in an act of exceptional courage, ... moved from his position of cover to deliberately draw fire away from the team who were treating the casualty."" Other soldiers awarded for their actions in the battle were Lieutenant James"
"final seven ballot awards were the only naval ballot awards with three awards to two Q-Ships in 1917 and four awards for the Zeebrugge Raid in 1918. The provision for awards by ballot is still included in the Victoria Cross warrant but there have been no further such awards since 1918. 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. Six such awards were made during this period—five of them for a single incident during an Expedition to the Andaman Islands in 1867. In"
"Henry Eric Harden Henry Eric Harden (23 February 1912 – 23 January 1945) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Harden was a 32-year-old, lance-corporal in the Royal Army Medical Corps attached No. 45 (Royal Marine) Commando during the Second World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. On 23 January 1945 during Operation Blackcock, at Brachterbeek, the Netherlands, three marines of the leading section of the Royal"
"is displayed at the Army Medical Services Museum in Mytchett, Surrey. Henry Eric Harden Henry Eric Harden (23 February 1912 – 23 January 1945) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Harden was a 32-year-old, lance-corporal in the Royal Army Medical Corps attached No. 45 (Royal Marine) Commando during the Second World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. On 23 January 1945 during Operation Blackcock, at Brachterbeek,"
"1965, four to Australians in the Vietnam War, two during the Falklands War in 1982, one in the Iraq War in 2004, and three in the War in Afghanistan for actions in 2006, 2012 and 2013. In 1856, Queen Victoria laid a Victoria Cross beneath the foundation stone of Netley Military hospital. 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, Mytchett, near Aldershot. This VC is not counted in official statistics. Since 1879, more than 300 Victoria Crosses have been publicly"
"Joel Halliwell Joel Halliwell (29 December 1881 – 14 June 1958) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Halliwell was 37 years old, and a lance-corporal in the 11th Battalion, The Lancashire Fusiliers, British Army during the First World War when he performed a deed on 27 May 1918 at Muscourt, France during the Third Battle of the Aisne for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. The citation reads; For conspicuous bravery and devotion to"
"with killing between twelve and twenty Germans during the engagement. Jacka was awarded the Military Cross for his actions at Pozières, although he was originally recommended for the Distinguished Service Order. Many present at the time, as well as many historians since, have voiced the opinion that Jacka deserved a second Victoria Cross for the Pozières action. One of only two bars (second award) to the Victoria Cross awarded during the war was earned the following day by Captain Noel Godfrey Chavasse of the Royal Army Medical Corps. Chavasse subsequently died of wounds sustained during this second VC action. The"
"Some historians note that this action had a very direct outcome on the battle itself. Two Turnbulls were Scottish recipients of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. The most famous being James Youll Turnbull, who single-handedly held a position for 24 hours, against almost a full regiment of Germans, with a machine gun in World War I. Each time the British tried to send reinforcements, they were wiped out due to the open ground exposing them to deadly crossfire. The"
"maybe not, but in the long annals of military history, it is difficult to find anything quite like Rorke's Drift, where a beleaguered force, outnumbered forty to one, survived and killed twenty men for every defender lost"". Awarded the Victoria Cross: In 1879 there was no provision for the posthumous granting of the Victoria Cross, and so it could not be awarded to anyone who had died in performing an act of bravery. In light of this, an unofficial ""twelfth VC"" may be added to those listed: Private Joseph Williams, B Coy, 2nd/24th Foot, who was killed during the fight"
"the Battle of Pozières in 1916 and the Battles of Bullecourt, Messines and Passchendaele in 1917. Later, in early 1918, the battalion was heavily involved in turning back the German advance during the Spring Offensive, taking part in the fighting that took place around Dernancourt. It was during this fighting that one of the battalion's members, Sergeant Stanley McDougall performed the deeds that led to him being awarded the Victoria Cross, Australia's highest decoration for gallantry. After this, however, casualties amongst the units of the Australian Corps led to the order for three brigades to disband one of their battalions"
"assault to capture the remainder of Passchendaele Ridge began on November 10 and was completed the same day. Nine Canadians earned the Victoria Cross in an area not much bigger than four football fields and the Canadian Corps completed the operation, which had taken the BEF three months to advance the eight kilometres onto the ridge. Canadian Corps suffered 15,654 battle casualties in the muddiest, best-known battle of the Great War. After extensive experience and success in battle from the Second Battle of Ypres, through the Somme and particularly in the Battle of Arras at Vimy Ridge in April 1917,"
"action, Mooltan, British India, on 2 October 1862. James Kenny (VC) James Kenny VC (1824 – 3 October 1862) was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was approximately 33 years old, and a private in the 53rd Regiment of Foot (later, the King's Shropshire Light Infantry), British Army during the Indian Mutiny when the following deed on 16 November 1857 at the assault on the Secundra Bagh during the Relief of Lucknow led to the award"
"unidentified men and fifty named men who died on 23 April 1918 but most fatalities were returned to their families for local burials. German casualties were eight dead and sixteen wounded. The Zeebrugge Raid was promoted by Allied propaganda as a British victory and resulted in the awarding of eight Victoria Crosses. Of particular interest is the fact that the entire 4th Battalion Royal Marines was awarded the Victoria Cross for the action, triggering rule thirteen of the Victoria Cross warrant stipulating that a ballot must be drawn to select the recipients. Although the Victoria Cross rules specify that four"
"War Memorial, where it is now on display in the Hall of Valour. Jack Mackey John Bernard ""Jack"" Mackey, VC (16 May 1922 – 12 May 1945) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British Commonwealth forces. Mackey was one of twenty Australians to receive the award for actions during the Second World War, receiving his award posthumously for leading an attack on against a strongly defended Japanese position during the Battle of Tarakan in May 1945. He was 22 and serving as"
"James Smith (VC) James Smith VC (1871 – 18 March 1946) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Smith was about 26 years old, and a corporal in The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), British Army during the First Mohmand Campaign, British India when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. On the night of 16/17 September 1897, in the Mamund Valley, North-West India, Corporal Smith, with other men, responded to a"
"to heighten the photograph's dramatic impact. It is said that more Victoria Crosses were awarded for that single day than ever, many for the assault on the Sikandar Bagh. The recipients were as follows: Sgt Samuel Hill and Major John Guise - for going to the aid of wounded, elected by the regiment Articles such as cannonball, swords and shields, parts of muskets and rifles, dug out of the garden over the years are now displayed in the NBRI Exhibition and scars from cannonball on the old walls of the garden still bear witness to the event. Another visible reminder"
"approximately 250 Canadian Forces personnel were deployed as part of Operation Mobile, Canada's response to the Libyan uprising. Air Command helped maintain a no-fly zone as part of Operation Odyssey Dawn. Canadian CF-18s carried out bomb strikes on Libyan military installations. In 2014, RCAF aircraft became involved with supplying military supplies to Iraq as part of Operation Impact. Several CF-18s have been conducting combat air strikes. The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest award given to British and Commonwealth armed forces personnel of any rank in any service, and civilians under military command for bravery in the presence of the"
"columns. During the following day, nine Belgian Air Force Battles attacked bridges over the Albert Canal that connects to the River Meuse, losing six aircraft, and in another RAF sortie that day against a German column, only one Battle out of eight survived. On 12 May, a formation of five Battles of 12 Squadron attacked two road bridges over the Albert Canal; four of these aircraft were destroyed while the final aircraft crash-landing upon its return to its base. Two Victoria Crosses were awarded posthumously for the action, to Flying Officer Donald Garland and air observer/navigator sergeant Thomas Gray of"
"that followed right up until the end of the war, as US reinforcements came to tip the manpower balance in favour of the Allies. Two Australians, Thomas Axford and Henry Dalziel, were awarded the Victoria Cross for their conduct during the battle. Fourteen Americans were also decorated by the British, including four Distinguished Conduct Medals, four Military Crosses, and six Military Medals. Corporal Thomas A. Pope, who had rushed a German machine-gun during the German counter-attack on 5 July, was one of those who received the DCM, being awarded the medal personally by King George V on 12 August 1918."
"including 66 killed or missing. Newland and Whittle were both awarded the Victoria Cross for their actions at Boursies and Lagnicourt; they were the only two permanent members of the Australian military to receive the decoration during the war. At 35 years and 7 months old, Newland was also the oldest Australian Victoria Cross recipient of the First World War. The full citation for Newland's Victoria Cross appeared in a supplement to the ""London Gazette"" on 8 June 1917: In early May 1917, the 12th Battalion was involved in the British and Australian attempt to capture the village of Bullecourt."
"awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on 6 December 1917, on the Hindenburg Line north of La Vacquerie, France. He died in action that same day. His name is inscribed on the war memorial at the Church of Ireland parish church at Collon, County Louth and on the Cambrai Memorial to the Missing. Listed in order of publication year James Emerson James Samuel Emerson VC (1895 – 1917) was a British Army officer, and posthumous recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to"
"Imperial War Museum in London. Francis George Miles Francis George Miles (9 July 1896 – 8 November 1961) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was 22 years old, and a Private in the 1/5th Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment, British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. On 23 October 1918 at Bois-l'Évêque, Landrecies, France, when his company was held up by a"
"Beatty's force. The total loss of life on both sides was 9,823 personnel: the British losses numbered 6,784 and the German 3,039. Counted among the British losses were two members of the Royal Australian Navy and one member of the Royal Canadian Navy. Six Australian nationals serving in the Royal Navy were also killed. 113,300 tons sunk: 62,300 tons sunk: The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour ""in the face of the enemy"" to members of the British Empire armed forces. The Ordre pour le Mérite was the Kingdom of Prussia and consequently the German Empire's"
"prime minister, Billy Hughes. At this time, the battalion was reorganised into a two-company structure. In early November, the battalion prepared to return to the front around St. Quentin, but before they could return to the fighting, an armistice came into effect, bringing the war to an end. By the end of the war, a total of over 9,000 men had served in the 11th Battalion, of which 1,115 were killed and 2,424 wounded. Members of the battalion received the following decorations for their service during the war: one Victoria Cross, one Companion of the Order of the Bath, two"
"Percy Statton Percy Clyde Statton, VC, MM (21 October 1890 – 5 December 1959) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry ""in the face of the enemy"" that can be awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces. Serving as a sergeant during the First World War, Statton was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1918 following his assault on four German machine guns. With three men, Statton rushed the posts armed with only a revolver and succeeded in capturing the first gun. Moving to the second, he killed the crew of five"
"John Readitt John Readitt VC (19 January 1897 – 9 June 1964) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was 20 years old, and a private in the 6th Battalion, The South Lancashire Regiment (The Prince of Wales's Volunteers), British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. On 25 February 1917 at Alqayat-al-Gaharbigah Bend, Mesopotamia, Private Readitt advanced five times along a water-course"