| The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories. It takes precedence over all other orders, decorations and medals. It may be awarded to a person of any rank in any service and to civilians under military command. The VC is usually presented to the recipient or to their next of kin by the British monarch at an investiture held at Buckingham Palace. The VC was introduced on 29 January 1856 by Queen Victoria to honour acts of valour during the Crimean War. Since then, the medal has been awarded 1,357 times to 1,354 individual recipients. Only 14 medals, ten to members of the British Army, and four to the Australian Army, have been awarded since the Second World War. The traditional explanation of the source of the gunmetal from which the medals are struck is that it derives from Russian cannon captured at the Siege of Sevastopol. Recent research has thrown doubt on this story, suggesting a variety of origins for the material actually making up the medals themselves. Research has established that the gunmetal for many of the medals came from Chinese cannons that may have been captured from the Russians in 1855. |
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Check all the Awards, Winners and Nominations for the Victoria Cross since 1854. |
Victoria Cross2012Check all the winners of 2012 Victoria Cross.(Click on the Award Name or Winner name to get list of all awards/winners) |
James Ashworth(In recognition of most conspicuous bravery that took place on 13th June, 2012 as Lance Corporal of the 1st Battalion The Grenadier Guards during the War in Afghanistan. Posthumously awarded.) |
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