Martin Antonenko
A Fixture
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2008
- Messages
- 9,001
Victoria Cross
On January 29, 1856, the British Queen Victoria…
… donated the highest bravery award to date, the "Victoria Cross" named after her...:
This was initially intended to recognize the merits of British soldiers during the Crimean War - and consequently the order is - to this day! – made from the bronze of Russian cannons captured in Crimea...:
The Victoria Cross can only be awarded to soldiers who have "distinguished themselves by special bravery in the face of the enemy or outstanding performance of duty".
The Victoria Cross was awarded posthumously at a quarter of his awards. In the period between the Crimean War in 1856 and the last award after the Afghanistan war, it was awarded a total of 1,354 times.
The battle of Rorke's Drift in 1879 earned the highest number of single-battle Victoria Crosses.
On January 22, 1879, in the Zulu War, 139 British soldiers were able to withstand an attack by about 4000 Zulu...:
For this, 11 men were awarded the Victoria Cross.
One of them was Corporal Christian Ferdinand Schiess - he received the cross despite not being a British national (he was Swiss but posed as a South African and enlisted in the British Army)...:
The only German holders of the Victoria Cross are Charles Wooden, a citizen of Hanover...
... and William Johnstone, who intercepted a column of Russian couriers with important messages. (Johnstone's nationality is disputed though, he may have come from Sweden and only pretended to be German)...:
Both were decorated during the Crimean War.
Only three soldiers received the Victoria Cross twice: in World War I, military physician Noel Chavasse (1884-1917, fallen)...
...and Arthur Martin-Leake (1874–1953)...:
... and - during World War II - the New Zealand infantry officer Charles Hazlitt Upham (1908-1994)...:
The last two British soldiers - for the present as one has to fear - were awarded the "Victoria Cross" for their services in Afghanistan.
This is Australian Lance Corporal Daniel Alan Keighran for his services during a skirmish at Derapet on 24 August 2010...
... and the paratrooper Joshua Mark Leakey, who saved the lives of several comrades during a skirmish in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, on August 22, 2013...:
On January 29, 1856, the British Queen Victoria…
… donated the highest bravery award to date, the "Victoria Cross" named after her...:
This was initially intended to recognize the merits of British soldiers during the Crimean War - and consequently the order is - to this day! – made from the bronze of Russian cannons captured in Crimea...:
The Victoria Cross can only be awarded to soldiers who have "distinguished themselves by special bravery in the face of the enemy or outstanding performance of duty".
The Victoria Cross was awarded posthumously at a quarter of his awards. In the period between the Crimean War in 1856 and the last award after the Afghanistan war, it was awarded a total of 1,354 times.
The battle of Rorke's Drift in 1879 earned the highest number of single-battle Victoria Crosses.
On January 22, 1879, in the Zulu War, 139 British soldiers were able to withstand an attack by about 4000 Zulu...:
For this, 11 men were awarded the Victoria Cross.
One of them was Corporal Christian Ferdinand Schiess - he received the cross despite not being a British national (he was Swiss but posed as a South African and enlisted in the British Army)...:
The only German holders of the Victoria Cross are Charles Wooden, a citizen of Hanover...
... and William Johnstone, who intercepted a column of Russian couriers with important messages. (Johnstone's nationality is disputed though, he may have come from Sweden and only pretended to be German)...:
Both were decorated during the Crimean War.
Only three soldiers received the Victoria Cross twice: in World War I, military physician Noel Chavasse (1884-1917, fallen)...
...and Arthur Martin-Leake (1874–1953)...:
... and - during World War II - the New Zealand infantry officer Charles Hazlitt Upham (1908-1994)...:
The last two British soldiers - for the present as one has to fear - were awarded the "Victoria Cross" for their services in Afghanistan.
This is Australian Lance Corporal Daniel Alan Keighran for his services during a skirmish at Derapet on 24 August 2010...
... and the paratrooper Joshua Mark Leakey, who saved the lives of several comrades during a skirmish in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, on August 22, 2013...:
