Victoria Cross

The Victoria Cross is the highest award for bravery. Queen Victoria introduced the award on the 29th January 1856, the decoration is inscribed "For Valor".

Prior to the issue of a Royal warrant on 21st October 1911, the medal was awarded only to British officers and servicemen. However after that date native Indian officers and soldiers were eligible to receive this honour. (Previously the highest award available to them had been the Indian Order of Merit). In fact, the first VC to an Indian born recipient was not conferred until 1914 when this was awarded to Sepoy Khudad Khan for an act of bravery in Belgium.

Holders of the award are listed in The National Archives, and citations are announced in the London Gazette.

The youngest recipient was Arthur Fitzgibbon of the Indian Medical establishment . He was 15 years and 3 months at the time of his award in 1861. For further details see Apothecaries

The oldest recipient was William Raynor of the Bengal Veteran Establishment - who was awarded the medal for gallantry during the Indian Mutiny of 1857. He was 61 years old.

Records

The following are held in the National Archives:

• Victoria Cross Register, Volume 1, 20 February 1856 - 6 August 1864 (WO 98/3)
• Victoria Cross Register, Volume 2, 16 August 1864 - 31 January 1900 (WO 98/4)
• Victoria Cross Register, Volume 3, 2 February 1900 - 1 September 1944 (WO 98/8)

FIBIS resources

• Victoria Crosses awarded during the Indian Mutiny
• "The Army Rank of Conductor, and the History of an HEIC Conductor VC" by Lawrie Butler FIBIS Journal No 18.
• Category:Victoria Cross recipients

External links

• Indian Army recipients of the VC Wikipedia
• List of Indian Mutiny Victoria Cross recipients Wikipedia
• The Victoria Cross Registers at The National Archives
• UK, Victoria Cross Medals, 1857-2007 are available on the pay website Ancestry.co.uk
• Search London , Edinburgh and Northern Ireland Gazettes
• Iain Stewart’s The Victoria Cross has the following pages in relation to India:

• Honorable East India Company and Indian Army Holders of the Victoria Cross
• Burial Locations in India of Victoria Cross holders

There are additional associated pages available under sales related etc headings. As an example Medal entitlement of General Sir Dighton Probyn, 2nd Punjab Cavalry, Indian Army includes additional information to the page accessible through The Victoria Cross India related pages.

• rlc-conductor then click on Articles, Features & Essays then click on
  • "A Trying Occasion: An account of the Indian Mutiny" which gives an account of the blowing up of the Delhi [ammunition] magazine on the 11th May 1857 by Ordnance Officers and Conductors which resulted in the award of three VCs to Lieutenant Forrest, Lieutenant Raynor and Conductor Buckley
  • "The 'Conductor James Miller VC' Scrapbook" about VC recipient Sub-Conductor James Miller who was also awarded the medal for his role in the Indian Mutiny
• The Munster Fusiliers, now an archived website (unfortunately many internal links are no longer valid) but including
  • Lieutenant-Colonel Francis David Millett Brown V. C. Bengal Staff Corps. previously 1st Bengal European Fusiliers, now archived.
  • Major Thomas Adair Butler V.C. 1st Bengal European Fusiliers, now archived.
• Sergeant James McGuire V. C. 1st Bengal European Fusiliers vconline.org.uk
• Drummer Miles Ryan V. C. 1st Bengal Fusiliers. vconline.org.uk
• Private John McGovern V. C. 1st Bengal Fusiliers. vconline.org.uk
• Robert Shebbeare Wikipedia
  • "Letters of forgotten VC winner found". 27 February 2008 The Telegraph. Brevet Captain Robert Shebbeare won his medal for twice leading charges against rebel defences during the infamous siege of Delhi in September 1857. Afterwards he put together a Sikh regiment, the 15th Punjab [Pioneers], which later saw action in China. Includes photograph with officers of his 15th Punjab regiment
• The Arracan Expedition, Andaman Islands 1867 A detachment of 3 officers and 100 men of the 2nd Battalion 24th Regiment of Foot was dispatched from Rangoon on the steamship Arracan to rescue crew members of the ship Assam Valley who had been captured. As a result 5 Victoria Cross awards were made. readinggivesmewings.wordpress.com

Historical books online

• The Victoria Cross; an official chronicle of the deeds of personal valour achieved in presence of the enemy during the Crimean and Baltic campaigns, the Indian mutinies, and the Persia, China, and New Zealand wars' (1865) Google Books
• How I won the Victoria Cross by Thomas Henry Kavanagh, Assistant Commissioner in Oudh, 1860 Google Books
• The Victoria Cross in India by Major Knollys 1886, first published c 1877. Awards for the Indian Mutiny. HathiTrust Digital Library, available to those in areas such as North America. Also Google Books version

The Victoria Cross in the Colonies and Gallant Sepoys and Sowars by William Wallingford Knollys. Catalogued 1880. (Note: catalogued title includes Soward.) Link to a pdf download PAHAR Mountains of Central Asia Digital Dataset. Includes details of the Victoria Cross awarded in India after the Indian Mutiny. First part to page 85; 2nd part to page 176. Part of the series Deeds of Daring Library.

• The Victoria Cross in Afghanistan and on the frontiers of India during the years 1877, 1878, 1879 & 1880 : how it was won related by W.J. Elliott 1882. Part of the series Deeds of Daring Library. Archive.org version, missing map. Pahar version, link to a pdf download, PAHAR Mountains of Central Asia Digital Dataset. If download does not display, locate under Books/Afghanistan/1882.
• "Major Grant’s Narrative", page 283 My Three Years in Manipur and Escape from the Recent Mutiny by Ethel St. Clair Grimwood 1891 Archive.org. Major Grant of the 12th Regiment ( 2nd Burma Bn) Madras Infantry was awarded the V.C. for the actions in Manipur in 1891