The Victoria Cross in 100 Objects
eBook - PDF

The Victoria Cross in 100 Objects

The Story of the Britain's Highest Award For Valour

  1. 216 pages
  2. English
  3. PDF
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

The Victoria Cross in 100 Objects

The Story of the Britain's Highest Award For Valour

About this book

It was the events of the Crimean War that changed everything. Until that time, those serving in Britain's army or navy had been expected to do their duty without thought of recognition or reward, particularly the men in the lower ranks. Fueled by reports from the first ever war correspondents, which were read by an increasingly literate public, the mumblings of discontent over how the gallantry and valor of the ordinary man was recognized rapidly grew into a national outcry. Questions were asked in Parliament, answers were demanded by the press – why were the heroes of the Alma, Inkerman and the Charge of the Light Brigade not being officially acknowledged? Something had to be done. That something was the introduction of an award that would be of such prestige it would be sought by all men from the most junior private to a Field Marshal. It would be the highest possible award for valor in the face of the enemy and it bore the name of the Queen for whom the men fought – The Victoria Cross. Since the VC was instituted in January 1856, it has been awarded 1,358 times to 1,355 individual recipients. Those men were thrown into wars and campaigns around the globe, from the seas and skies around the UK to the deserts of Africa and the sweltering jungles of the Far East. The two world wars saw the most VCs awarded – 628 in the First and 182 in the Second. Only fifteen medals, eleven to members of the British Army, and four to the Australian Army, have been awarded since the Second World War. In this highly-illustrated work, the renowned Victoria Cross historian and author Brian Best examines the introduction and evolution of the VC, along with some of the fascinating individuals and remarkable acts of valor associated with it, through an intriguing collection of 100 objects.

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Yes, you can access The Victoria Cross in 100 Objects by Brian Best in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & British History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Information

Publisher
Frontline Books
Year
2023
Print ISBN
9781526730763
eBook ISBN
9781526730794
Topic
History
Subtopic
British History
Index
History

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Book Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. 1. The Idea for a Democratic Award
  6. 2. Design of the Victoria Cross
  7. 3. The VC Cannon
  8. 4. The Warrant
  9. 5. The London Gazette
  10. 6. Cecil Buckley – The First Gazetted VC
  11. 7. The First VC
  12. 8. The First Investiture
  13. 9. The Reaction to the New Award
  14. 10. The Netley Hospital VC
  15. 11. The Only Officer VC of the Light Brigade
  16. 12. The Blockade Runner VCs
  17. 13. The One-Armed VC
  18. 14. Howard Elphinstone – Queen Victoria’sTrusted Confidant
  19. 15. Sir Henry Clifford VC andCrimea War Artist
  20. 16. William Peel – The PrematureEnd of A Naval Hero
  21. 17. Louis Desanges – VC Artist
  22. 18. Thomas Kavanagh’s Disguise
  23. 19. Thomas Butler’s Colt Revolver
  24. 20. The Bizarre Death of George WilliamDrummond Stewart VC
  25. 21. The First Soldier into the Secundrabagh
  26. 22. The Enigma of Rifleman Same Shaw VC
  27. 23. Sir Samuel Browne – Inventor of aFamous Belt
  28. 24. Photographs of Two VC Recipientsin Death
  29. 25. Sir Deighton Probyn VC – Honorary Sikh
  30. 26. Edmund Lenon and Pawned VC
  31. 27. George Fosbery – Firearms Inventor
  32. 28. Duncan Boyes – The Fallen Hero
  33. 29. The Mystery of Timothy O’Hea VC
  34. 30. Married to Two VCS
  35. 31. The Only Female ‘VC’
  36. 32. Donald Macintyre and the Rescue ofMary Winchester
  37. 33. Reginald Sartorius’ Jungle Ride
  38. 34. George Channer – Hero of Perak
  39. 35. Teignmouth Melvill and Nevill Coghill –The First Post-Dated Posthumous VCs
  40. 36. John Chard – Lord Chelmsford’sVC Nominee
  41. 37. James Reynolds – Surgeon andDog-Lover at Rorke’s Drift
  42. 38. Henry Lysons & Edmund Fowler –Questionable VCs
  43. 39. Anthony Booth – The Hero ofIntombi Drift
  44. 40. Walter Hamilton and the Defence of theKabul Residency
  45. 41. James Collis – Disgraced Hero
  46. 42. Israel Harding VC – Quick ThinkingSaved the Alexandra
  47. 43. Arthur Wilson – Torpedo Pioneer
  48. 44. Charles Grant – A Tiger in a Fight
  49. 45. Randolph Nesbitt’s Armoured Wagon
  50. 46. Henry Pennell – First Victim of theCresta Run
  51. 47. Freddy Roberts – The FirstPosthumous VC
  52. 48. Two VC Suicides Buried inSame Cemetery
  53. 49. Matthew Meiklejohn – One-Armed Hero
  54. 50. Arthur Richardson – Stolen Identity
  55. 51. Thomas Crean – VC and InternationalRugby Player
  56. 52. Ernest Towse – Blinded, He HelpedHis Fellow Sufferers
  57. 53. The VC Recruitment Poster
  58. 54. Norman Holbrook – The FirstSubmariner VC
  59. 55. Sidney Godley – The Rearguard AtNimy Bridge
  60. 56. Edward Bradbury and the Destructionof L Battery
  61. 57. Philip Neame – Only VC to Win AnOlympic Gold Medal
  62. 58. William Mariner’s Atonement
  63. 59. William Rhodes-Moorhouse –The First Air VC
  64. 60. Eric Robinson – PossibleWinner of a Double VC
  65. 61. Herbert James – A Lonely andTragic Death
  66. 62. William Williams – Hero of V Beach
  67. 63. Charles Doughty-Wylie –The Middle-Aged Romantic
  68. 64. Frederick Potts – The Shovel VC
  69. 65. George Peachment – The Under-Aged VC
  70. 66. Richard Bell-Davies – Return andRescue VC
  71. 67. William McFadzean – An OutstandingExample of Self-Sacrifice
  72. 68. Donald Bell – The Only ProfessionalVC Footballer
  73. 69. Lionel Rees – A Full andAdventurous Life
  74. 70. Thomas Jones – The VC WhoCaptured 102 Germans
  75. 71. Joseph Watt and His ‘David andGoliath’ Action
  76. 72. Edward Mott – The First VC of 1917
  77. 73. Albert Ball – Lone Wolf of the Skies
  78. 74. Charles Bonner – Q-Ship Hero
  79. 75. Alfred Kinght – ExtraordinaryHeroism at Passchendaele
  80. 76. Frederick Greaves – The Miner Hero
  81. 77. Cecil Kinross – The Man Who Openedto Door to Victory
  82. 78. Stanley Boughey – Blackpool’s First VC
  83. 79. Charles Train – The London Scottish VC
  84. 80. Alan Jerrard – The First RAF VCRecipient
  85. 81. Harry Cross – And David Niven
  86. 82. Richard Sandford – VC Hero ofZeebrugge Raid
  87. 83. Edward Mannock – The One-Eyed ACE
  88. 84. Cecil Sewell – Early Tank VC
  89. 85. Henry Tandey – Did He SpareAdolf Hitler?
  90. 86. Wilfred Wood – The Piave Front VC
  91. 87. William Coltman – The MostGallantry Awards to An NCO
  92. 88. Augustus Agar – The ‘Secret VC’
  93. 89. Bernard Warburton-Lee –Hero of Narvik
  94. 90. James Nicolson – FighterCommand’s Only VC
  95. 91. John Beeley – VC of theBattle of Sidi Rezegh
  96. 92. William Savage – ST Nazaire VC
  97. 93. Charles Newman – The Raid’sCommando Leader
  98. 94. Adam Wakenshaw – His Self-SacrificeSaved Others
  99. 95. Frank Blaker – Chindit VC
  100. 96. Donald Cameron and GodfreyPlace – The Tirpitz Raid
  101. 97. John Harman – Kohima VC
  102. 98. John Brunt – Italian VC & MC
  103. 99. William Speakman – Korean War VC
  104. 100. Johnson Beharry – A Twice-EarnedVC in Iraq
  105. Back Cover