List of Victoria Cross recipients by nationality

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Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates

A bronze cross pattée bearing the crown of Saint Edward surmounted by a lion with the inscription FOR VALOUR. A crimson ribbon is attached
The Victoria Cross

This is a list of recipients of the Victoria Cross by nationality. It does not include the Victoria Cross awarded to the American Unknown Soldier of World War I buried in the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery. He was awarded the VC posthumously in 1921. This gesture reciprocated the award of the Medal of Honor to the British Unknown Warrior.

The Victoria Cross (VC) is a military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the British armed forces. A small number of Commonwealth countries still participate in the British (Imperial) honours system and would still be eligible to make Victoria Cross recommendations for their service personnel but none of these countries have ever been awarded the Victoria Cross. The last occasion a Commonwealth country was awarded the Victoria Cross was in 1969 during the Vietnam War and today all Commonwealth countries whose armed forces had been awarded the Victoria Cross under the British honours systems have their own honours systems and their own orders, decorations and medals. The Victoria Cross takes precedence over all other British orders, decorations and medals and may be awarded to a person of any rank in any service and although civilians under military command are eligible for the award none has been awarded since 1879. The Victoria Cross has often been presented to the recipient during an investiture by the British monarch. The last award of the reign of King George VI and all awards of the reign of by the late Queen with the exception of the two posthumous awards to the Australian Army during the Vietnam War have been presented by Queen Elizabeth II. The VC has been awarded on 1358 occasions to 1355 individual recipients.

The original Royal Warrant and all warrants to this day contain both expulsion and restoration clauses. Eight recipients between 1861 and 1908 had their awards rescinded and although no award has ever been restored the names of the eight are included in the list. The original warrant did not contain a specific clause regarding posthumous awards, although official policy was to not award the VC posthumously. Between 1857 and 1901, twelve notices were issued in the London Gazette regarding soldiers who would have been awarded the VC had they survived. In a partial reversal of policy for the South African War 1899–1902, the next of kin of three of the soldiers were sent medals by registered post in 1902. In the same gazette the first three posthumous awards were awarded and also sent to the next of kin. In 1907, the posthumous policy was reversed and medals were sent to the next of kin of the six officers and men.[1] The Victoria Cross warrant was not officially amended to explicitly allow posthumous awards until 1920 but one quarter of all awards for the First World War were posthumous.[2][3]

For a short time in the middle 1800s, the VC was awarded for actions taken not in the face of the enemy. Six were awarded at this time for actions taken not in the face of the enemy. (Campbell Mellis Douglas was one of these recipients.)

Until 1921 the Victoria Cross could not be awarded to women, and to this day no VC has been awarded to members of that gender. With the approval of Queen Victoria, Elizabeth Webber Harris was awarded a gold VC for her valour in nursing cholera-ridden soldiers in India in 1869.[4]

Most Commonwealth countries have now created their own honours systems. Since 1991, three Commonwealth countries; Australia, Canada and New Zealand have created their own operational gallantry awards. In each case, their highest award for most conspicuous bravery was named in honour of the British (Imperial) Victoria Cross; the Victoria Cross for Australia, the Victoria Cross (Canada) and the Victoria Cross for New Zealand. One Victoria Cross for New Zealand was awarded to Willie Apiata on 26 July 2007; four Victoria Crosses for Australia have been awarded to Mark Donaldson, Ben Roberts-Smith, Daniel Keighran and Cameron Baird. All five awards were for actions in Afghanistan. As these are separate medals, they are not included in this list.

Recipients are described in the following list by nationality (birthplace) or (citizenship) or (country of service) or (uncertain) or in the case of New Zealand born Captain Alfred John Shout of the Australian Army by both (birthplace) and (country of service). The country lists are compiled differently with the Australian list only being members of the Australian forces, the Canadian list being members of the Canadian forces including Danish Thomas Dinesen who served in Canadian Army plus others who are considered by Canadians as Canadian recipients, while the English list only includes a few of the many English born recipients who were decorated as members of Commonwealth and Indian forces. There have been 1355 individual recipients including the American unknown who is not listed but the list has 1356 names including Alfred John Shout and another listed twice.

Recipients by nationality

Name Nationality Date of action Conflict Unit Place of action Notes
Template:Sortname American 1918 First World War 75th Bn Canadian Expeditionary Force Drocourt-Quéant Support Line, France [5]
Template:Sortname American 1918 First World War Canadian Expeditionary Force Arras, France [5]
Template:Sortname American 1917 First World War Canadian Expeditionary Force Passchendaele, Belgium [5]
Template:Sortname American 1864 Bombardment of Shimonoseki Template:HMS Shimonoseki, Japan
Template:Sortname American 1918 First World War Canadian Expeditionary Force Warvillers, France [6]
AAA AustraliaList of 91 Australian recipients AAA AAA AA01 AAA
Template:Sortname Belgian 1916 First World War BB0044th Dragoon Guards La Boiselle, France
Template:Sortname British Virgin Islander 1866 Gambia Campaign BB0044th West India Regiment Tubabecelong, Gambia
AAB CanadaList of 96 Canadian recipients AAB AAB AA02 AAB
Template:Sortname Channel Islander 1857 Indian Mutiny Bengal Sappers and Miners Delhi, India
Template:Sortname Jersey, Channel Islands 1855 Crimean War Template:HMS Vyborg, Russia
Template:Sortname Guernsey, Channel Islands 1942 Second World War Hampshire Regiment Tebourba, Tunisia
Template:Sortname Jersey, Channel Islands 1889 British rule in Burma Royal Army Medical Corps Voklaak, Burma
Template:Sortname Channel Islander 1881 Basuto Gun War BB0011st Cape Mounted Yeomanry Tweefontein, South Africa
Template:Sortname Channel Islander 1899 Second Boer War Royal Field Artillery Colenso, South Africa
Template:Sortname Channel Islander 1859 Second Anglo-Afghan War BB05959th Regiment of Foot Shahjui, Afghanistan
Template:Sortname Channel Islander 1874 First Ashanti Expedition BB0066th Bengal Cavalry Obugu, Ashanti
Template:Sortname Danish 1918 First World War BB04242nd Bn CEF Canadian Expeditionary Force Parvillers, France
Template:Sortname Danish 1915 First World War BB0066th Lincolnshire Regiment Gallipoli, Turkey
Template:Sortname Danish 1945* Second World War Special Boat Service Comacchio, Italy
AAC EnglandList of 600+ English recipients
(may be incomplete)
AAC AAC AA03 AAC
Template:Sortname Fijian 1944* Second World War Fiji Infantry Regiment Mawaraka, Bougainville Island
Template:Sortname German 1854 Crimean War BB01717th Lancers Balaklava, Crimea
Template:Sortname Grenadian 2004 Iraq War Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment Amarah, Iraq
Template:Sortname Hanoverian 1854 Crimean War Template:HMS, RN Åland, Finland [7]
Template:Sortname Indian 1941 Second World War Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners Gallabat, Abyssinia
Template:Sortname Indian 1944* Second World War 5th Mahratta Light Infantry Upper Tiber Valley, Italy
Template:Sortname Indian 1944* Second World War BB0099th Jat Regiment Imphal, India
Template:Sortname Indian 1945 Second World War BB0055th Mahratta Light Infantry Senio River, Italy
Template:Sortname Indian 1945* Second World War BB41515th Punjab Regiment Meiktila, Burma
Lala Indian 1916 First World War BB04141st Dogras El Orah, Mesopotamia
Template:Sortname Indian 1914 First World War BB03939th Garhwal Rifles Festubert, France
Template:Sortname Indian 1915* First World War BB03939th Garhwal Rifles Neuve Chapelle, France
Template:Sortname Indian 1944 Second World War BB01010th Baluch Regiment Arakan State, Burma
Template:Sortname Indian 1943* Second World War BB0066th Rajputana Rifles Djebel Garci, Tunisia
Template:Sortname Indian 1944 Second World War BB0088th Punjab Regiment River Gari, Italy
Template:Sortname Indian 1941* Second World War BB0066th Rajputana Rifles Keren, Eritrea
Template:Sortname Indian 1918* First World War BB01414th Murray's Jat Lancers River Jordan, Palestine
Template:Sortname Indian 1916 First World War BB0099th Bhopal Infantry Battle of the Wadi, Mesopotamia
Template:Sortname Indian 1945 Second World War BB01515th Punjab Regiment Myingyan, Burma
Template:Sortname Indian 1917 First World War BB02828th Light Cavalry Pezières, France [8]
Template:Sortname Indian 1921 Waziristan Campaign BB02828th Punjabis Haidari Kach, India
Template:Sortname Indian 1944 Second World War BB11111th Sikh Regiment MaungdawButhidaung Road, Burma
Template:Sortname Indian 1943 Second World War BB0088th Punjab Regiment Donbaik, Burma
Template:Sortname Indian 1945* Second World War BB01313th Frontier Force Rifles Kanlan Ywathit, Burma
Template:Sortname Indian 1944* Second World War BB0011st Punjab Regiment Kennedy Peak, Burma
Template:Sortname Indian 1915 First World War BB05555th Coke's Rifles (Frontier Force) Wieltje, Belgium
Template:Sortname Indian 1945 Second World War BB01010th Baluch Regiment Meiktila, Burma
Template:Sortname Indian 1944 Second World War BB0077th Gurkha Rifles Ningthoukhong, Burma
Template:Sortname Pakistani 1945 Second World War BB01313th Frontier Force Rifles Fusignano, Italy
Template:Sortname Pakistani 1914 First World War BB129129th Duke of Connaught's Own Baluchis Hollebeke, Belgium
Template:Sortname Pakistani 1916 First World War BB08989th Punjabis Beit Ayeesa, Mesopotamia
Template:Sortname Pakistani 1945* Second World War BB01616th Punjab Regiment Kyeyebyin, Burma
Template:Sortname Indian 1944 Second World War Royal Indian Artillery Kaladan Valley, Burma
AAD IrelandList of 195 Irish recipients AAD AAD AA04 AAD
Template:Sortname Jamaican 1892 Second Gambian Campaign West India Regiment Toniataba, Gambia
Template:Sortname Kenyan 1941* Second World War BB012King's African Rifles

Colito, Abyssinia

Template:Sortname Manx 1944 Second World War BB0022nd Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment Arnhem, Netherlands [9]
Template:Sortname Nepalese 1943 Second World War BB0055th Royal Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force) Chin Hills, Burma
Template:Sortname Nepalese 1945 Second World War BB0022nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles Tamandu, Burma
Template:Sortname Nepalese 1945 Second World War BB0088th Gurkha Rifles Taungdaw, Burma
Template:Sortname Nepalese 1944* Second World War BB0055th Royal Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force) Monte San Bartolo, Italy
Template:Sortname Nepalese 1965 Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation BB01010th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles Sarawak, Borneo
Template:Sortname Nepalese 1944 Second World War BB0066th Gurkha Rifles Mogaung, Burma
Template:Sortname Nepalese 1944 Second World War BB0055th Royal Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force) Bishenpur, India
Template:Sortname Nepalese 1918 First World War BB0033rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles El Kefr, Egypt
Template:Sortname Nepalese 1915 First World War BB0033rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles Fauquissart, France
Template:Sortname Nepalese 1943 Second World War BB0032nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles Rass-es-Zouai, Tunisia
Template:Sortname Nepalese 1944* Second World War BB0055th Royal Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force) Bishenpur, India
Template:Sortname Nepalese 1944* Second World War BB0099th Gurkha Rifles San Marino, Italy
Template:Sortname New Zealander 1917 First World War Wellington Infantry Regiment La Basse Ville, Belgium
Template:Sortname New Zealander 1915 First World War New Zealand Divisional Signal Company Gallipoli, Turkey
Template:Sortname New Zealander 1916 First World War Otago Infantry Regiment High Wood, France [10]
Template:Sortname New Zealander 1918 First World War BB500Auckland Infantry Regiment Crèvecœur, France
Template:Sortname New Zealander 1879 Anglo-Zulu War Frontier Light Horse Ulundi, South Africa
Template:Sortname New Zealander 1942 Second World War BB02222nd, 2nd New Zealand Division Ruweisat, Egypt
Template:Sortname New Zealander 1918* First World War Royal New Zealand Engineers Grévillers, France
Template:Sortname New Zealander 1916 First World War BB06363rd (Royal Naval) Division Beaucourt sur Ancre, France
Template:Sortname New Zealander 1917 First World War New Zealand Rifle Brigade Messines, Belgium
Template:Sortname New Zealander 1918 First World War Wellington Infantry Regiment Bancourt, France
Template:Sortname New Zealander 1901 Second Boer War BB0044th New Zealand Contingent Naauwpoort, South Africa
Template:Sortname New Zealander 1864 New Zealand Wars BB501Auckland Militia Mangapiko River, New Zealand
Template:Sortname New Zealander 1941 Second World War BB02020th, 2nd New Zealand Division Kalamai, Greece
Template:Sortname New Zealander 1941 Second World War BB02323rd, 2nd New Zealand Division Crete, Greece
Template:Sortname New Zealander 1918 First World War BB500Auckland Infantry Regiment Bapaume, France
Template:Sortname New Zealander 1918 First World War New Zealand Rifle Brigade Gouzeaucourt Wood, France
Template:Sortname New Zealander 1943* Second World War BB02828th, 2nd New Zealand Division Tebaga Gap, Tunisia
Template:Sortname New Zealander 1917 First World War Canterbury Infantry Regiment Polderhoek, Belgium
Template:Sortname New Zealander 1917* First World War Template:HMS Atlantic
Template:Sortname New Zealander 1915* First World War First Australian Imperial Force Gallipoli
Template:Sortname New Zealander 1918* First World War Otago Infantry Regiment Rossignol Wood, France
Template:Sortname New Zealander 1943 Second World War No. 487 Squadron RNZAF Amsterdam, Netherlands
Template:Sortname New Zealander 2004 Afghanistan War New Zealand Special Air Service Afghanistan, Afghanistan
Template:Sortname New Zealander 1943* Second World War No. 200 Squadron RAF Atlantic
Template:Sortname New Zealander 1941
1942
Second World War BB02020th, 2nd New Zealand Division Crete, Greece, (1941),
Ruweisat Ridge, Egypt (1942)
[11]
Template:Sortname New Zealander 1941* Second World War No. 75 Squadron RNZAF Munster, Germany
Template:Sortname Newfoundlander 1918* First World War BB01313th Battalion, CEF Amiens, France [12]
Template:Sortname Newfoundlander 1918 First World War Royal Newfoundland Regiment Ledeghem, Belgium [12]
Template:Sortname Rhodesian 1896* Matabeleland Rebellion Bulawayo Field Force Umguza, Rhodesia
Template:Sortname South African 1917 First World War British South Africa Police Johannesburg, German East Africa .[13] Attached to Rhodesian Native RegimentTemplate:Sfn
Template:Sortname Rhodesian 1897 Matabeleland Rebellion Bulawayo Field Force Bulawayo, Rhodesia
AAE ScotlandList of 164 Scottish recipients AAE AAE AA05 AAE
Template:Sortname South African 1900* Second Boer War Imperial Light Horse Ladysmith, South Africa
Template:Sortname South African 1918 First World War No. 84 Squadron RFC Western Front, France
Template:Sortname South African 1901 Second Boer War Rimington's Guides Strijdenburg, South Africa
Template:Sortname South African 1857 Indian Mutiny BB07878th Regiment of Foot Boursekee Chowkee, India
Template:Sortname South African 1916 First World War BB0011st South African Infantry Delville Wood, France
Template:Sortname South African 1940* Second World War Royal Norfolk Regiment Tournai, Belgium
Template:Sortname South African 1879 Zulu War Cape Mounted Riflemen Morosi's Mountain, South Africa
Template:Sortname South African 1918 First World War Wiltshire Regiment Fremicourt, France
Template:Sortname South African 1917 First World War BB0022nd South African Light Infantry Ypres, Belgium
Template:Sortname South African 1899 Second Boer War Protectorate Regiment Mafeking, South Africa
Template:Sortname South African 1881 First Boer War BB0011st Cape Mounted Yeomanry Tweefontein, South Africa
Template:Sortname South African 1899 Second Boer War Imperial Light Horse Elandslaagte, South Africa
Template:Sortname South African 1896 Mashona Rebellion Mashonaland Mounted Police Salisbury, Rhodesia
Template:Sortname South African 1942 Second World War No. 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron RAF Augsburg, Germany
Template:Sortname South African 1944 Second World War Kaffrarian Rifles Monte Gidolfo, Italy
Template:Sortname South African 1917 First World War King's (Liverpool) Regiment Dialah River, Mesopotamia
Template:Sortname South African 1917 First World War Queen's Royal Regiment Zonnebeke, Belgium
Template:Sortname South African 1917 First World War Norfolk Regiment Marcoing, France [14]
Template:Sortname South African 1942 Second World War Natal Carbineers Alem Hamza, Egypt
Template:Sortname South African 1945 Second World War South African Air Force Pforzheim, Germany
Template:Sortname Sri Lankan (Ceylonese) 1918* First World War East Lancashire Regiment Ablainzevelle, France
Template:Sortname Swedish 1879 Basuto Gun War Cape Mounted Riflemen Morosi's Mountain, South Africa
Template:Sortname Swiss 1879 Anglo-Zulu War Natal Native Contingent Rorke's Drift, South Africa
Template:Sortname Ukrainian 1917 First World War BB04747th (British Columbia) Lens, France [5]
AAE ScotlandList of 58 uncertain nationality recipients AAE AAE AA05 AAE
Template:Sortname Welsh 1915 First World War Royal Welch Fusiliers Festubert, France
Template:Sortname Welsh 1942 Second World War Template:HMS Saint-Nazaire, France
Template:Sortname Welsh 1917 First World War Welsh Guards Yser Canal, Belgium
Template:Sortname Welsh 1945 Second World War Monmouthshire Regiment Dortmund-Ems Canal, Germany
Template:Sortname Welsh 1917* First World War Royal Welch Fusiliers Polygon Wood, Belgium
Template:Sortname Welsh 1917 First World War Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) Zonnebeke, Belgium
Template:Sortname Welsh 1917* First World War Royal Army Medical Corps Tel-el-Khuweilfeh, Palestine
Template:Sortname Welsh 1914 First World War Welch Regiment Chivy-sur-Aisne, France
Template:Sortname Welsh 1879 Zulu War BB02424th Regiment of Foot Rorke's Drift, South Africa
Template:Sortname Welsh 1916 First World War Welch Regiment Macukovo, Greece
Template:Sortname Welsh 1943* Second World War Template:HMS At sea
Template:Sortname Welsh 1858 Indian Mutiny BB0022nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays) Jamo, India
Template:Sortname Welsh 1917 First World War South Wales Borderers Pilkem, Belgium
Template:Sortname Welsh 1916 First World War Royal Flying Corps Double Crassieurs, France
Template:Sortname Welsh 1854 Crimean War BB04141st (Welsh) Regiment of Foot Battle of Inkerman, Crimea
Template:Sortname Welsh 1855 Crimean War BB02323rd Regiment Sebastopol, Crimea
Template:Sortname Welsh 1857 Indian Mutiny Bengal Artillery Lucknow, India
Template:Sortname Welsh 1917* First World War BB499"A" Battalion, Tank Corps Cambrai/Marcoing, France
Template:Sortname Welsh 1940* Second World War British 2nd Destroyer Flotilla Narvik, Norway [15]
Template:Sortname Welsh 1918* First World War Royal Welch Fusiliers Ronssoy, France
Template:Sortname Welsh 1944 Second World War Welch Regiment Barfour, France
Template:Sortname Welsh 1918 First World War Royal Welch Fusiliers Bazentin-le-Grand, France
Template:Sortname Welsh 1918 First World War South Wales Borderers Villers Outreaux, France
Template:Sortname Welsh 1879 Zulu War BB02424th Regiment of Foot Rorke's Drift, South Africa
Template:Sortname Welsh 1917 First World War Template:HMS Atlantic, near France [16]

Notes

Template:Reflist

References

Template:Sister project

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Template:Victoria Cross recipients

  1. Template:London Gazette
  2. Crook, MJ, Chapter 8 pp.68–90
  3. Template:London Gazette
  4. "Museum Honours only Woman to have "Won VC""
  5. a b c d Also considered Canadian recipient.
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  6. Zengel was American born, considered Canadian.
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  10. Brown died in action three weeks after the action that led to his award.
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  11. Charles Upham is one of only three people to have won the Victoria Cross twice.
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  12. a b Newfoundlander recipients of the Victoria Cross are sometimes erroneously included with Canadian awards, as Newfoundland became part of Canada in 1949.
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  13. Born in London
  14. Commanding officer of 1st Bn Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers at time
  15. and Captain of Template:HMS
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