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98-570: 1 Militia and Special Reserve battalion 2 Territorial and Volunteer battalions The East Lancashire Regiment was, from 1881 to 1958, a line infantry regiment of the British Army . The regiment was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot and 59th (2nd Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot with the militia and rifle volunteer units of eastern Lancashire. In 1958

196-400: A Maltese cross of bronze". Nonetheless, it has always been a cross pattée ; the discrepancy with the warrant has never been corrected. The ribbon is crimson, 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 ″(38   mm) wide. The original (1856) specification for the award stated that the ribbon should be red for army recipients and dark blue for naval recipients, but the dark blue ribbon was abolished soon after

294-654: A Mention in Despatches existed as an alternative award for acts of lesser gallantry. This structure was very limited; in practice, awards of the Order of the Bath were confined to officers of field rank and brevet promotions or Mentions in Despatches were largely confined to those who were under the immediate notice of the commanders in the field, generally members of the commander's own staff. Other European countries had awards that did not discriminate against class or rank; France awarded

392-595: A private awarded a VC or GC. As there was no formal order of wear laid down, the Victoria Cross was at first worn as the recipient fancied. It was popular to pin it on the left side of the chest over the heart, with other decorations grouped around the VC. The Queen's Regulations for the Army of 1881 gave clear instructions on how to wear it; the VC had to follow the badge of the Order of

490-501: A Companion in an Order of Chivalry , the VC has no place in a coat of arms . The original warrant stated that NCOs and private soldiers or seamen on the Victoria Cross Register were entitled to a £10 per annum annuity . In 1898, Queen Victoria raised the pension to £50 for those that could not earn a livelihood, be it from old age or infirmity. Today holders of the Victoria Cross or George Cross are entitled to an annuity,

588-665: A ceremony in Wellington in June 1870 to Mōkena Kōhere , Te Keepa Te Rangihiwinui (Major Kemp), Te Pokiha Taranui , Henare Tomoana , Ropata Wahawaha , and Ihaka Whaanga . The question of whether awards could be made to colonial troops not serving with British troops was raised in South Africa in 1881. Surgeon John McCrea , an officer of the South African forces was recommended for gallantry during hostilities which had not been approved by

686-430: A county basis, and filled by voluntary enlistment (although conscription by means of the militia ballot might be used if the counties failed to meet their quotas). It was intended to be seen as an alternative to the army. Training was for 56 days on enlistment, then the recruits would return to civilian life but report for 21–28 days training per year. The full army pay during training and a financial retainer thereafter made

784-588: A metallurgical examination of the VCs in the custody of the Australian War Memorial, and later the historian John Glanfield wrote that, through the use of X-ray studies of older Victoria Crosses, it was determined that the metal used for almost all VCs since December 1914 is taken from antique Chinese guns, replacing an earlier gun. Creagh noted the existence of Chinese inscriptions on the cannon, which are now barely legible due to corrosion. A likely explanation

882-448: A miniature of the Cross has been affixed to the centre of the ribbon bar when worn without the Cross. In the event of a second award bar, a second replica is worn alongside the first. The Victoria Cross is awarded for ... most conspicuous bravery, or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice, or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy. A recommendation for

980-508: A recipient's name to be erased from the official register in certain wholly discreditable circumstances and his pension cancelled. Eight were forfeited between 1861 and 1908. The power to cancel and restore awards is still included in the Victoria Cross warrant. King George V felt very strongly that the decoration should never be forfeited and in a letter from his Private Secretary, Lord Stamfordham , on 26 July 1920, his views are forcefully expressed: The King feels so strongly that, no matter

1078-590: A single unit during a single action is seven, to the 2nd/ 24th Foot , for the defence of Rorke's Drift , 22–23 January 1879, during the Zulu War . The greatest number won in a single conflict is 628, during the First World War. Ishar Singh became the first Indian Sikh to receive the award. Eight of the 12 surviving holders of the Victoria Cross attended the 150th Anniversary service of remembrance at Westminster Abbey on 26 June 2006. Three people have been awarded

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1176-710: A total of 17 battalions. Four members of the regiment were awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry: Between the Wars the East Lancs served in many conflicts including Baluchistan, Afghanistan, Ireland, Turkey, Palestine and the North West Frontier of India. The East Lancashire Regiment was again increased in size for the duration of the Second World War , although not to such an extent as in 1914–1918. Firstly, prior to

1274-551: A uniform), and after six months full-time training would be discharged into the reserve. The first intake was called up, but the Second World War was declared soon afterwards, and the militiamen lost their identity in the rapidly expanding army. Two units still maintain their militia designation in the British Army , in the Army Reserve . These are the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (formed in 1539) and

1372-483: A useful addition to the men's civilian wage. Of course, many saw the annual camp as the equivalent of a paid holiday. The militia thus appealed to agricultural labourers, colliers and the like, men in casual occupations , who could leave their civilian job and pick it up again. The militia was also a significant source of recruits for the Regular Army, where men had received a taste of army life. An officer's commission in

1470-618: A visit to troops in France. The presentation occurred on 5 December 1914 and he is one of a very few soldiers presented with his award before it appeared in the London Gazette . Since the Second World War , most but not all Commonwealth countries have created their own honours systems and no longer participate in the British honours system . This began soon after the Partition of India in 1947, when

1568-492: Is a bronze cross pattée , 1 + 39 ⁄ 64 ″ (41   mm) high, 1 + 27 ⁄ 64 ″ (36   mm) wide, bearing the crown of Saint Edward surmounted by a lion, and the inscription "for valour". This was originally to have been "for the brave", until it was changed on the recommendation of Queen Victoria, as it implied that only men who were awarded the cross were brave. The decoration, suspension bar, and link weigh about 0.87 troy ounces (27   g). The cross

1666-530: Is no evidence of Russian origin. The VC is highly prized and has been valued at over £400,000 at auctions. A number of public and private collections are devoted to the Victoria Cross. The private collection of Lord Ashcroft , amassed since 1986, contains over one-tenth of all Victoria Crosses awarded. After a 2008 donation to the Imperial War Museum , the Ashcroft collection went on public display alongside

1764-480: Is similar to that for the early WW1 medals. This is likely to be due to the reuse of material from earlier pourings, casting sprues , defective medals, etc. The remaining portion of the only remaining cascabel, weighing 358 oz (10   kg), is stored in a vault maintained by 15 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps at MoD Donnington and may only be removed under armed guard. It is estimated that approximately 80 to 85 more VCs could be cast from this source. The decoration

1862-432: Is suspended by a ring from a seriffed "V" to a bar ornamented with laurel leaves, through which the ribbon passes. The reverse of the suspension bar is engraved with the recipient's name, rank, number and unit. On the reverse of the medal is a circular panel on which the date of the act for which it was awarded is engraved in the centre. The Original Warrant Clause   1 states that the Victoria Cross "shall consist of

1960-811: Is that the cannon were taken as trophies during the First Opium War and held in the Woolwich repository. It was also thought that some medals made during the First World War were composed of metal captured from different Chinese guns during the Boxer Rebellion . This is not so, however. The VCs examined by Creagh and Ashton both in Australia (58) and at the National Army Museum in New Zealand (14) spanned

2058-646: Is the sole recipient of both the Victoria Cross and the Iron Cross . The VC was awarded for his actions during the Waikato-Hauhau Maori War , New Zealand on 29 April 1864, while the Iron Cross was awarded for tending the wounded during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71. Royal New Zealand Air Force Flying Officer Lloyd Allan Trigg is the only serviceman ever awarded a VC on evidence solely provided by

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2156-600: The Army List . Whilst muster rolls were still prepared during the 1820s, the element of compulsion was abandoned. For example, the City Of York Militia & Muster Rolls run to 1829. They used a pre-printed form with a printer's date of Sept 1828. The Militia was revived by the Militia Act 1852 ( 15 & 16 Vict. c. 50), enacted during a period of international tension. As before, units were raised and administered on

2254-515: The British monarch . The investitures are usually 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 1,358 times to 1,355 individual recipients. Only 15 medals, of which 11 to members of the British Army and 4 to members of the Australian Army , have been awarded since

2352-424: The First World War , but their rank and file did not, since the object of the special reserve was to supply drafts of replacements for the overseas units of the regiment. The Special Reserve reverted to its militia designation in 1921, then to Supplementary Reserve in 1924, though the units were effectively placed in "suspended animation" until disbanded in 1953. The term militiaman was briefly revived in 1939. In

2450-682: The Gazette dating back to the Indian Mutiny. The Victoria Cross warrant was not amended to explicitly allow posthumous awards until 1920, but one quarter of all awards for World War I were posthumous. The process and motivations of selecting the medal's recipients has sometimes been interpreted as inconsistent or overly political. The most common observation has been that the Victoria Cross may be given more often for engagements that senior military personnel would like to publicly promote. The 1920 royal warrant made provision for awards to women serving in

2548-660: The Indian Order of Merit since 1837, which was the oldest British gallantry award for general issue. When the Victoria Cross was created, Indian troops were still controlled by the Honourable East India Company and did not come under Crown control until 1860. European officers and men serving with the Honourable East India Company were not eligible for the Indian Order of Merit and the Victoria Cross

2646-528: The Jersey Field Squadron (The Royal Militia Island of Jersey) (formed in 1337). Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross ( VC ) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the British decorations system . It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously awarded to service personnel in

2744-612: The Latin " pro valore " . This language was chosen so as to favour neither French nor English, the two official languages of Canada. New Zealand was the third country to adapt the VC into its own honours system. While the New Zealand and Australian VCs are technically separate awards, the decoration is identical to the British design, including being cast from the same gunmetal as the British VC. The Canadian Victoria Cross also includes metal from

2842-637: The Légion d'honneur (Legion of Honour, established 1802) and the Netherlands gave the Order of William (established in 1815). There was a growing feeling among the public and in the Royal Court that a new award was needed to recognise incidents of gallantry that were unconnected with the length or merit of a man's service. Queen Victoria issued a warrant under the royal sign-manual on 29 January 1856 ( gazetted 5   February 1856) that officially constituted

2940-495: The Parama Weera Vibhushanaya medal. Three Commonwealth realms —Australia, Canada and New Zealand —have each introduced their own decorations for gallantry and bravery, replacing British decorations such as the Victoria Cross with their own. The only Commonwealth countries that still can recommend the VC are the small nations that still participate in the British honours system, none of whose forces have ever been awarded

3038-686: The QEII Army Memorial Museum in Waiouru , New Zealand, with a value of around NZD $ 20   million. Charles Upham 's VC and Bar was among these. A reward of NZ$ 300,000, provided by Lord Ashcroft, was posted for information leading to the recovery of the decorations. On 16 February 2008, New Zealand Police announced that all of the medals had been recovered. There are a number of collections of Victoria Crosses. The VC collection of businessman and politician Lord Ashcroft , amassed since 1986, contains 162 medals, over one-tenth of all VCs awarded. It

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3136-690: The Queen's Lancashire Regiment . In 2006 the Queen's Lancashire Regiment was merged with the King's Own Royal Border Regiment and King's Regiment (Liverpool and Manchester) to form a new large regiment , the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border) . The Lancashire Infantry Museum is based at Fulwood Barracks in Preston . When the two regiments of foot merged in 1881, new badges were designed that would endure for

3234-412: The Second World War . The traditional explanation of the source of the metal from which the medals are struck is that it derives from a Russian cannon captured at the siege of Sevastopol . However, research has indicated another origin for the material. The historian John Glanfield has established that the metal for most of the medals made since December 1914 came from two Chinese cannons and that there

3332-667: The War in Afghanistan in 2004. The Canadian Victoria Cross has been cast once, to be awarded to the Unknown Soldier at the rededication of the Vimy Memorial on 7 April 2007 (this date being chosen as it was the 90th anniversary of the battle of Vimy Ridge ), but pressure from veterans' organisations caused the plan to be dropped. As the highest award for valour of the United Kingdom,

3430-498: The War in Afghanistan ; Ben Roberts-Smith , Daniel Keighran and Cameron Baird were also awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia for actions in Afghanistan. Teddy Sheean was awarded the VC after the Australian Government convened an expert panel to review his case. The Victoria Cross for New Zealand has been awarded once: Corporal Willie Apiata ( New Zealand Special Air Service ) on 2 July 2007, for his actions in

3528-528: The 111 Crimean recipients in a ceremony in Hyde Park, London . A single company of jewellers, Hancocks & Co , has been responsible for the production of every VC awarded since its inception. It has long been widely believed that all the VCs were cast in bronze from the cascabels of two cannons that were captured from the Russians at the siege of Sevastopol . However, in 1990 Creagh and Ashton conducted

3626-568: The Armed Forces. No woman has been awarded a VC. In the case of a gallant and daring act being performed by a squadron, ship's company or a detached body of men (such as marines) in which all men are deemed equally brave and deserving of the Victoria Cross, a ballot is drawn. The officers select one officer, the NCOs select one individual, and the private soldiers or seamen select two individuals. In all, 46 awards have been awarded by ballot with 29 of

3724-614: The British Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood . Australia was the first Commonwealth realm to create its own VC, on 15 January 1991. Although it is a separate award, its appearance is identical to its British counterpart. Canada followed suit when in 1993 Queen Elizabeth signed Letters Patent creating the Canadian VC, which is also similar to the British version, except that the legend has been changed from "for valour" to

3822-561: The British Government. He was awarded the Victoria Cross and the principle was established that gallant conduct could be rewarded independently of any political consideration of military operations. More recently, four Australian soldiers were awarded the Victoria Cross in the Vietnam War although Britain was not involved in the conflict. Indian troops were not originally eligible for the Victoria Cross since they had been eligible for

3920-646: The British forces before 31 March 1949 while domiciled in Canada or Newfoundland receive Can$ 3,000 per year. Under Subsection 103.4 of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986, the Australian Government provides a Victoria Cross Allowance. Until November 2005 the amount was A$ 3,230 per year. Since then this amount has been increased annually in line with the Australian Consumer Price Index. The original royal warrant involved an expulsion clause that allowed for

4018-580: The Indian Empire . In 1900 it was ordained in Dress Regulations for the Army that it should be worn after the cross of a Member of the Royal Victorian Order . It was only in 1902 that Edward VII gave the cross its present position on a bar brooch. The cross is also worn as a miniature decoration on a brooch or a chain with mess jacket , white tie or black tie . As a bearer of the VC is not

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4116-499: The Second Boer War. In an exception to policy for the Second Boer War, six posthumous Victoria Crosses, three to those mentioned in the notices in 1900 and 1901 and a further three, were granted on 8 August 1902, the first official posthumous awards. Five years later in 1907, the posthumous policy was reversed for earlier wars, and medals were sent to the next of kin of the six officers and men whose names were mentioned in notices in

4214-583: The Somme . In January 1969, the record reached £1700 (£35300 ) for the medal set of William Rennie . In April 2004 the VC awarded in 1944 to Sergeant Norman Jackson , RAF, was sold at an auction for £235,250. On 24 July 2006, an auction at Bonhams in Sydney of the VC awarded to Captain Alfred Shout fetched a world record hammer price of A$ 1   million (approximately £410,000 at the time). In November 2009, it

4312-651: The Suez Canal Zone, India and Aden. In 1957 defence cuts were announced that significantly reduced the size of the army. As a result, the East Lancashire Regiment was amalgamated with The South Lancashire Regiment on 1 July 1958 to form The Lancashire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Volunteers) . In 1970 the Lancashire Regiment was in turn amalgamated with the Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) to form

4410-401: The US Medal of Honor and reciprocally the Victoria Cross was presented to the American Unknown Soldier of the First World War. This is the only ungazetted VC award following the normal British practice for both gallantry and meritorious awards to foreign recipients not being gazetted. It is included in the total of 1,358 awards. In 1856, Queen Victoria laid an unnamed Victoria Cross beneath

4508-420: The VC and Bar , the bar representing a second award of the VC. They are Noel Godfrey Chavasse and Arthur Martin-Leake , both doctors in the Royal Army Medical Corps , for rescuing wounded under fire; and New Zealander Captain Charles Upham , an infantryman, for combat actions. Upham remains the only combatant soldier to have received a VC and Bar. Surgeon General William George Nicholas Manley , an Irishman,

4606-399: The VC can be seen by the increasing sums that the medals reach at auctions. In 1955 the set of medals awarded to Edmund Barron Hartley was bought at Sotheby's for the then record price of £300 (approximately £9900 in present-day terms ). In October 1966 the Middlesex Regiment paid a new record figure of £900 (approximately £21200 in present-day terms ) for a VC awarded after the Battle of

4704-455: The VC is normally issued by an officer at regimental level, or equivalent, and has to be supported by three witnesses, although this has been waived on occasion. The recommendation is then passed up the military hierarchy until it reaches the Secretary of State for Defence . The recommendation is then laid before the monarch who approves the award with his or her signature. Victoria Cross awards are always promulgated in The London Gazette with

4802-420: The VC. When the Union of South Africa instituted its own range of military decorations and medals with effect from 6 April 1952, these new awards took precedence before all earlier British decorations and medals awarded to South Africans, with the exception of the Victoria Cross, which still took precedence before all other awards. The other older British awards continued to be worn in the order prescribed by

4900-429: The VC. The order was backdated to 1854 to recognise acts of valour during the Crimean War. Queen Victoria had instructed the War Office to strike a new medal that would not recognise birth or class. The medal was meant to be a simple decoration that would be highly prized and eagerly sought after by those in the military services. To maintain its simplicity, Queen Victoria, under the guidance of Prince Albert , vetoed

4998-486: The Victoria Cross is always the first award to be presented at an investiture, even before knighthoods , as was shown at the investiture of Private Johnson Beharry , who received his medal before General Sir Mike Jackson received his knighthood. Owing to its status, the VC is always the first decoration worn in a row of medals and it is the first set of post-nominal letters used to indicate any decoration or order. Similar acts of extreme valour that do not take place in

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5096-400: The Victoria Cross were raised for local troops who distinguished themselves in action. Following gallant actions by three New Zealand soldiers in November 1868 and January 1869 during the New Zealand Wars , an Order in Council on 10 March 1869 created a "Distinctive Decoration" for members of the local forces without seeking permission from the Secretary of State for the Colonies . Although

5194-488: The Volunteer Force could not be required to serve overseas, members from the battalions were voluntarily formed into Active Service Companies, providing reinforcements for the regular battalion. Both volunteer battalions were awarded battle honours for the war. In 1908, under the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 the militia and volunteer force were reconstituted as the "Special Reserve" and " Territorial Force " (TF). Territorial battalions were renumbered in series after

5292-471: The War Office from that time onwards. Under the reforms introduced by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers in 1881, the remaining militia infantry regiments were redesignated as numbered battalions of regiments of the line, ranking after the two regular battalions. Typically, an English, Welsh or Scottish regiment would have two militia battalions (the 3rd and 4th) and Irish regiments three (numbered 3rd – 5th). The militia must not be confused with

5390-428: The aftermath of the Munich Crisis Leslie Hore-Belisha , Secretary of State for War , wished to introduce a limited form of conscription , an unheard of concept in peacetime. It was thought that calling the conscripts 'militiamen' would make this more acceptable, as it would render them distinct from the rest of the army. Only single men aged 20–22 were to be conscripted (given a free suit of civilian clothes as well as

5488-412: The amount of which is determined by the awarding government. Since 2015, the annuity paid by the British Government is £10,000 per year. This is exempted from tax for British taxpayers by Section 638 Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003, along with pensions or annuities from other awards for bravery. In Canada, under the Gallantry Awards Order , members of the Canadian Forces or people who joined

5586-413: The awards during the Indian Mutiny. Four further awards were granted to Q Battery, Royal Horse Artillery at Korn Spruit on 31 March 1900 during the Second Boer War. The final ballot awards for the army were the six awards to the Lancashire Fusiliers at W Beach during the landing at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915, although three of the awards were not gazetted until 1917. The final seven ballot awards were

5684-458: The base of the badge completed the design. The regiment was awarded the following battle honours (those selected for display on the colour are indicated in bold): Colonels of the regiment were: Militia (United Kingdom) A separate voluntary Local Militia was created in 1808 before being disbanded in 1816. By 1813 the British Army was experiencing a shortage of manpower to maintain their battalions at full strength. Some consideration

5782-476: The broader British Empire (later Commonwealth of Nations ), with most successor independent nations now having established their own honours systems and no longer recommending British honours. It may be awarded to a person of any military rank in any service and to civilians under military command. No civilian has received the award since 1879. Since the first awards were presented by Queen Victoria in 1857, two thirds of all awards have been personally presented by

5880-554: The crime committed by anyone on whom the VC has been conferred, the decoration should not be forfeited. Even were a VC to be sentenced to be hanged for murder, he should be allowed to wear his VC on the scaffold . A total of 1,358 Victoria Crosses have been awarded since 1856 to 1,355 men. The greatest number of Victoria Crosses awarded for a single day was 24 for deeds performed during the Indian Mutiny on 16 November 1857, 23 for deeds at Lucknow and one by Francis David Millet Brown for action at Narnoul . The greatest number won by

5978-406: The emergency caused by the outbreak of war in South Africa in 1899 most home service battalions were dispatched to the conflict. The 1st East Lancashire Regiment arrived at Cape Town in early February 1900, and remained posted in South Africa until after the war ended, leaving Cape Town again in November 1902. The 1881 reforms also linked the militia and rifle volunteer units of the area into

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6076-400: The end of the Second World War, the original VC has been awarded 15 times: four in the Korean War , one in the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation in 1965, four to Australians in the Vietnam War , two during the Falklands War in 1982, one in the Iraq War in 2004, and three in the War in Afghanistan for actions in 2006, 2012 and 2013. In 1921, the British Unknown Warrior was awarded

6174-402: The enemy, for an action in which there were no surviving Allied witnesses. The recommendation was made by the captain of the German U-boat U-468 sunk by Trigg's aircraft. Lieutenant Commander Gerard Roope was also awarded a VC on recommendation of the enemy, the captain of the Admiral Hipper , but there were also numerous surviving Allied witnesses to corroborate his actions. Since

6272-440: The enemy. Six such awards were made during this period—five of them for a single incident during an Expedition to the Andaman Islands in 1867. In 1881, the criteria were changed again and the VC was only awarded for acts of valour "in the face of the enemy". Due to this, it has been suggested by many historians including Lord Ashcroft that the changing nature of warfare will result in fewer VCs being awarded. The Victoria Cross

6370-476: The entire time during which VCs have been issued and no compositional inconsistencies were found. It was also believed that another source of metal was used between 1942 and 1945 to create five Second World War VCs when the Sevastopol metal "went missing". Creagh accessed the Army records at MoD Donnington in 1991 and did not find any gaps in the custodial record. The composition found in the WW2 VCs, among them those for Edwards (Australia) and Upham (New Zealand),

6468-427: The face of the enemy are honoured with the George Cross (GC), which has equal precedence but is awarded second because the GC is newer. It is not statutory for "all ranks to salute a bearer of the Victoria Cross": There is no official requirement that appears in the official warrant of the VC, nor in King's Regulations and Orders , but tradition dictates that this occurs and, consequently, senior officers will salute

6566-410: The formation of the Royal Air Force on 1   April 1918. On 22 May 1920 George V signed a warrant that stated all recipients would now receive a red ribbon and the living recipients of the naval version were required to exchange their ribbons for the new colour. Although the army warrants state the colour as being red, it is defined by most commentators as being crimson or "wine-red". Since 1917

6664-413: The foundation stone of Netley Military hospital . When the hospital was demolished in 1966 the VC, known as "The Netley VC", was retrieved and is now on display in the Army Medical Services Museum , Mytchett , near Aldershot. This VC is not counted in official statistics. Since 1879, more than 300 Victoria Crosses have been publicly auctioned or advertised. Others have been privately sold. The value of

6762-436: The governor was chided for exceeding his authority, the Order in Council was ratified by the Queen. The title "Distinctive Decoration" was later replaced by the title New Zealand Cross . In addition, in 1870 Victoria sent six ceremonial Highland broadswords to New Zealand, to be presented as "Swords of Honour" to Māori rangatira who had served with distinction during the New Zealand Land Wars . The swords were presented in

6860-401: The militia was often a 'back door' route to a Regular Army commission for young men who could not obtain one through purchase or gain entry to Sandhurst . Under the act, Militia units could be embodied by Royal Proclamation for full-time service in three circumstances: Until 1852 the militia were an entirely infantry force, but the 1852 Act introduced Militia Artillery units whose role

6958-409: The museum's Victoria and George Cross collection in November 2010. Beginning with Canada on its centenary of confederation in 1967, followed in 1975 by Australia and New Zealand , these countries developed their own national honours systems, separate from and independent of the British or Imperial honours system. As each country's system evolved, operational gallantry awards were developed with

7056-507: The necessary physical requirements.' A further contrast was the replacement of several weeks of preliminary training with six months of full time training upon enlisting in the Special Reserve. Upon mobilisation, the special reserve units would be formed at the depot and continue training while guarding vulnerable points in Britain. The special reserve units remained in Britain throughout

7154-514: The new countries of India and Pakistan introduced their own systems of awards. The VC was replaced by the Param Vir Chakra (PVC) and Nishan-e-Haider (NH) respectively. Most if not all new honours systems continued to permit recipients of British honours to wear their awards according to the rules of each nation's order of wear. Sri Lanka, whose defence personnel were eligible to receive the Victoria Cross until 1972, introduced its own equivalent,

7252-455: The only naval ballot awards with three awards to two Q-ships in 1917 and four awards for the Zeebrugge Raid in 1918. The provision for awards by ballot is still included in the Victoria Cross warrant, but there have been no further such awards since 1918. Between 1858 and 1881, the Victoria Cross could be awarded for actions taken "under circumstances of extreme danger" not in the face of

7350-544: The outbreak of hostilities in 1939, the entire Territorial Army was doubled in size, with each unit forming a duplicate. Secondly, a number of wartime battalions were formed. Captain Harold Marcus Ervine-Andrews of the 1st Battalion was awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry at Dunkirk on 31 May – 1 June 1940. In 1948 the regiment was reduced to a regular battalion which served in the Middle East, Malaya,

7448-472: The premier award of each system, with the Victoria Cross for Australia , the Canadian Victoria Cross and the Victoria Cross for New Zealand being created and named in honour of the Victoria Cross. They are unique awards of each honours system recommended, assessed, gazetted and presented by each country. In 1854, after 39 years of peace, Britain was in a major war against Russia. The Crimean War

7546-407: The recipient by the reigning British monarch. Nearly 300 awards have been presented by a member of the royal family or by a civil or military dignitary. About 150 awards were either forwarded to the recipient or next of kin by registered post or no details of the presentations are known. The original royal warrant did not contain a specific clause regarding posthumous awards, although official policy

7644-599: The regiment was amalgamated with the South Lancashire Regiment to form the Lancashire Regiment which was, in 1970, merged with the Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) to form the Queen's Lancashire Regiment . In 2006, the Queen's Lancashire was further amalgamated with the King's Own Royal Border Regiment and the King's Regiment (Liverpool and Manchester) to form the present Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border) . The 1st Battalion

7742-473: The regimental structure: The militia was a reserve force that was only liable to service in the United Kingdom and in peace time assembled for period of annual training. In time of war it could be "embodied" or mobilised. When the war that broke out in South Africa in 1899 began to absorb a large amount of the regular army's resources, the terms of service of the militia were altered to allow them to serve in

7840-592: The regular forces. Volunteer Corps required recruits to fund their own equipment, however, effectively barring those with low incomes. The militia was transformed into the Special Reserve by the military reforms of Haldane in the reforming post 1906 Liberal government. In 1908 the militia infantry battalions were redesignated as "reserve" and a number were amalgamated or disbanded. Altogether, 101 infantry battalions, 33 artillery regiments and two engineer regiments of special reservists were formed. In contrast with

7938-477: The rest of the regiment's existence, subject to changes in the style of crown, and which would be worn on the later service dress and battle dress uniforms. The headdress badge selected for the centre of the full dress helmet was a sphinx upon a plinth inscribed "EGYPT". The sphinx had been awarded to the 30th Foot in 1802 to mark its participation in repelling the French invasion of Egypt . The collar badge selected

8036-530: The same cannon, along with copper and other metals from all regions of Canada. There have been five recipients of the Victoria Cross for Australia, four for action in Afghanistan and one awarded for action in the Second World War following a review. The first was to Trooper Mark Donaldson ( Special Air Service Regiment ) on 16 January 2009 for actions during Operation Slipper , the Australian contribution to

8134-614: The single exception of the award to the American Unknown Soldier in 1921. The Victoria Cross warrant makes no specific provision as to who should actually present the medals to the recipients. Queen Victoria indicated that she would like to present the medals in person and she presented 185 medals out of the 472 gazetted during her reign. Including the first 62 medals presented at a parade in Hyde Park on 26 June 1857 by Queen Victoria, nearly 900 awards have been personally presented to

8232-404: The soldier serving in the militia, those who served under Special Reserve terms of service had an obligation to serve overseas, as stipulated in paragraph 54. The standards of medical fitness were lower than for recruits to the regular infantry. The possibility of enlisting in the army under Regular terms of service were facilitated under paragraph 38, one precondition was that the recruit 'fulfils

8330-599: The special reserve battalions. The resulting titles were: The Territorial Force was restructured into 14 infantry divisions, and the 4th and 5th battalions formed part of the East Lancashire Brigade of the East Lancashire Division . It was as part of that division that were to be mobilised in August 1914 after the outbreak of World War I . The size of the regiment was increased during the conflict, reaching

8428-400: The suggestion that the award be called The Military Order of Victoria and instead suggested the name Victoria Cross . The original warrant stated that the Victoria Cross would only be awarded to officers and men who had served in the presence of the enemy and had performed some signal act of valour or devotion. The first ceremony was held on 26 June 1857 at which Queen Victoria invested 62 of

8526-544: The volunteer units created in a wave of enthusiasm in the second half of the nineteenth century. In contrast with the Volunteer Force , and the similar Yeomanry Cavalry, they were considered rather plebeian. Volunteer units appealed to better-off recruits as, unlike the Militia which engaged a recruit for a term of service, a volunteer could quit his corps with fourteen days notice, except while embodied for war or training with

8624-524: The war. The 3rd Battalion was embodied in January 1900 and served in South Africa until 1902. It was disembodied in March 1902. The battalion was awarded the battle honour "South Africa 1900–1902". The volunteer battalions were organised for home defence purposes, and their members were subject to regular drills and training. Like the militia battalion, elements of the volunteers fought in South Africa. While members of

8722-566: Was donated to the Royal Canadian Regiment Museum in London, Ontario , Canada in 1979, was stolen on Canada Day (1 July 1980), when the museum was overcrowded and has been missing since. A VC awarded in 1917 to Canadian soldier Corporal Filip Konowal was stolen from the same museum in 1973 and was not recovered until 2004. On 2 December 2007, nine VCs were among 100 medals (12 sets) stolen from locked, reinforced glass cabinets at

8820-510: Was extended to colonial troops in 1867. The extension was made following a recommendation for gallantry regarding colonial soldier Major Charles Heaphy for action in the New Zealand Wars in 1864. He was operating under British command and the VC was gazetted in 1867. Later that year, the Government of New Zealand assumed full responsibility for operations, but no further recommendations for

8918-465: Was extended to cover them in October 1857. It was only at the end of the 19th century that calls for Indian troops to be awarded the Victoria Cross intensified. Indian troops became eligible for the award in 1911. The first awards to Indian troops appeared in the London Gazette on 7   December 1914 to Darwan Singh Negi and Khudadad Khan . Negi was presented with the Victoria Cross by George V during

9016-536: Was formed from the 30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot (raised in 1702) and the 2nd Battalion from the 59th (2nd Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot (raised 1755) and the regiment was renamed the East Lancashire Regiment in July 1881. Under the system introduced in 1881, one battalion of each infantry regiment was to serve at a home station while the other was in a foreign garrison or on active service. Due to

9114-630: Was given to recruiting foreign nationals; however, on 4 November 1813 a bill was introduced to Parliament to allow Militia volunteers to serve in Europe. In the event only three battalions were raised, and these were sent to serve under Henry Bayly . On 12 April 1814 they arrived in Bordeaux , where they were attached to the 7th Division . After the Napoleonic Wars, the Militia fell into disuse, although regimental colonels and adjutants continued to appear in

9212-571: Was not to award the VC posthumously. Between the First war of Indian Independence in 1857 and the beginning of the Second Boer War , the names of six officers and men were published in the London Gazette with a memorandum stating they would have been awarded the Victoria Cross had they survived. A further three notices were published in the London Gazette in September 1900 and April 1901 for gallantry in

9310-487: Was one of the first wars with modern reporting, and the dispatches of William Howard Russell described many acts of bravery and valour by British servicemen that went unrewarded. Before the Crimean War, there was no official standardised system for recognition of gallantry within the British armed forces. Officers were eligible for an award of one of the junior grades of the Order of the Bath and brevet promotions while

9408-531: Was reported that almost £1.5   million was paid to St Peter's College, Oxford by Lord Ashcroft for the VC and bar awarded to Noel Chavasse . Vice Admiral Gordon Campbell 's medal group, including the VC he received for actions while in command of HMS Farnborough , was reportedly sold for a record £840,000. Several VCs have been stolen and, being valuable, have been placed on the Interpol watch-list for stolen items. The VC awarded to Milton Gregg , which

9506-497: Was the Red Rose of Lancaster to mark the regiment's county affiliation. In 1897 a khaki uniform featuring a slouch hat was introduced, and a metal cap badge was devised for each regiment or corps. The badge of the East Lancs was the sphinx and "Egypt" above the rose, the whole enclosed within a laurel wreath topped by a crown. The laurel wreath had formed part of the insignia of the 59th Foot. A scroll inscribed "EAST LANCASHIRE" at

9604-634: Was to man coastal defences and fortifications, relieving the Royal Artillery for active service. Some of these units were converted from existing infantry militia regiments, others were newly raised. In 1877 the militia of Anglesey and Monmouthshire were converted to Royal Engineers . Up to 1855, the Home Office administered the Militia and Yeomanry, until such time as they were Embodied. The resultant ‘confusion and inconvenience’ it caused, from 1854 to 1855, resulted in being administered exclusively by

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