The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest award of the United Kingdom honours system. It is awarded for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" to members of armed forces of the United Kingdom and was in the past also awarded to members of armed forces of Canada and other Commonwealth countries. Canada, like most of the others, has established its own honours systems and no longer recommends VCs and other British honours. The Canadian Victoria Cross was created in 1993, as the highest award in the Canadian honours system.

During the time Canadians were eligible for the VC, it was sometimes awarded posthumously and awarded to a person of any military rank in any service and to civilians under military command. No Canadian civilian ever won the VC. Since the first awards were presented by Queen Victoria in 1857, two thirds of all awards were personally presented by the British monarch of the time. These investitures were usually held at Buckingham Palace.

Background

Established in 1856, the Victoria Cross has been awarded to service personnel for extraordinary valour and devotion to duty mostly while facing a hostile force. Between 1858 and 1881 the Victoria Cross could be awarded for extraordinary actions taken "under circumstances of extreme danger" not in the face of the enemy. Six people were awarded Victoria Crosses under this clause, two of them having a connection to Canada – one to an Irish soldier serving in the British army in Canada for actions taken in 1866 during the Fenian raids; and five (to a Canadian, three Irishmen and an Englishman) for a dangerous boat rescue in 1867 during the Andaman Islands Expedition. In 1881, VC regulations were amended to only allow acts "in the presence of the enemy".

Since 1993, Canadians are not eligible for the Victoria Cross. That medal was superseded by the Canadian Victoria Crossof equal honour, but yet to be awarded. The scroll of the Canadian VC differs in that the inscription is in Latin rather than English. By using a language that is an ancestor of French and has greatly contributed to the development of English, the medal avoids linguistic discrimination between Canada's two official languages. The fleur-de-lis, in heraldry long associated with the French crown has been added at the end each scroll. The actual metal of the medal is a distinct Canadian composition.

At a time when VCs could be awarded for actions taken not in the face of enemy fire, Timothy O'Hea, a 23-year-old Irishman in the British army, fought a fire in a railway car containing 900 kilograms of ammunition stationed at Danville, Canada East, during the Fenian raids. O'Hea is the only VC recipient awarded for actions on Canadian soil.

Summary

According to Veterans Affairs Canada, the Victoria Cross has been presented to 99 Canadians, or people closely associated with Canada, between its creation for acts performed during the Crimean War and 1993 when the Canadian Victoria Cross was instituted. No Canadian received the VC from 1945 to 1993, and no Canadian has yet been awarded the Canadian Victoria Cross, instituted in 1993. One list solely includes individuals, irrespective of their country of origin, who served in the Canadian armed forces. The Veterans’ Affairs site broadens the criteria to encompass those born in Canada who received the VC while in the United Kingdom armed forces.

The first Canadian to be awarded the Victoria Cross was Alexander Roberts Dunn for his actions in 1854, during the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War. William Hall, a Nova Scotian, was the first black recipient of the Victoria Cross. The last living Canadian recipient of the British Victoria Cross, "Smokey" Smith, died in August 2005.

Canadians were awarded the Victoria Cross for actions performed in the Crimean War (Battle of Balaclava), the Indian Mutiny (AKA the Indian Rebellion of 1857), a native uprising at a remote Indian Ocean island during the Andaman Islands Expedition, the Battle of Omdurman during the Sudan Campaign of 1896–1899, and the Second Boer War. The Victoria Cross was awarded to 73 Canadians and other members of the Canadian army for actions during the First World War, and sixteen Canadians received the VC during the Second World War. Lieutenant Robert Hampton Gray of the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve was the last Canadian to win the VC during the Second World War. He was the last Canadian to receive the Victoria Cross ever.

Seven Canadians were awarded VCs individually on one single day, 2 September 1918, for actions they performed along the 30 km long Drocourt-Quéant Line near Arras, France: Bellenden Hutcheson, Arthur George Knight, William Henry Metcalf, Claude Nunney, Cyrus Wesley Peck, Walter Leigh Rayfield and John Francis Young. Their acts of valour were performed during Canada's Hundred Days, a period of successful offensive campaigning that helped end the war.

Recipients

(This list is arranged alphabetically when first opened but the order can be changed to other criteria such as date of valourous action, by clicking in box at top of each column.)

Name Date of action Conflict Unit Perpetuating unit Place of action Province of origin Notes 1918*World War I Canada's Hundred Days Queen's York Rangers (1st American Regiment) Cambrai, France Ontario 1918World War I (aerial combat) None Forêt de Mormal, France Manitoba 1917World War I Second Battle of Passchendaele Royal Regiment of Canada Passchendaele, Belgium Ontario 1944*World War II Aerial heroics during bombing raid on V-1 flying bomb site No. 115 Squadron RAF Trossy St. Maximin, France Alberta 1915World War I Second Battle of Ypres British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) Kerselaere, Belgium British Columbia 1917*World War I Battle of Polygon Wood 9th Battalion, The Leicestershire Regiment B Company, 2nd Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment Polygon Wood, Belgium Nova Scotia 1917World War I (aerial combat) No. 60 Squadron RAFCambrai, France Ontario 1918World War I First Ostend Raid Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Royal Naval Volunteer ReserveOstend, Belgium British Columbia 1918World War I Canada's Hundred Days (Battle of Amiens (1918)) Royal Winnipeg Rifles Amiens, France Manitoba 1918*World War I Canada's Hundred Days (Battle of Amiens (1918)) Meharicourt, France Quebec 1917*World War I Battle of Hill 70 Royal Winnipeg Rifles and Calgary Highlanders (10th Canadians) Lens, France Ontario 1918*World War I He was the last Canadian awarded the Victoria Cross for actions taken during WWI, His actions being made on 2 November 1918, just nine days before the Armistice. Canada's Hundred Days Saskatchewan Dragoons Valenciennes, France Saskatchewan 1915*World War I (Trench warfare) Royal Canadian Regiment Givenchy, France Ontario 1918World War I Canada's Hundred Days Victoria Rifles of Canada Fresnes, France Quebec 1916*World War I Battle of Flers-Courcelette Governor General's Foot Guards Pozières, France ManitobaOne of three WWI Canadian VC recipients who lived on same block on Pine Street (now Valour Road) in Winnipeg: Leo Clarke, Frederick Hall and Robert Shankland 1900Second Boer War Battle of Leliefontein Royal Canadian Dragoons Royal Canadian DragoonsKomati River, South Africa Ontario 1917*World War I Battle of Arras Royal Winnipeg Rifles Acheville, France Saskatchewan 1918World War I Canada's Hundred Days (Battle of Amiens (1918)) Royal Winnipeg Rifles Hackett Woods, France Manitoba 1945*World War II Incursion into Germany Queen's Own Rifles of CanadaMooshof, Germany Ontario 1918*World War I Canada's Hundred Days (Battle of Amiens (1918)) Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of CanadaAmiens, France Nova Scotia.Born in the Newfoundland Colony, moved to Canada at age 2. 1918World War I Palestine campaign 2/14th (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (London Scottish) London Regiment Jordan, Palestine ManitobaRecipients were Canadians, but were serving in other army units at the time of their VC act 1944World War II Falais pocket South Alberta Light Horse Battle of Falaise, France Saskatchewan 1898 Battle of Omdurman, Anglo-Egyptian conquest of Sudan 21st Lancers Royal Lancers Omdurman, Sudan QuebecHe was the first Canadian awarded the Victoria Cross for actions subsequent to Canadian Confederation 1918*World War I defence against German spring offensive 15th Battalion, The Royal Irish Rifles Royal Irish Regiment Groagie, France AlbertaAlthough born in Ireland, was enlisted in the Canadian army and is considered Canadian at the time he won the medal, and Albertan because he was working in an Edmonton bank when he enlisted. 1918World War I Canada's Hundred Days Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada Parvillers, Francen/aAlthough a Danish citizen who enlisted in the Canadian army, he is considered Canadian at the time he won the medal. His sister was famed author Isak Dinesen/Karen Blixen. 1867 Andaman Islands Expedition (Bravery at Sea) Royal Welsh Little Andaman, India OntarioAwarded VC for actions taken not in the face of the enemy, one of only six awarded this way 1854 Battle of Balaclava, Crimean War Yorkshire Regiment Balaclava, Crimea OntarioFirst Canadian to earn VC, during the Charge of the Light Brigade, 25 October 1854. 1915*World War I Second Battle of Ypres Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada St. Julien, Belgium Ontario 1918*World War I defence against German spring offensive Battle of Moreuil Wood Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Bois de Moreuil, France British Columbia 1942World War II Dieppe raid1st Battalion, The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment) Dieppe, France Ontario 1915World War I Capture of Hill 601st Battalion Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment Ypres, Belgium Marylebone, London 1918World War I Canada's Hundred Days (Battle of Amiens (1918)) Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada Hangard Wood, France New Brunswick 1945*