This is a list of Royal Engineers recipients of the Victoria Cross.The Victoria Cross (VC) is a military decoration that may be bestowed upon members of the British or Commonwealth armed forces for acts of valour or gallantry performed in the face of the enemy. Within the British honours system and those of many Commonwealth nations it is the highest award a soldier can receive for actions in combat. It was established in 1856 and since then has been awarded 1,356 times, including three service personnel who were awarded the VC twice.
The VC was introduced on 29 January 1856 by Queen Victoria to reward acts of valour during the Crimean War. The traditional explanation of the source of the gunmetal from which the medals are struck is that it derives from Russian cannon captured at the siege of Sevastopol. Recent research has thrown doubt on this story, suggesting a variety of origins. The original Royal Warrant did not contain a specific clause regarding posthumous awards, although official policy was to not award the VC posthumously. Between 1897 and 1901, several 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 in 1902, six of the soldiers mentioned were granted the VC, but not "officially" awarded the medal. In 1907, the posthumous policy was completely reversed and medals were sent to the next of kin of the six officers and men. 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.Crook, MJ, Chapter 8 pp.68–90
Due to its rarity, the VC is highly prized and the medal has fetched over £400,000 at auction. 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 VCs awarded. Following a 2008 donation to the Imperial War Museum, the Ashcroft collection went on public display alongside the museum's Victoria and George Cross collection in November 2010. Since 1990, three Commonwealth countries that retain the Queen as head of state have instituted their own versions of the VC. As a result, the original Victoria Cross is sometimes referred to as the "Commonwealth Victoria Cross" or the "Imperial Victoria Cross", to distinguish it from the newer awards.
The Corps of Royal Engineers can trace its origins back 900 years, during which time they have been involved in every major conflict the British Army has fought in. The Royal Flying Corps – the forerunner of the Royal Air Force – and the present day Royal Signals were originally part of the Corps. Their first recipient of the Victoria Cross received the award for actions performed during the Crimean War, while the last came during the Second World War. In total, thirty-six Royal Engineers have been awarded the Victoria Cross, across ten different conflicts or campaigns.
Royal Engineer recipients
Name Date Conflict Location First World War Sambre–Oise Canal Hunza-Nagar Campaign Nilt Third Anglo-Ashanti War Ordashu Anglo-Zulu War Rorke's Drift First World War Pont-sur-Sambre First World War Westhoek First Mohmand Campaign Mohmand Valley First World War Hohenzollern Redoubt Second Boer War Ladysmith Second World War St Nazaire Crimean War Sevastopol First World War Sambre–Oise Canal Crimean War Sevastopol First World War Givenchy-lès-la-Bassée Second Anglo-Afghan War Bazar Valley First World War Passendale First World War Jemappes First World War Hill 70 First World War Missy-sur-Aisne Second Boer War Delagoa Bay First World War Tugny Second Anglo-Afghan War Maidanah Crimean War Sevastopol Crimean War Sevastopol Crimean War Sevastopol Crimean War Sevastopol 7 July 191814 July 191819 July 191820 July 1918 22 July 1918 First World War Western Front First World War Spanbroek Molen First World War Sensée Canal First World War Neuve-Chapelle Crimean War Sevastopol Second World War Talaku Crimean War Sevastopol Indian Mutiny Jhansi First Mohmand Campaign Mohmand Valley First World War Sambre–Oise Canal First World War Jemappes
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