The Victoria Cross at Sea

The Victoria Cross at Sea

Author: John Winton

Publisher: Frontline Books

Published: 2016-07-31

Total Pages: 276

ISBN-13: 1473876141

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Naval VCs have been won in places as far apart in time and distance as the Baltic in 1854 and Japan in 1945, in the trenches from the Crimea to the Western Front, in harbours from Dar es Salaam to Zeebrugge, from the Barents to the Java Sea, from New Zealand to the North Atlantic, and from China to the Channel. They have been won in battleships and trawlers, in submarines below the water and aircraft above it, on horseback and on foot.Age and rank meant nothing. Boy Cornwall was not seventeen at Jutland, and Frederick Parslow was in his sixtieth year when he earned his VC on board a horse transport ship. William Hall was the son of a freed slave; Charles Lucas, awarded the Royal Navys first VC, became a Rear Admiral. Neither were all the recipients of Britains highest gallantry decoration British, and men from Canada, Australia and New Zealand were included in those whose actions were recognised by the awarding of the VC. Yet every one of them had one thing in common uncommon valour.


Book Synopsis The Victoria Cross at Sea by : John Winton

Download or read book The Victoria Cross at Sea written by John Winton and published by Frontline Books. This book was released on 2016-07-31 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Naval VCs have been won in places as far apart in time and distance as the Baltic in 1854 and Japan in 1945, in the trenches from the Crimea to the Western Front, in harbours from Dar es Salaam to Zeebrugge, from the Barents to the Java Sea, from New Zealand to the North Atlantic, and from China to the Channel. They have been won in battleships and trawlers, in submarines below the water and aircraft above it, on horseback and on foot.Age and rank meant nothing. Boy Cornwall was not seventeen at Jutland, and Frederick Parslow was in his sixtieth year when he earned his VC on board a horse transport ship. William Hall was the son of a freed slave; Charles Lucas, awarded the Royal Navys first VC, became a Rear Admiral. Neither were all the recipients of Britains highest gallantry decoration British, and men from Canada, Australia and New Zealand were included in those whose actions were recognised by the awarding of the VC. Yet every one of them had one thing in common uncommon valour.


The Victoria Cross at Sea: The Sailors, Marines and Naval Airmen Awarded Britain's Highest Honour

The Victoria Cross at Sea: The Sailors, Marines and Naval Airmen Awarded Britain's Highest Honour

Author: John Winton

Publisher:

Published: 2016

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9781473876132

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Book Synopsis The Victoria Cross at Sea: The Sailors, Marines and Naval Airmen Awarded Britain's Highest Honour by : John Winton

Download or read book The Victoria Cross at Sea: The Sailors, Marines and Naval Airmen Awarded Britain's Highest Honour written by John Winton and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Uncommon Valour

Uncommon Valour

Author: Granville Allen Mawer

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2019-03-30

Total Pages: 303

ISBN-13: 1526755394

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A military historian presents a provocative study of the Victoria Cross, the heroes it honors, and the ethics of the British honors system. What is the nature of courage? How and when should it be recognized? How has our appreciation of it changed over time? These are among the questions Granville Allen Mawer seeks to answer in this absorbing history of the Victoria Cross, the highest honor awarded to members of the British Armed Forces for valor in the presence of the enemy. Uncommon Valor is both an analytical account of the institution of the Victoria Cross and a fascinating study of the ethics of rewarding bravery. It explores the origin of the award, the rationale behind individual awards, and the ways in which the institution has evolved over its long history. Historian Granville Allen Mawer compares individual actions that led to a Victoria Cross, analyzing the circumstances in which they took place, the character of the individual concerned, and the shifting criteria for giving awards. This unconventional treatment of the Victoria Cross may be controversial, but it should stimulate a deeper understanding of the history of the medal and of the heroism of those to whom it has been awarded.


Book Synopsis Uncommon Valour by : Granville Allen Mawer

Download or read book Uncommon Valour written by Granville Allen Mawer and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2019-03-30 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A military historian presents a provocative study of the Victoria Cross, the heroes it honors, and the ethics of the British honors system. What is the nature of courage? How and when should it be recognized? How has our appreciation of it changed over time? These are among the questions Granville Allen Mawer seeks to answer in this absorbing history of the Victoria Cross, the highest honor awarded to members of the British Armed Forces for valor in the presence of the enemy. Uncommon Valor is both an analytical account of the institution of the Victoria Cross and a fascinating study of the ethics of rewarding bravery. It explores the origin of the award, the rationale behind individual awards, and the ways in which the institution has evolved over its long history. Historian Granville Allen Mawer compares individual actions that led to a Victoria Cross, analyzing the circumstances in which they took place, the character of the individual concerned, and the shifting criteria for giving awards. This unconventional treatment of the Victoria Cross may be controversial, but it should stimulate a deeper understanding of the history of the medal and of the heroism of those to whom it has been awarded.


Victoria Cross Heroes: Volume II

Victoria Cross Heroes: Volume II

Author: Michael Ashcroft

Publisher: Biteback Publishing

Published: 2016-11-08

Total Pages: 310

ISBN-13: 1785901400

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Foreword by Lance-Sergeant Johnson Beharry VC THE VICTORIA CROSS is Britain and the Commonwealth's most prestigious gallantry medal for courage in the face of the enemy. It has been bestowed upon 1,355 heroic individuals from all walks of life since its creation during the Crimean War. Lord Ashcroft, who has been fascinated with bravery since he was a young boy, now owns 200 VCs, by far the largest collection of its kind in the world. Following on from the bestselling Victoria Cross Heroes, first published in 2006 to mark the 150th anniversary of the award, Victoria Cross Heroes: Volume II gives extraordinary accounts of the bravery behind the newest additions to Lord Ashcroft's VC collection - those decorations purchased in the last decade. With nearly sixty action-packed stories of courageous soldiers, sailors and airmen from a range of global conflicts including the Indian Mutiny of 1857-58, the Second Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902 and the First and Second World Wars, this book is a powerful testament to the strength of the human spirit and a worthy tribute to the servicemen who earned the Victoria Cross. Their inspirational deeds of valour and self-sacrifice should be championed and never forgotten.


Book Synopsis Victoria Cross Heroes: Volume II by : Michael Ashcroft

Download or read book Victoria Cross Heroes: Volume II written by Michael Ashcroft and published by Biteback Publishing. This book was released on 2016-11-08 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Foreword by Lance-Sergeant Johnson Beharry VC THE VICTORIA CROSS is Britain and the Commonwealth's most prestigious gallantry medal for courage in the face of the enemy. It has been bestowed upon 1,355 heroic individuals from all walks of life since its creation during the Crimean War. Lord Ashcroft, who has been fascinated with bravery since he was a young boy, now owns 200 VCs, by far the largest collection of its kind in the world. Following on from the bestselling Victoria Cross Heroes, first published in 2006 to mark the 150th anniversary of the award, Victoria Cross Heroes: Volume II gives extraordinary accounts of the bravery behind the newest additions to Lord Ashcroft's VC collection - those decorations purchased in the last decade. With nearly sixty action-packed stories of courageous soldiers, sailors and airmen from a range of global conflicts including the Indian Mutiny of 1857-58, the Second Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902 and the First and Second World Wars, this book is a powerful testament to the strength of the human spirit and a worthy tribute to the servicemen who earned the Victoria Cross. Their inspirational deeds of valour and self-sacrifice should be championed and never forgotten.


Victoria Cross Heroes of World War One

Victoria Cross Heroes of World War One

Author: Robert Hamilton

Publisher:

Published: 2015

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781909242425

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The Victoria Cross had been in existence over 60 years when Archduke Franz Ferdinand fell to an assassins bullet, the event that triggered a Europe-wide call to arms in August 1914. It was an award that democratised military honours, for it was open to all ranks, the sole qualification being a display of conspicuous bravery in the field. The sovereign whose name it bore was personally responsible for the Crosss simple legend: For Valour. Forged, it is said, from cannons captured during the Crimean War, the medals were rather too plain for some tastes. The Times derided the VC as a dull, heavy, tasteless prize when the first investiture ceremony took place in Hyde Park on 26 June 1857. But its virtue, quite deliberately, lay in its very simplicity. It was the action for which the medal was given that should dazzle, not the decoration itself. The Victoria Cross became pre-eminent: first in line when pinned to a uniform or appended to a recipients name. Over 500 VCs had been awarded by the outbreak of the First World War. That figure more than doubled during the four-year-long conflict. Trench warfare, when the rival camps might be dug in less than 100 yards apart, afforded endless opportunities to show courage and mettle in the face of the enemy. Many were honoured for attacking feats, often taking the fight to the foe when the odds were stacked against survival. But hurling oneself into the fray was but one of valours many faces. Stretcher-bearers, medical staff, pipers and chaplains also showed the same strength in adversity, the same disregard for personal safety, the same willingness to exceed the call of duty. And, in over 180 instances, a readiness to make the ultimate sacrifice for King and Country. The call to act could come at any moment. In William McFadzeans case it came when the safety pins slipped from two grenades in a crowded trench just before the Somme battle. He flung himself onto the bombs, saving his comrades at the cost of his own life. For Rex Warneford it came in the skies over Ghent on 7 June 1915, when he became the first man to down a German airship in flight. He was thrown from his plane during a flight ten days later. For Jack Cornwell it came during the Battle of Jutland, when, mortally wounded, he stuck doggedly to his post awaiting orders. He was 16 years old. This book chronicles the inspiring, thrilling, humbling and deeply moving stories behind the 628 Victoria Crosses awarded during the course of the Great War. Without inscription, those 628 medals, like all the others cast by London jewelers, Hancocks over the past century and a half, would have no intrinsic worth. Once earned, inscribed and conferred, they assume inestimable value.


Book Synopsis Victoria Cross Heroes of World War One by : Robert Hamilton

Download or read book Victoria Cross Heroes of World War One written by Robert Hamilton and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Victoria Cross had been in existence over 60 years when Archduke Franz Ferdinand fell to an assassins bullet, the event that triggered a Europe-wide call to arms in August 1914. It was an award that democratised military honours, for it was open to all ranks, the sole qualification being a display of conspicuous bravery in the field. The sovereign whose name it bore was personally responsible for the Crosss simple legend: For Valour. Forged, it is said, from cannons captured during the Crimean War, the medals were rather too plain for some tastes. The Times derided the VC as a dull, heavy, tasteless prize when the first investiture ceremony took place in Hyde Park on 26 June 1857. But its virtue, quite deliberately, lay in its very simplicity. It was the action for which the medal was given that should dazzle, not the decoration itself. The Victoria Cross became pre-eminent: first in line when pinned to a uniform or appended to a recipients name. Over 500 VCs had been awarded by the outbreak of the First World War. That figure more than doubled during the four-year-long conflict. Trench warfare, when the rival camps might be dug in less than 100 yards apart, afforded endless opportunities to show courage and mettle in the face of the enemy. Many were honoured for attacking feats, often taking the fight to the foe when the odds were stacked against survival. But hurling oneself into the fray was but one of valours many faces. Stretcher-bearers, medical staff, pipers and chaplains also showed the same strength in adversity, the same disregard for personal safety, the same willingness to exceed the call of duty. And, in over 180 instances, a readiness to make the ultimate sacrifice for King and Country. The call to act could come at any moment. In William McFadzeans case it came when the safety pins slipped from two grenades in a crowded trench just before the Somme battle. He flung himself onto the bombs, saving his comrades at the cost of his own life. For Rex Warneford it came in the skies over Ghent on 7 June 1915, when he became the first man to down a German airship in flight. He was thrown from his plane during a flight ten days later. For Jack Cornwell it came during the Battle of Jutland, when, mortally wounded, he stuck doggedly to his post awaiting orders. He was 16 years old. This book chronicles the inspiring, thrilling, humbling and deeply moving stories behind the 628 Victoria Crosses awarded during the course of the Great War. Without inscription, those 628 medals, like all the others cast by London jewelers, Hancocks over the past century and a half, would have no intrinsic worth. Once earned, inscribed and conferred, they assume inestimable value.


The Complete Victoria Cross

The Complete Victoria Cross

Author: Kevin Brazier

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

Published: 2015-09-30

Total Pages: 450

ISBN-13: 1473872065

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This fully revised paperback edition of the complete chronological record of VC holders is an essential work of reference for every student of military history. All the British and Commonwealth servicemen who have been awarded the highest honour for exceptional acts of bravery and self-sacrifice are commemorated here. The first VCs awarded for the Crimean War and in the nineteenth-century colonial wars are described, as are the VCs awarded in the world wars of the twentieth century and the most recent VCs awarded during present-day conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The extraordinary exploits recounted in this fascinating book make unforgettable reading.


Book Synopsis The Complete Victoria Cross by : Kevin Brazier

Download or read book The Complete Victoria Cross written by Kevin Brazier and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2015-09-30 with total page 450 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This fully revised paperback edition of the complete chronological record of VC holders is an essential work of reference for every student of military history. All the British and Commonwealth servicemen who have been awarded the highest honour for exceptional acts of bravery and self-sacrifice are commemorated here. The first VCs awarded for the Crimean War and in the nineteenth-century colonial wars are described, as are the VCs awarded in the world wars of the twentieth century and the most recent VCs awarded during present-day conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The extraordinary exploits recounted in this fascinating book make unforgettable reading.


The History of the Victoria Cross

The History of the Victoria Cross

Author: Philip Aveling Wilkins

Publisher:

Published: 1904

Total Pages: 476

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis The History of the Victoria Cross by : Philip Aveling Wilkins

Download or read book The History of the Victoria Cross written by Philip Aveling Wilkins and published by . This book was released on 1904 with total page 476 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Magennis VC

Magennis VC

Author: George Fleming

Publisher:

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 230

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis Magennis VC by : George Fleming

Download or read book Magennis VC written by George Fleming and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


The Victoria Crosses of the Crimean War

The Victoria Crosses of the Crimean War

Author: James W. Bancroft

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2017-09-30

Total Pages: 309

ISBN-13: 1526710633

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The Crimean War saw the introduction of the Victoria Cross, which was awarded to 111 men. Whilst the history of the Crimean War has been related many times, never before have the stories of those individuals who were awarded the VC been told. In this, the result of four decades of accumulated research, renowned historian James Bancroft describes who the men were, how they gained the Victoria Cross, and what happened to them afterwards. Great attention has been given to checking the correct spelling of the names of people and locations, burial places and new memorials, and dates of awards and promotions. The author has made every effort to contact museums and other establishments to get up-to-date information on the whereabouts of medals and their accessibility. The men recorded here displayed valor and determination resulting in many deeds of exceptional courage which became a regular occurrence in the illustrious annals of the British Army. Among them are heroes who had the guts to put themselves in mortal danger by picking up live shells that could have exploded and blown them apart at any moment, gallant troopers who took part in a cavalry charge that they knew was doomed before it began and they were about to be cut to pieces, and valiant individuals who had the audacity to sneak into unknown territory to take the conflict into the enemys back yard and risk capture and ill-treatment. This account of the fascinating lives of these heroes is accompanied with forty-five portraits.


Book Synopsis The Victoria Crosses of the Crimean War by : James W. Bancroft

Download or read book The Victoria Crosses of the Crimean War written by James W. Bancroft and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2017-09-30 with total page 309 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Crimean War saw the introduction of the Victoria Cross, which was awarded to 111 men. Whilst the history of the Crimean War has been related many times, never before have the stories of those individuals who were awarded the VC been told. In this, the result of four decades of accumulated research, renowned historian James Bancroft describes who the men were, how they gained the Victoria Cross, and what happened to them afterwards. Great attention has been given to checking the correct spelling of the names of people and locations, burial places and new memorials, and dates of awards and promotions. The author has made every effort to contact museums and other establishments to get up-to-date information on the whereabouts of medals and their accessibility. The men recorded here displayed valor and determination resulting in many deeds of exceptional courage which became a regular occurrence in the illustrious annals of the British Army. Among them are heroes who had the guts to put themselves in mortal danger by picking up live shells that could have exploded and blown them apart at any moment, gallant troopers who took part in a cavalry charge that they knew was doomed before it began and they were about to be cut to pieces, and valiant individuals who had the audacity to sneak into unknown territory to take the conflict into the enemys back yard and risk capture and ill-treatment. This account of the fascinating lives of these heroes is accompanied with forty-five portraits.


Heroes of the Victoria Cross

Heroes of the Victoria Cross

Author: T. E. Toomey

Publisher:

Published: 1895

Total Pages: 308

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis Heroes of the Victoria Cross by : T. E. Toomey

Download or read book Heroes of the Victoria Cross written by T. E. Toomey and published by . This book was released on 1895 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: