Encyclopedia

Victoria Cross

Victoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest award for acts of bravery in wartime. It was instituted in 1856 by Queen Victoria and made retrospective to 1854 to cover the period of the Crimean War. It is possible for any serviceman to obtain this award.

The Victoria Cross is designed in the form of the Maltese Cross: in the centre of the medal is a lion guardant standing upon the Royal Crown. The words "For valour" are inscribed below. The Victoria Cross is suspended from a bar by a red ribbon. On the reverse of the cross the date of the act of bravery is inscribed, along with the name, rank, and unit of the recipient.

The Australian War Memorial displays 60 Victoria Crosses (58 Australia and 2 British), the largest publicly held collection in the world. The Victoria Crosses are displayed together in the Memorial's Hall of Valour. These VCs have been donated or loaned to the Memorial by individuals, families, or unit associations to be displayed for the nation.

Included in the VC collection are the medals of Sir Neville Howse, who won the award in the Boer War, becoming Australia's first VC. There are all nine of the crosses awarded to Australians for the Gallipoli campaign, including that of the legendary Albert Jacka VC MC and bar. The collection also includes the cross of the first Australian winner of the Second World War, Corporal John Edmondson, who died at Tobruk during the act for which the award was made. Also displayed are the medals of Bomber Command hero Sir Hughie Edwards; the medals of Thomas "Diver" Derrick VC DCM, who was mourned by the nation when he ultimately fell at Tarakan in 1945; and the medals of Warrant Officer "Dasher" Wheatley who fought a fatal "last stand" action beside a wounded mate in Vietnam are displayed.

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