Victoria Cross statistics.
VICTORIA CROSS STATISTICS
1854-1904 1914-1919 1919-1935
Royal Navy 39 44
Royal Marines 4 5
British Army 345 408 1
Royal Air Force 18
Great Britain Total 388 475 1
Australia 5 63
Canada 4 61
New Zealand 2 11
South Africa 22 4
Newfoundland 1
Fiji
King's African Rifles
Honourable East Indies Co 63
Indian Army 33 18 4
Civilian 5
American Unknown 1
522 634 5
1940-1945 1950-2004 Total
Royal Navy 22 105
Royal Marines 1 10
British Army 61 8 823
Royal Air Force 22 40
Great Britain Total 106 8 978
Australia 19 4 91
Canada 13 78
New Zealand 9 22
South Africa 3 29
Newfoundland 1
Fiji 1 1
King's African Rifles 1 1
Honourable East Indies Co 63
Indian Army 30 85
Civilian 5
American Unknown 1
182 12 1,355
The table includes the most recent award for Iraq and is based upon tables from the War Office Alphabetical list of Victoria Cross recipients List of Victoria Cross recipients might refer to
1914-1919 Includes the ungazetted American Unknown Warrior and
the three Royal Navy and two British Army awards for
North Russia since service in North Russia attracted
the British War Medal 1914-1920 (but not the Victory
Medal).
1919-1935 Includes one 1919 award for Waziristan. Service in
Waziristan did not attract the British War Medal
1914-1920 but the Indian General Service Medal
Royal Navy Mayo (Indian Naval Brigade) allotted to HEIC,
Wameford and Davies (RNAS) allotted to RAF. Gray
(RCN attached FAA) in Canadian total and Esmonde
(FAA) is included in the RN total.
British Army 1914-1919 total includes bars to Martin-Leake and
Chavasse.
Royal Air Force All 12 RFC and both RNAS awards are included in
RAF total.
Australia Only includes awards to Australian forces. Rogers
listed with South Africa, Dartnell, Sullivan and
Pearse with British Army and Edwards with RAF.
Canada Smyth's 1914-1919 total has counted a New Zealand
award as Canadian
New Zealand 1940-1945 total includes bar to Upham
South Africa The War Office and Smyth counted Lt W J English of
the 2nd Scottish Horse, Boer War, as British Army.
The Scottish Horse was a South African unit.
Indian Army 1940-1945 Canadian born Temporary Major F G Blaker,
Highland Light Infantry attached to the 9th Gurkha
Rifles is allotted to British Army.
Civilian It is now generally accepted that George Bell Chicken
a volunteer with the Indian Naval Brigade in the
Indian Mutiny should be listed as a civilian.
Only triple VC Presentation in Australia The Duke of Gloucester For the 1954 steam locomotive of the same name, see . Duke of Gloucester (IPA: /ˈdjuːk əv ˈglɒstɚ/ , then Governor General of Australia, presented three Victoria Crosses at an investiture investiture, in feudalism, ceremony by which an overlord transferred a fief to a vassal or by which, in ecclesiastical law, an elected cleric received the pastoral ring and staff (the symbols of spiritual office) signifying the transfer of the office. at Admiralty House Buildings called Admiralty House include:
abbr. lieutenant colonel C G W Anderson MC and the next of kin The blood relatives entitled by law to inherit the property of a person who dies without leaving a valid will, although the term is sometimes interpreted to include a relationship existing by reason of marriage. Cross-references Descent and Distribution. of the late Lt A Chowne MM and the late Cpl J B Mackey. This presentation is the only occasion that three Victoria Crosses were presented on one occasion in Australia. On two occasions in Australia two medals have been presented at the same investiture; in March 1858 to Crimean War Crimean War (krīmē`ən), 1853–56, war between Russia on the one hand and the Ottoman Empire, Great Britain, France, and Sardinia on the other. The causes of the conflict were inherent in the unsolved Eastern Question. recipients Park and Wright of the British 77th Regiment and on 4 April 1918 posthumous awards to Budgen and Jefferies of the AIF AIF Annual Information Form AIF Apoptosis-Inducing Factor AIF Agence Intergouvernementale de la Francophonie (French: Intergovernmental Agency for Francophony) AIF Australian Imperial Force . There have been 40 Victoria Crosses presented in Australia including 20 to living recipients. The largest number, 22, have been presented by the Governor-General of Australia The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative of Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia. He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth. , ten by state governors, four by military commanders, two by the Prince of Wales Prince of Wales switches places with his double, poor boy Tom Canty. [Am. Lit.: The Prince and the Pauper] See : Doubles (later King Edward King Edward has been the name of several monarchs in English history:
Bohemia Last surviving Canadian recipient passes away Ernest Alvia (Smokey) Smith, Canada's last surviving Victoria Cross recipient died at his home in Vancouver, British Columbia British Columbia, province (2001 pop. 3,907,738), 366,255 sq mi (948,600 sq km), including 6,976 sq mi (18,068 sq km) of water surface, W Canada. Geography , on 3 August 2005. He was 91. Smokey was born in New Westminster, British Columbia “New Westminster” redirects here. For other uses, see New Westminster (disambiguation). New Westminster is an historically important city in the Greater Vancouver region of British Columbia, Canada. on 3 May 1914. He attended Richard McBride Sir Richard McBride, KCMG (December 15, 1870 – August 6, 1917) was a British Columbian politician and founder of the British Columbia Conservative Party. McBride was first elected to the provincial legislature in the 1898 election, and served in the cabinet of James Dunsmuir and Herbert Spence public schools and TJ Trap Technical High school. He excelled in sports, notably soccer and track and his speed on the track is said to have given him the nickname "Smokey" but Smokey claimed he did not know how be got his nickname. On 5 March 1940, aged 25, he enlisted in Vancouver in the Seaforth Highlanders
The Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany's) of Canada, a unit of the 1st Canadian Division. After nearly three years in the United Kingdom the division moved to the Mediterranean landing in Sicily on 10 July 1943. After Sicily the division moved to Italy where Smokey became the third of three Canadians awarded the Victoria Cross in the Italian campaign Italian Campaign can refer to:
On the night of 21-22 October 1944, the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada was ordered to establish a bridgehead bridge·head n. 1. a. A fortified position from which troops defend the end of a bridge nearest the enemy. b. A forward position seized by advancing troops in enemy territory as a foothold for further advance. across the Savio River. In weather most unfavourable to the operation, they crossed the river and captured their objective in spite of strong opposition from the enemy. Torrential rain had caused the Savio River to rise six feet in five hours and as the soft vertical banks made it impossible to bridge the river, no tanks or anti-tank guns could be taken across the raging stream to support the rifle companies. As the right forward company was consolidating its objective, it was suddenly counter-attacked by a troop of three Mark V Panther tanks supported by two self-propelled guns and about 30 German infantry. The situation appeared hopeless. Under heavy fire from the approaching enemy tanks, Smokey, showing great initiative and inspiring leadership, led his Piat (Projectile projectile something thrown forward. projectile syringe see blow dart. projectile vomiting forceful vomiting, usually without preceding retching, in which the vomitus is thrown well forward. Infantry Anti-Tank) group of two men across an open field to a position from which the Plat could best be employed. Leaving one man on the weapon, Private Smith crossed the road with a companion and obtained another Piat. Almost immediately, an enemy tank came down the road firing its machine guns along the line of the ditches. Private Smith's comrade was wounded. At a range of 30 feet and having to expose himself to the full view of the enemy, Private Smith fired the Piat and hit the tank, putting it out of action. Ten German infantry immediately jumped off the tank and charged him. Without hesitation, Private Smith moved out on the open road and, with his Tommy-gun at point-blank range the extent of the apparent right line of a ball discharged. See also: Point-blank , killed four Germans and drove the remainder back. Almost immediately another tank opened fire and more enemy infantry closed in on Smith's position. Obtaining some abandoned Tommy-gun magazines from a ditch, he steadfastly held his position, protecting his comrade and fighting the enemy and until they finally gave up and withdrew in disorder. Showing 'utter contempt for enemy fire', Smokey managed to get his wounded friend to cover and obtained medical aid for him. Rather than fall back to the safety of the Canadian lines, he then returned to his position beside the road in case there was another enemy attack. There wasn't, and the Seaforths were able to hold the bridgehead on the Savio River, opening the way to the capture of the strategically important Po River Valley in Northern Italy Northern Italy comprises of two areas belonging to NUTS level 1:
Smokey received the Victoria Cross from King George VI at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace on 18 December 1944. Remarkably the presentation occurred two days prior to promulgation PROMULGATION. The order given to cause a law to be executed, and to make it public it differs from publication. (q.v.) 1 Bl. Com. 45; Stat. 6 H. VI., c. 4. 2. of the Victoria Cross in the London Gazette on 20 December 1944. Of the 14 Second World War Canadian forces VC recipients, Smokey was the only private honoured. Smokey was demobilised in 1945 but reenlisted in 1950 and served until 1964 ending his military career as a recruiting sergeant in Vancouver. He married Esther Weston in 1947 and after his army service ran a travel agency, "Smith Travel," in downtown Vancouver jointly with Esther until 1992. Until shortly before his death he maintained a demanding and unceasing round of community activities. He was always ready to participate in commemorative events with the Royal Canadian Legion The Royal Canadian Legion is a non-profit Canadian ex-service organization (veterans organization) founded in 1925, with more than 400,000 members worldwide. Membership includes people who have served as current and former military, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, provincial and and in events organized by the Department of National Defence, Veterans Affairs Canada The Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA), also referred to as Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), is the department within the government of Canada with responsibility for pensions/benefits and services for war veterans, retired personnel of the Canadian Forces and and other veterans' organizations. He was a familiar figure at Remembrance Day and other national commemorative ceremonies. Smokey was a member of many official Canadian delegations overseas including: * 50th Anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge The Battle of Vimy Ridge was one of the opening battles in a larger British campaign known as the Battle of Arras during the First World War. It is also considered a major event in Canadian history for the key role the Canadian Corps of First Army played in the attack. in 1967 * 50th Anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1995 * 60th Anniversary of the Normandy landings and the Italy/Sicily campaign in 2004. His wife of nearly 50 years predeceased him in 1996 and he was survived by his son David, his daughter Norma-Jean a grandson and a great grand-daughter. With the passing of Smokey Smith there are now 13 surviving recipients, nine from the Second World War including Australian Ted Kenna and one each from Korea, Sarawak in 1965, Vietnam to Australian Keith Payne and for Iraq in 2004. Largest number of VCs in a single day A frequently quoted Victoria Cross fact is that the largest number of VCs won in a single day was 24 at the second relief of Lucknow on 16 Nov 1857. An analysis shows that while 24 were awarded for 16 Nov 1857 only 23 were for the second relief of Lucknow. 22 of 24 citations mention Lucknow only, one citation mentions Bolundshadur and Lucknow on 16/11/57 and one citation mentions Namoul on 16/11/57 15 citations mention 16/11/1857 only--14 Lucknow and 1 Narnoul Eight mention multiple dates at Lucknow--two 16-17/11/57, five 14-22/11/57, one 30/6 to 22/11/57 One citation mentions two actions at different places--28/9/57 Bolundshadur and 16/11/57 Lucknow Narnoul is southwest of Delhi and the actions there on 16 Nov 1857 were many miles away and unrelated to the second relief of Lucknow. Perhaps it would be more accurate to amend the current fact to say "largest number of VCs won in a single day was 24 on 16 Nov 1857 during the Indian Mutiny, 23 at the second relief of Lucknow and one at Narnoul". |
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