The Victoria Cross (VC) was awarded to 111 members of the British Armed Forces during the Crimean War (also known as the Russian War) that lasted from 1854 to 1856. The Victoria Cross is a military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of armed forces of some Commonwealth countries and previous British Empire territories. The VC was introduced in Great Britain on 29 January 1856 by Queen Victoria to reward acts of valour during the Crimean War. It takes precedence over all other Orders, decorations and medals; it may be awarded to a person of any rank in any service and to civilians under military command. The first ceremony was held on 26 June 1857 where Queen Victoria invested 62 of the 111 Crimean recipients in Hyde Park.[1]
In 1854, the Crimean War broke out between the Russian Empire and an alliance of France, Great Britain, the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Ottoman Empire. One of the first battles of the War was the Battle of the Alma where allied forces convincingly defeated the Russian forces. The Siege of Sevastapol followed shortly after in September 1854; it was to last for a year at the cost of over 128,000 lives, three-quarters of which died from disease. After the siege at Sevastapol, the fighting mainly ceased and on 30 March 1856, after two years of action, the Russians negotiated a Peace Treaty at the Congress of Paris. The Treaty set the Black Sea as neutral territory, closing it to all warships, and prohibiting fortifications and the presence of armaments on its shores. The Crimean War led to a number of large-scale changes in the British Army. The sale of commissions came under great scrutiny during the war, especially in connection with the Battle of Balaclava, which saw the ill-fated Charge of the Light Brigade.[2] This scrutiny eventually led to the abolition of the sale of commissions.
The dispatches of William Howard Russell during the war highlighted how many acts of bravery and valour by British servicemen went unrewarded.[3] There was a growing feeling amongst the public and in the Royal Court that a new award was needed to recognise incidents of gallantry that were unconnected with a man's lengthy or meritorious service. Queen Victoria issued a warrant under the Royal sign-manual on 29 January 1856[3] [4] (gazetted 5 February 1856) that officially constituted the VC. The order was backdated to 1854 to recognise acts of valour during the Crimean War.[5] The first awards ceremony was held on 26 June 1857 where Queen Victoria invested 62 of the 111 Crimean recipients in a ceremony in Hyde Park.[3]
Citations for the Crimean War, particularly those in the first gazette of 24 February 1857, listed multiple actions for about a third of the recipients. The format of each citation varied between recipients, some specify the actual date, some the name of the battle and others have both sets of information.
Until 1907, it was policy not to award the VC posthumously. Between 1857 and 1901, nine notices were published in the London Gazette for soldiers who would have been awarded the VC had they survived. In a partial reversal of policy in 1902, medals were sent to the next of kin of the three mentioned for the Boer War and at the same time the first three official posthumous awards, again for the Boer War, were gazetted. In 1907, the posthumous policy was completely reversed and medals were sent to the next of kin of the remaining six officers and men. As a result of the change of policy, one quarter of all awards for the First World War were posthumous but it was only in the general revision of the warrant issued in 1920 that a clause was inserted to explicitly allow posthumous awards.[6]
| Name | Unit | Date of action | Place of action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grenadier Guards | 2 September 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| 90th Regiment of Foot | 18 June 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| Royal Regiment of Artillery | 7 June 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| 55th Regiment of Foot | 5 November 1854 | Inkerman, Crimea | |
| Royal Welch Fusiliers | 20 September 1854 | Alma, Crimea | |
| 17th Lancers | 25 October 1854 | Balaclava, Crimea | |
| Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) | 20 November 1854 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| Joseph Bradshaw | Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) | 22 April 1855 | Woronzoff Road, Crimea |
| 29 May 1855 | Sea of Azov, Crimea | ||
| 29 May 1855 | Sea of Azov, Crimea | ||
| 68th Regiment of Foot | 5 November 1854 | Inkerman, Crimea | |
| 9 August 1854 | Åland, Finland | ||
| Royal Regiment of Artillery | 8 September 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) | 5 November 1854 | Inkerman, Crimea | |
| 34th Regiment of Foot | 29 March 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| 97th Regiment of Foot | 30 August 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| 11 October 1855 | Sea of Azov, Crimea | ||
| 3rd Regiment of Foot | 8 September 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| 49th Regiment of Foot | 26 October 1854 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| HMS Miranda | 3 June 1855 | Taganrog, Crimea | |
| Scots Fusiliers Guards | 6 September 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) | 20 November 1854 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| Naval Brigade | 18 June 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| 18 October 1854 | Sevastopol, Crimea | ||
| Royal Regiment of Artillery | 8 September 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| 17 September 1855 | Genitichi, Crimea | ||
| Royal Regiment of Artillery | 17 October 1854 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| Royal Regiment of Artillery | 17 April 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| Royal Marine Artillery | 13 July 1855 | Fort of Viborg, Finland | |
| 11th Hussars | 25 October 1854 | Balaclava, Crimea | |
| Corps of Royal Engineers | 18 June 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| 55th Regiment of Foot | 29 March 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| 18th Regiment of Foot | 18 June 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| 19th Regiment of Foot | 13 April 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| 17th Lancers | 25 October 1854 | Balaclava, Crimea | |
| 57th Regiment of Foot | 22 March 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| Coldstream Guards | 28 October 1854 | Inkerman, Crimea | |
| Naval Brigade | 5 November 1854 | Inkerman, Crimea | |
| 4th Regiment of Foot | 18 October 1854 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| Corps of Royal Engineers | 18 June 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| Royal Scots Greys | 25 October 1854 | Balaclava, Crimea | |
| 7th Regiment of Foot | 8 September 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| 68th Regiment of Foot | 11 May 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| Royal Regiment of Artillery | 5 November 1854 | Inkerman, Crimea | |
| 26 October 1854 | Sevastopol, Crimea | ||
| 7th Regiment of Foot | 18 June 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| 7th Regiment of Foot | 7 June 1855 18 June 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) | 22 April 1855 | Woronzoff Road, Crimea | |
| HMS Arrogant | 13 July 1855 | Fort of Viborg, Finland | |
| HMS Arrogant | 9 August 1854 | Åland Islands, Finland | |
| 7th Regiment of Foot | 7 June 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| 31 August 1855 | Sea of Azov, Crimea | ||
| Scots Fusiliers Guards | 20 September 1854 | Alma, Crimea | |
| Corps of Royal Engineers | 18 June 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| Corps of Royal Engineers | 14 February 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| Corps of Royal Engineers | 20 November 1854 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| Scots Fusiliers Guards | 20 September 1854 | Alma, Crimea | |
| 21 June 1854 | Åland Islands, Finland | ||
| 97th Regiment of Foot | 8 September 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| 19th Regiment of Foot | 10 June 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| Corps of Royal Engineers | 19 April 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| 41st Regiment of Foot | 26 October 1854 | Inkerman, Crimea | |
| 13th Light Dragoons | 25 October 1854 | Balaclava, Crimea | |
| 3rd Regiment of Foot | 5 September 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| 57th Regiment of Foot | 23 June 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| 47th Regiment of Foot | 5 November 1854 | Inkerman, Crimea | |
| Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) | July 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| Scots Fusilier Guards | 20 September 1854 | Alma, Crimea | |
| 44th Regiment of Foot | 20 October 1854 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| Royal Regiment of Artillery | 5 November 1854 | Inkerman, Crimea | |
| 6th Dragoons | 26 October 1854 | Balaclava, Crimea | |
| 90th Regiment of Foot | 8 September 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| 7th Regiment of Foot | 19 December 1854 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| Royal Welch Fusiliers | 20 September 1854 | Alma, Crimea | |
| 49th Regiment of Foot | 30 October 1854 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| Grenadier Guards | 5 November 1854 | Inkerman, Crimea | |
| 77th Regiment of Foot | 19 April 1855 | Alma, Crimea Inkerman, Crimea | |
| 4th Light Dragoons | 25 October 1854 | Balaclava, Crimea | |
| Naval Brigade | 18 October 1854[7] 5 November 1854 18 June 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| Grenadier Guards | 5 November 1854 | Inkerman, Crimea | |
| Corps of Royal Engineers | 18 June 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| Royal Marine Light Infantry | 5 November 1854 | Inkerman, Crimea | |
| 1st Regiment of Foot | 16 June 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| Naval Brigade | 18 June 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| 2nd Dragoons | 25 October 1854 | Balaclava, Crimea | |
| Naval Brigade | 5 November 1854 | Inkerman, Crimea | |
| Scots Fusiliers Guards | 20 September 1854 | Alma, Crimea | |
| HMS Weser | 11 October 1855 | Sea of Azov, Crimea | |
| HMS Ardent | 29 May 1855 | Sea of Azov, Crimea | |
| Corps of Royal Engineers | 21 July 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| 41st Regiment of Foot | 5 November 1854 | Inkerman, Crimea | |
| Grenadier Guards | 5 November 1854 | Inkerman, Crimea | |
| Naval Brigade | 5 November 1854 | Inkerman, Crimea | |
| Naval Brigade | 15 July 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| Royal Welch Fusiliers | 8 September 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| 34th Regiment of Foot | 18 June 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| 17th Regiment of Foot | 18 June 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| Coldstream Guards | 26 October 1854 | Inkerman, Crimea | |
| Coldstream Guards | September 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| Naval Brigade | 10 April 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| Royal Welch Fusiliers | 8 September 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| Royal Regiment of Artillery | 6 June 1855 | Inkerman, Crimea | |
| Naval Brigade | 18 June 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| Royal Regiment of Artillery | 29 September 1855 | Kars, Turkey | |
| HMS Beagle | 3 July 1855 | Sea of Azov, Crimea | |
| 30th Regiment of Foot | 5 November 1854 | Inkerman, Crimea | |
| 49th Regiment of Foot | 5 November 1854 | Inkerman, Crimea | |
| Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) | 12 October 1854 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| Royal Marine Artillery | 7 June 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |
| 17th Lancers | 26 October 1854 | Balaclava, Crimea | |
| 77th Regiment of Foot | 22 March 1855 19 April 1855 | Sevastopol, Crimea | |