List of Victoria Cross recipients by nationality explained

This is a list of recipients of the Victoria Cross by nationality. It does not include the Victoria Cross awarded to the American Unknown Soldier of World War I buried in the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery. He was awarded the VC posthumously in 1921. This gesture reciprocated the award of the Medal of Honor to the British Unknown Warrior.

The Victoria Cross (VC) is a military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the British armed forces. A small number of Commonwealth countries still participate in the British (Imperial) honours system and would still be eligible to make Victoria Cross recommendations for their service personnel but none of these countries have ever been awarded the Victoria Cross. The last occasion a Commonwealth country was awarded the Victoria Cross was in 1969 during the Vietnam War and today all Commonwealth countries whose armed forces had been awarded the Victoria Cross under the British honours systems have their own honours systems and their own orders, decorations and medals. The Victoria Cross takes precedence over all other British orders, decorations and medals and may be awarded to a person of any rank in any service and although civilians under military command are eligible for the award none has been awarded since 1879. The Victoria Cross has often been presented to the recipient during an investiture by the British monarch. The last award of the reign of King George VI and all awards of the reign of the present Queen with the exception of the two posthumous awards to the Australian Army during the Vietnam War have been presented by Queen Elizabeth II. The VC has been awarded on 1358 occasions to 1355 individual recipients.

The original Royal Warrant and all warrants to this day contain both expulsion and restoration clauses. Eight recipients between 1861 and 1908 had their awards rescinded and although no award has ever been restored the names of the eight are included in the list. The original warrant did not contain a specific clause regarding posthumous awards, although official policy was to not award the VC posthumously. Between 1857 and 1901, twelve 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 for the South African War 1899–1902, the next of kin of three of the soldiers were sent medals by registered post in 1902. In the same gazette the first three posthumous awards were awarded and also sent to the next of kin. In 1907, the posthumous policy was 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.^[1]

For a short time in the middle 1800s, the VC was awarded for actions taken not in the face of the enemy. Six were awarded at this time for actions taken not in the face of the enemy. (Campbell Mellis Douglas was one of these recipients.)

Until 1921 the Victoria Cross could not be awarded to women, and to this day no VC has been awarded to members of that gender. With the approval of Queen Victoria, Elizabeth Webber Harris was awarded a gold VC for her valour in nursing cholera-ridden soldiers in India in 1869.^[2]

Most Commonwealth countries have now created their own honours systems. Since 1991, three Commonwealth countries; Australia, Canada and New Zealand have created their own operational gallantry awards. In each case, their highest award for most conspicuous bravery was named in honour of the British (Imperial) Victoria Cross; the Victoria Cross for Australia, the Victoria Cross (Canada) and the Victoria Cross for New Zealand. One Victoria Cross for New Zealand was awarded to Willie Apiata on 26 July 2007; four Victoria Crosses for Australia have been awarded to Mark Donaldson, Ben Roberts-Smith, Daniel Keighran and Cameron Baird. All five awards were for actions in Afghanistan. As these are separate medals, they are not included in this list.

Recipients are described in the following list by nationality (birthplace) or (citizenship) or (country of service) or (uncertain) or in the case of New Zealand born Captain Alfred John Shout of the Australian Army by both (birthplace) and (country of service). The country lists are compiled differently with the Australian list only being members of the Australian forces, the Canadian list being members of the Canadian forces including Danish Thomas Dinesen who served in Canadian Army plus others who are considered by Canadians as Canadian recipients, while the English list only includes a few of the many English born recipients who were decorated as members of Commonwealth and Indian forces. There have been 1355 individual recipients including the American unknown who is not listed but the list has 1356 names including Alfred John Shout and another listed twice.

Recipients by nationality

Name	Nationality	Date of action	Conflict	Unit	Place of action	Notes
	American	1918	First World War	75th Bn Canadian Expeditionary Force	Drocourt-Quéant Support Line, France	^[3]
	American	1918	First World War	Canadian Expeditionary Force	Arras, France
	American	1917	First World War	Canadian Expeditionary Force	Passchendaele, Belgium
	American	1864	Bombardment of Shimonoseki		Shimonoseki, Japan
	American	1918	First World War	Canadian Expeditionary Force	Warvillers, France	^[4]
AAA	AustraliaList of 91 Australian recipients	AAA	AAA	AA01	AAA
	Belgian	1916	First World War	BB0044th Dragoon Guards	La Boiselle, France
	British Virgin Islander	1866	Gambia Campaign	BB0044th West India Regiment	Tubabecelong, Gambia
AAB	CanadaList of 96 Canadian recipients	AAB	AAB	AA02	AAB
	Channel Islander	1857	Indian Mutiny	Bengal Sappers and Miners	Delhi, India
	Jersey, Channel Islands	1855	Crimean War		Vyborg, Russia
	Guernsey, Channel Islands	1942	Second World War	Hampshire Regiment	Tebourba, Tunisia
	Jersey, Channel Islands	1889	British rule in Burma	Royal Army Medical Corps	Voklaak, Burma
	Channel Islander	1881	Basuto Gun War	BB0011st Cape Mounted Yeomanry	Tweefontein, South Africa
	Channel Islander	1899	Second Boer War	Royal Field Artillery	Colenso, South Africa
	Channel Islander	1859	Second Anglo-Afghan War	BB05959th Regiment of Foot	Shahjui, Afghanistan
	Channel Islander	1874	First Ashanti Expedition	BB0066th Bengal Cavalry	Obugu, Ashanti
	Danish	1918	First World War	BB04242nd Bn CEF Canadian Expeditionary Force	Parvillers, France
	Danish	1915	First World War	BB0066th Lincolnshire Regiment	Gallipoli, Turkey		-Jensen is listed as an Australian recipient. Though Danish born, he moved to Australia at an early age		Danish	1917	First World War	BB006First Australian Imperial Force	Noreuil, France	-->
	Danish	1945*	Second World War	Special Boat Service	Comacchio, Italy
AAC	EnglandList of 600+ English recipients (may be incomplete)	AAC	AAC	AA03	AAC
	Fijian	1944*	Second World War	Fiji Infantry Regiment	Mawaraka, Bougainville Island
	German	1854	Crimean War	BB01717th Lancers	Balaklava, Crimea
	Grenadian	2004	Iraq War		Amarah, Iraq
	Hanoverian	1854	Crimean War		Åland, Finland	^[5]
	Indian	1941	Second World War	Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners	Gallabat, Abyssinia
	Indian	1944*	Second World War	5th Mahratta Light Infantry	Upper Tiber Valley, Italy
	Indian	1944*	Second World War	BB0099th Jat Regiment	Imphal, India
	Indian	1945	Second World War	BB0055th Mahratta Light Infantry	Senio River, Italy
	Indian	1945*	Second World War	BB41515th Punjab Regiment	Meiktila, Burma
Lala	Indian	1916	First World War	BB04141st Dogras	El Orah, Mesopotamia
	Indian	1914	First World War	BB03939th Garhwal Rifles	Festubert, France
	Indian	1915*	First World War	BB03939th Garhwal Rifles	Neuve Chapelle, France
	Indian	1944	Second World War	BB01010th Baluch Regiment	Arakan State, Burma
	Indian	1943*	Second World War	BB0066th Rajputana Rifles	Djebel Garci, Tunisia
	Indian	1944	Second World War	BB0088th Punjab Regiment	River Gari, Italy
	Indian	1941*	Second World War	BB0066th Rajputana Rifles	Keren, Eritrea
	Indian	1918*	First World War	BB01414th Murray's Jat Lancers	River Jordan, Palestine
	Indian	1916	First World War	BB0099th Bhopal Infantry	Battle of the Wadi, Mesopotamia
	Indian	1945	Second World War	BB01515th Punjab Regiment	Myingyan, Burma
	Indian	1917	First World War	BB02828th Light Cavalry	Pezières, France	^[6]
	Indian	1921	Waziristan Campaign	BB02828th Punjabis	Haidari Kach, India
	Indian	1944	Second World War	BB11111th Sikh Regiment	Maungdaw - Buthidaung Road, Burma
	Indian	1943	Second World War	BB0088th Punjab Regiment	Donbaik, Burma
	Indian	1945*	Second World War	BB01313th Frontier Force Rifles	Kanlan Ywathit, Burma
	Indian	1944*	Second World War	BB0011st Punjab Regiment	Kennedy Peak, Burma
	Indian	1915	First World War	BB05555th Coke's Rifles (Frontier Force)	Wieltje, Belgium
	Indian	1945	Second World War	BB01010th Baluch Regiment	Meiktila, Burma
	Indian	1944	Second World War	BB0077th Gurkha Rifles	Ningthoukhong, Burma
	Pakistani	1945	Second World War	BB01313th Frontier Force Rifles	Fusignano, Italy
	Pakistani	1914	First World War	BB129129th Duke of Connaught's Own Baluchis	Hollebeke, Belgium
	Pakistani	1916	First World War	BB08989th Punjabis	Beit Ayeesa, Mesopotamia
	Pakistani	1945*	Second World War	BB01616th Punjab Regiment	Kyeyebyin, Burma
	Indian	1944	Second World War	Royal Indian Artillery	Kaladan Valley, Burma
AAD	IrelandList of 195 Irish recipients	AAD	AAD	AA04	AAD
	Jamaican	1892	Second Gambian Campaign	West India Regiment	Toniataba, Gambia
	Kenyan	1941*	Second World War	BB012King's African Rifles	Colito, Abyssinia
	Manx	1944	Second World War	BB0022nd Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment	Arnhem, Netherlands	^[7]
	Nepalese	1943	Second World War	BB0055th Royal Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force)	Chin Hills, Burma
	Nepalese	1945	Second World War	BB0022nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles	Tamandu, Burma
	Nepalese	1945	Second World War	BB0088th Gurkha Rifles	Taungdaw, Burma
	Nepalese	1944*	Second World War	BB0055th Royal Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force)	Monte San Bartolo, Italy
	Nepalese	1965	Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation	BB01010th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles	Sarawak, Borneo
	Nepalese	1944	Second World War	BB0066th Gurkha Rifles	Mogaung, Burma
	Nepalese	1944	Second World War	BB0055th Royal Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force)	Bishenpur, India
	Nepalese	1918	First World War	BB0033rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles	El Kefr, Egypt
	Nepalese	1915	First World War	BB0033rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles	Fauquissart, France
	Nepalese	1943	Second World War	BB0032nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles	Rass-es-Zouai, Tunisia
	Nepalese	1944*	Second World War	BB0055th Royal Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force)	Bishenpur, India
	Nepalese	1944*	Second World War	BB0099th Gurkha Rifles	San Marino, Italy
	New Zealander	1917	First World War	Wellington Infantry Regiment	La Basse Ville, Belgium
	New Zealander	1915	First World War	New Zealand Divisional Signal Company	Gallipoli, Turkey
	New Zealander	1916	First World War	Otago Infantry Regiment	High Wood, France	^[8]
	New Zealander	1918	First World War	BB500Auckland Infantry Regiment	Crèvecœur, France
	New Zealander	1879	Anglo-Zulu War	Frontier Light Horse	Ulundi, South Africa
	New Zealander	1942	Second World War	BB02222nd, 2nd New Zealand Division	Ruweisat, Egypt
	New Zealander	1918*	First World War	Royal New Zealand Engineers	Grévillers, France
	New Zealander	1916	First World War	BB06363rd (Royal Naval) Division	Beaucourt sur Ancre, France
	New Zealander	1917	First World War	New Zealand Rifle Brigade	Messines, Belgium
	New Zealander	1918	First World War	Wellington Infantry Regiment	Bancourt, France
	New Zealander	1901	Second Boer War	BB0044th New Zealand Contingent	Naauwpoort, South Africa
	New Zealander	1864	New Zealand Wars	BB501Auckland Militia	Mangapiko River, New Zealand
	New Zealander	1941	Second World War	BB02020th, 2nd New Zealand Division	Kalamai, Greece
	New Zealander	1941	Second World War	BB02323rd, 2nd New Zealand Division	Crete, Greece
	New Zealander	1918	First World War	BB500Auckland Infantry Regiment	Bapaume, France
	New Zealander	1918	First World War	New Zealand Rifle Brigade	Gouzeaucourt Wood, France
	New Zealander	1943*	Second World War	BB02828th, 2nd New Zealand Division	Tebaga Gap, Tunisia
	New Zealander	1917	First World War	Canterbury Infantry Regiment	Polderhoek, Belgium
	New Zealander	1917*	First World War		Atlantic
	New Zealander	1915*	First World War	First Australian Imperial Force	Gallipoli
	New Zealander	1918*	First World War	Otago Infantry Regiment	Rossignol Wood, France
	New Zealander	1943	Second World War	No. 487 Squadron RNZAF	Amsterdam, Netherlands
	New Zealander	2004	Afghanistan War	New Zealand Special Air Service	Afghanistan, Afghanistan
	New Zealander	1943*	Second World War		Atlantic
	New Zealander	1941 1942	Second World War	BB02020th, 2nd New Zealand Division	Crete, Greece, (1941), Ruweisat Ridge, Egypt (1942)	^[9]
	New Zealander	1941*	Second World War		Munster, Germany
	Newfoundlander	1918*	First World War	BB01313th Battalion, CEF	Amiens, France	^[10]
	Newfoundlander	1918	First World War	Royal Newfoundland Regiment	Ledeghem, Belgium
	Rhodesian	1896*	Matabeleland Rebellion	Bulawayo Field Force	Umguza, Rhodesia
	South African	1917	First World War	British South Africa Police	Johannesburg, German East Africa	.^[11] Attached to Rhodesian Native Regiment
	Rhodesian	1897	Matabeleland Rebellion	Bulawayo Field Force	Bulawayo, Rhodesia
AAE	ScotlandList of 164 Scottish recipients	AAE	AAE	AA05	AAE
	South African	1900*	Second Boer War	Imperial Light Horse	Ladysmith, South Africa
	South African	1918	First World War	No. 84 Squadron RFC	Western Front, France
	South African	1901	Second Boer War	Rimington's Guides	Strijdenburg, South Africa
	South African	1857	Indian Mutiny	BB07878th Regiment of Foot	Boursekee Chowkee, India
	South African	1879	Zulu War	Frontier Light Horse	Ulundi, South Africa	-->
	South African	1916	First World War	BB0011st South African Infantry	Delville Wood, France
	South African	1940*	Second World War	Royal Norfolk Regiment	Tournai, Belgium
	South African	1879	Zulu War	Cape Mounted Riflemen	Morosi's Mountain, South Africa
	South African	1918	First World War	Wiltshire Regiment	Fremicourt, France
	South African	1917	First World War	BB0022nd South African Light Infantry	Ypres, Belgium
	South African	1899	Second Boer War	Protectorate Regiment	Mafeking, South Africa
	South African	1881	First Boer War	BB0011st Cape Mounted Yeomanry	Tweefontein, South Africa
	South African	1899	Second Boer War	Imperial Light Horse	Elandslaagte, South Africa
	South African	1896	Mashona Rebellion	Mashonaland Mounted Police	Salisbury, Rhodesia
	South African	1942	Second World War	No. 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron RAF	Augsburg, Germany
	South African	1944	Second World War	Kaffrarian Rifles	Monte Gidolfo, Italy
	South African	1917	First World War	King's (Liverpool) Regiment	Dialah River, Mesopotamia
	South African	1917	First World War	Queen's Royal Regiment	Zonnebeke, Belgium
	South African	1917	First World War	Norfolk Regiment	Marcoing, France	^[12]
	South African	1942	Second World War	Natal Carbineers	Alem Hamza, Egypt
	South African	1945	Second World War	South African Air Force	Pforzheim, Germany
	Sri Lankan (Ceylonese)	1918*	First World War	East Lancashire Regiment	Ablainzevelle, France
	Swedish	1879	Basuto Gun War	Cape Mounted Riflemen	Morosi's Mountain, South Africa
	Swiss	1879	Anglo-Zulu War	Natal Native Contingent	Rorke's Drift, South Africa
	Ukrainian	1917	First World War	BB047	Lens, France
AAE	ScotlandList of 58 uncertain nationality recipients	AAE	AAE	AA05	AAE
	Welsh	1915	First World War	Royal Welch Fusiliers	Festubert, France
	Welsh	1942	Second World War		Saint-Nazaire, France
	Welsh	1917	First World War	Welsh Guards	Yser Canal, Belgium
	Welsh	1945	Second World War	Monmouthshire Regiment	Dortmund-Ems Canal, Germany
	Welsh	1917*	First World War	Royal Welch Fusiliers	Polygon Wood, Belgium
	Welsh	1917	First World War	Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)	Zonnebeke, Belgium
	Welsh	1917*	First World War	Royal Army Medical Corps	Tel-el-Khuweilfeh, Palestine
	Welsh	1914	First World War	Welch Regiment	Chivy-sur-Aisne, France
	Welsh	1879	Zulu War	BB02424th Regiment of Foot	Rorke's Drift, South Africa
	Welsh	1916	First World War	Welch Regiment	Macukovo, Greece
	Welsh	1943*	Second World War		At sea
	Welsh	1858	Indian Mutiny	BB0022nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays)	Jamo, India
	Welsh	1917	First World War	South Wales Borderers	Pilkem, Belgium
	Welsh	1916	First World War	Royal Flying Corps	Double Crassieurs, France
	Welsh	1854	Crimean War	BB04141st (Welsh) Regiment of Foot	Battle of Inkerman, Crimea
	Welsh	1855	Crimean War	BB02323rd Regiment	Sebastopol, Crimea
	Welsh	1857	Indian Mutiny	Bengal Artillery	Lucknow, India
	Welsh	1917*	First World War	BB499"A" Battalion, Tank Corps	Cambrai/Marcoing, France
	Welsh	1940*	Second World War	British 2nd Destroyer Flotilla	Narvik, Norway	^[13]
	Welsh	1918*	First World War	Royal Welch Fusiliers	Ronssoy, France
	Welsh	1944	Second World War	Welch Regiment	Barfour, France
	Welsh	1918	First World War	Royal Welch Fusiliers	Bazentin-le-Grand, France
	Welsh	1918	First World War	South Wales Borderers	Villers Outreaux, France
	Welsh	1879	Zulu War	BB02424th Regiment of Foot	Rorke's Drift, South Africa
	Welsh	1917	First World War		Atlantic, near France	^[14]

References

• Web site: Victoria Cross Research page . Alfred J. Askin . 2007-11-28.
• Web site: Victoria Cross Registers . National Archives (UK) . 2007-11-28.
• Book: Buchan, John . 1920 . The history of South African forces in France . ImperialWar Museum . London . 0-89839-178-4 . John Buchan . Battery Press reprint 1992.
• Encyclopedia: Victoria Cross . An Encyclopedia of New Zealand, 1966 . Lintock. A.H. . newzealand.govt.nz . 2008-01-15.
• Victoria Cross . South African Military History society . Uys . Ian S. . Military History . 1 . 7 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070815093946/http://rapidttp.com/milhist/vol017iu.html . 15 August 2007 .

Notes and References

1. Crook, MJ, Chapter 8 pp.68 - 90
2. "Museum Honours only Woman to have "Won VC""
3. Also considered Canadian recipient.
   Web site: American Victoria Cross recipients . Ricketts . Bruce . Mysteries of Canada . 2008-01-26.
4. Zengel was American born, considered Canadian.
   Web site: On The Offensive In 1918 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070311014925/http://www.legionmagazine.com/features/victoriacross/05-09.asp?id=print . 2007-03-11 . Legionmagazine . Bishop . Arthur . September 2005 . 2008-01-26.
5. Web site: Biography: John Bythesea VC . Royal Naval Museum . 2007-11-16 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070927230754/http://www.royalnavalmuseum.org/Info_sheets_John_Bythesea.htm . 27 September 2007 .
6. 11 January 1918. SIXTH SUPPLEMENT TO The London Gazette Of TUESDAY, the 8th of JANUARY, 1918. The London Gazette. 30471. 725.
7. Web site: Second report of the Tynwald Honours Committee 2004/2005 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110607072730/http://www.tynwald.org.im/papers/reports/2004-2005/r0018.pdf . 7 June 2011 . June 2005 . 2009-11-03 . dead .
8. Brown died in action three weeks after the action that led to his award.
   Encyclopedia: Awards to New Zealand Servicemen . An Encyclopedia of New Zealand, 1966 . Lintock. A.H. . newzealand.govt.nz . 2008-01-15.
9. [Charles Upham]
10. Newfoundlander recipients of the Victoria Cross are sometimes erroneously included with Canadian awards, as Newfoundland became part of Canada in 1949.
    News: Memorial to fallen Newfoundland soldiers declared National Historic Site . 1997-04-09 . Government of Newfoundland and Labrador . 2008-01-26.
11. Born in London
12. Commanding officer of 1st Bn Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers at time
13. and Captain of
14. Web site: A 'mystery' Victoria Cross and a stuffed parrot . 2004-02-03 . National Museums & Galleries of Wales . Besly . Edward . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070527201118/http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/walespast/article.shtml?id=26 . 27 May 2007 .