Victoria Cross

[Blackadder]

Considering the prices reached by recent sales of the Victoria Cross, the cost for Soviet awards are relatively tiny.

Sergeant (and Flight-Engineer) Norman Ealing V.C. climbed onto the wing of his Lancaster Bomber in an attempt to put out a fire that had started during a raid on the town of Schweinfurt in April 1944. He fell from the wing and his parachute caught fire - he crashed 20,000ft to the ground but survived. Following his release from a POW camp his fellow crew members recounted the tale leading to the award.

It was sold at auction in 2004 for £235,250 (over $410k US).

Previous to this, the record for a VC was held by the award of Commander Daniel Beak VC, DSO, MC and Bar (retiring as a Major General) of the Royal Naval Division in 1918, which went for £178,000 (Over $310k US).

It's true that the VC awards are all fully researched, but I would imagine that the same is true for top-end Soviet awards?

[Nack]

How many VCs are out there?

[DutchBoy]

Originally Posted by Nack

How many VCs are out there?

There were 1,355 awards, including 3 persons who were awarded it twice.

[Riley1965]

Dutchboy,
Thank You for the statistics of the VC.Quite impressive!!1,355 awards, including 3 persons who were awarded it twice.

Doc

[DutchBoy]

Originally Posted by riley1965

Dutchboy,
Thank You for the statistics of the VC.Quite impressive!!1,355 awards, including 3 persons who were awarded it twice.

Doc

no prob. Another (horrible) statistic is that the large majority ( believe it's around 80%) of VCs were awarded posthumously...most died to earn the thing!

[rboomsma]

It was presented to 90 Canadians between its creation soon after the Crimean War and 1993 (though no Canadian has been awarded the honour since 1945). , and the last living holder of a Victoria cross died last year. His Victoria Cross is going to a museum. They are very rare here in Canada.

Originally Posted by Nack

How many VCs are out there?

[new world]

Can someone post good photos of a VC?

William

[rboomsma]

Here is a link to the last living holder of the Victoria Cross, that died just recently.

http://www.recorder.ca/cp/National/050803/n080361A.html

The Victoria Cross has been bestowed 1354 times since 1854.

Each VC is still made by the same London jewelers, Messrs Hancocks [now HANCOCKS & CO. (JEWELLERS) LTD - Established 1849, from the bronze of Chinese cannons captured from the Russians at the siege of Sebastopol.

Originally Posted by new world

Can someone post good photos of a VC?

William

[DutchBoy]

Originally Posted by rboomsma

Here is a link to the last living holder of the Victoria Cross, that died just recently.

The Victoria Cross has been bestowed 1354 times since 1854.

Hi Ron,

Great pic of a VC. One VC was actually awarded in march 2005 for the invasion of Iraq, making the total 1355. The last Canadian recipient just died, but there are still 12 living recipients. For further info check out this site:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_cross

[Blackadder]

Nice to see I started a nice little discussion!

The status of the VC in the UK has always been of the utmost respect, indeed, when it is awarded the recipient - be he a Private or General - always comes before all other awards, including the highest orders of Knighthood.

It was most recently awarded to the Grenada-born Private Johnson Beharry, who was seriously injured in gaining the award.

One other thing that I find very interesting is that intrinsically, the medal is worth very, very little. It is after all only several ounces of bronze - in stark contrast to the gold and platinum found on the upper end Soviet awards.