List of Second Anglo-Afghan War Victoria Cross recipients

thumb|92nd Highlanders at Kandahar. Oil by [[Richard Caton Woodville.]]

The Victoria Cross (VC) was awarded to 16 members of the British Armed Forces for action during the Second Afghan War of 1878–1880. The Victoria Cross is a military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the 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, and 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, when Queen Victoria invested 62 of the 111 Crimean recipients in Hyde Park.

The original Royal Warrant did not contain a specific clause regarding posthumous awards, although official policy was to not award the VC posthumously. Between 1897 and 1901, several 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 in 1902, six of the soldiers mentioned were granted the VC, but not "officially" awarded the medal. In 1907, the posthumous policy was completely 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.

In the 19th century, Afghanistan was seen as an important buffer state to the north-west of British-ruled India. In 1866 Sher Ali Khan came to power and was initially well disposed towards Britain. During the next 10 years, relations between the two countries deteriorated, primarily over the issue of Russian encroachment on Afghanistan. In 1878, Sher Ali reluctantly allowed a Russian mission to Kabul, and refused entry to the Viceroy Lord Lytton. After this refusal, Britain sent him an ultimatum that demanded a British envoy be accepted into Afghanistan; when this was ignored, Britain sent in three columns of British troops. The three British columns proceeded over the Bolan Pass to Kandahar, the Khyber Pass to Ali Masjid and through the Kurram Valley to Kabul. After several large victories for the British in 1878, fighting continued in the harsh mountainous terrain through the early months of 1879. As the British marched on Kabul, Sher Ali fled, leaving Yakub Khan to sign the Treaty of Gandamak on 26 May 1879 which required a British envoy in Kabul and the relinquishing of foreign affairs to the British.

Recipients

{| class="wikitable sortable"

!Name!!Unit!!Date of action!!Place of action

|||Bengal Ecclesiastical Department||1879-12-1111 December 1879||Killa Kazi, Afghanistan

|||0077th Regiment of Foot||1880-08-1616 August 1880||Kandahar, Afghanistan

|||02828th Native Infantry||1880-08-1616 August 1880||Kandahar, Afghanistan

|||Royal Horse Artillery||1880-07-2727 July 1880||Maiwand, Afghanistan

|||0055th Gurkha Rifles||1878-12-022 December 1878||Peiwar Kotal, Afghanistan

|||Bombay Staff Corps||1879-04-2121 April 1879||Khyber Pass, Afghanistan

|||09292nd Regiment of Foot||1879-12-1313 December 1879||Sherpur Pass, Afghanistan

|||Corps of Guides||1879-04-022 April 1879||Futtehabad, Afghanistan

|||Corps of Guides||1879-12-1414 December 1879||Asmai Heights, Afghanistan

|||Royal Engineers||1879-01-3131 January 1879||Bazar Valley, Afghanistan

|||Royal Engineers & Bengal Sappers and Miners||1879-03-1717 March 1879||Khyber Pass, Afghanistan

|||Royal Horse Artillery||1880-07-2727 July 1880||Maiwand, Afghanistan

|||05959th Regiment of Foot||1879-10-2424 October 1879||Shahjui, Afghanistan

|||07272nd Regiment of Foot||1879-12-1414 December 1879||Asmai Heights, Afghanistan

|||0055th Punjab Cavalry||1879-12-1414 December 1879||Asmai Heights, Afghanistan

|||09292nd Regiment of Foot||1879-10-066 October 1879||Charasiah, Afghanistan

References

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