The Victoria Cross (VC) 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. It takes precedence over all other orders, decorations and medals, and may be awarded to a person of any rank in any service and to civilians under military command. The award was officially constituted when Queen Victoria issued a warrant under the Royal sign-manual on 29 January 1856 that was gazetted on 5 February 1856. The order was backdated to 1854 to recognise acts of valour during the Crimean War. 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.
The first citations of the VC, particularly those in the initial gazette of 24 February 1857, varied in the details of each action; some specify date ranges while some specify a single date. 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 soldiers. 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. Three people have been awarded the VC and Bar, which is a medal for two actions; Noel Chavasse, Arthur Martin-Leake and Charles Upham. Chavasse received both medals for actions in the First World War, while Martin-Leake was awarded his first VC for actions in the Second Boer War, and his second for actions during the First World War. Charles Upham received both VCs for actions during the Second World War.
The Victoria Cross has been awarded 1,358 times to 1,355 individual recipients. The largest number of recipients for one campaign is the First World War, for which 628 medals were awarded to 627 recipients. The largest number awarded for actions on a single day was 24 on 16 November 1857, at the Second Relief of Lucknow, during the Indian Mutiny. The largest number awarded for a single action was 18, for the assault on Sikandar Bagh, during the Second Relief of Lucknow. The largest number awarded to one unit during a single action was 7, to the 2nd/24th Foot, for the defence of Rorke's Drift (22–23 January 1879), during the Zulu War.
Since 1991, Australia, Canada and New Zealand have created their own separate Victoria Crosses: the Victoria Cross for Australia, the Victoria Cross (Canada), and the Victoria Cross for New Zealand. Only five of these separate medals have been awarded, all for actions in the War in Afghanistan; Willie Apiata received the Victoria Cross for New Zealand on 26 July 2007; on 16 January 2009 Mark Donaldson, on 24 August 2010 Daniel Keighran, on 23 January 2011 Ben Roberts-Smith, and on 13 February 2014 Cameron Baird (posthumous award), were awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia. As these are separate medals, they are not included in this list.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!data-sort-type=text | Recipients
!data-sort-type=text | Unit
!data-sort-type=text | Campaign
!data-sort-type=date | Dates
!data-sort-type=text | Location
|- style="background:#faecc8"
|111 Crimean War recipients‡
|align="center" data-sort-value=""|—
|Crimean War
|data-sort-value="1 January 1854"|1854–1856
|align="center" data-sort-value=""|—
|-
|||20th Bombay Native Infantry||Anglo-Persian War||9 August 1856||Bushire, Persia
|-
|||3rd Bombay Light Cavalry||Anglo-Persian War||8 February 1857||Khoosh-ab, Persia
|-
|||3rd Bombay Light Cavalry||Anglo-Persian War||8 February 1857||Khoosh-ab, Persia
|- style="background:#faecc8"
|182 Indian Mutiny recipients‡
|align="center" data-sort-value=""|—
|Indian Mutiny
|data-sort-value="1 January 1857"|1857–1859
|align="center" data-sort-value=""|—
|-
|||67th Regiment of Foot||Third China War||21 August 1860||Taku Forts, China
|-
|||67th Regiment of Foot||Third China War||21 August 1860||Taku Forts, China
|-
|||67th Regiment of Foot||Third China War||21 August 1860||Taku Forts, China
|-
|||67th Regiment of Foot||Third China War||21 August 1860||Taku Forts, China
|-
|||67th Regiment of Foot||Third China War||21 August 1860||Taku Forts, China
|-
|||44th Regiment of Foot||Third China War||21 August 1860||Taku Forts, China
|-
|||44th Regiment of Foot||Third China War||21 August 1860||Taku Forts, China
|- style="background:#faecc8"
|15 New Zealand Wars recipients‡
|align="center" data-sort-value=""|—
|New Zealand Wars
|data-sort-value="1 January 1860"|1860–1865
|align="center" data-sort-value=""|—
|-
|||Naval Brigade||Taiping Rebellion||9 October 1862||Fenghua, China
|-
|||4th Bengal European Regiment||Umbeyla Campaign||30 October 1863||Crag Picquet, India
|-
|||4th Punjab Infantry||Umbeyla Campaign||30 October 1863||Crag Picquet, India
|-
|||HMS Euryalus||Bombardment of Shimonoseki||6 September 1864||Kanmon Straits, Japan
|-
|||HMS Euryalus||Bombardment of Shimonoseki||6 September 1864||Kanmon Straits, Japan
|-
|||HMS Euryalus||Bombardment of Shimonoseki||6 September 1864||Kanmon Straits, Japan
|-
|||Bengal Engineers||Bhutan War||30 April 1865||Dewan-Giri, India
|-
|||Bengal Engineers||Bhutan War||30 April 1865||Dewan-Giri, India
|-
|||Rifle Brigade||align="center"|—||9 June 1866||Danville, Quebec
|-
|||West India Regiment||The Gambia||30 June 1866||Tubabecelong, Gambia
|-
|||24th Regiment of Foot||Andaman Islands Expedition||7 May 1867||Little Andaman
|-
|||24th Regiment of Foot||Andaman Islands Expedition||7 May 1867||Little Andaman
|-
|||24th Regiment of Foot||Andaman Islands Expedition||7 May 1867||Little Andaman
|-
|||24th Regiment of Foot||Andaman Islands Expedition||7 May 1867||Little Andaman
|-
|||24th Regiment of Foot||Andaman Islands Expedition||7 May 1867||Little Andaman
|-
|||33rd Regiment of Foot||Abyssinian War||13 April 1868||Battle of Magdala, Abyssinia
|-
|||33rd Regiment of Foot||Abyssinian War||13 April 1868||Battle of Magdala, Abyssinia
|-
|||2nd Gurkha Rifles||Looshai Expedition||4 January 1872||Lalgnoora, India
|-
|||24th Regiment of Foot||First Ashanti Expedition||data-sort-value="1 January 1873"|1873–1874||Becquah, Ashanti
|-
|||6th Bengal Cavalry||First Ashanti Expedition||17 January 1874||Abogu, Ashanti
|-
|||42nd Regiment of Foot||First Ashanti Expedition||21 January 1874||Amoaful, Ashanti
|-
|||Corps of Royal Engineers||First Ashanti Expedition||4 February 1874||Ordashu, Ashanti
|-
|||Bengal Staff Corps||Perak War||20 December 1875||Malaya, Malaysia
|-
|||Bengal Staff Corps||Baluchistan||26 July 1877||Quetta, India
|-
|||88th Regiment of Foot||9th Cape Frontier War||29 December 1877||King William's Town, Cape Colony
|- style="background:#faecc8"
|23 Zulu War recipients‡
|align="center" data-sort-value=""|—
|Zulu War
|
|align="center" data-sort-value=""|—
|- style="background:#faecc8"
|16 Second Afghan War recipients‡
|align="center" data-sort-value=""|—
|Second Afghan War
|data-sort-value="1 January 1878"|1878–1880
|align="center" data-sort-value=""|—
|-
|||Cape Mounted Riflemen||Basuto War||8 April 1879||Morosi's Mountain, South Africa
|-
|||Cape Mounted Riflemen||Basuto War||8 April 1879||Morosi's Mountain, South Africa
|-
|||Cape Mounted Riflemen||Basuto War||5 June 1879||Morosi's Mountain, South Africa
|-
|||94th Regiment of Foot||Campaign against Sekukuni||28 November 1879||Sekukuni's Town, South Africa
|-
|||94th Regiment of Foot||Campaign against Sekukuni||28 November 1879||Sekukuni's Town, South Africa
|-
|||Bengal Staff Corps||Second Naga Hills Expedition||22 November 1879||Konama, India
|-
|||1st Cape Mounted Yeomanry||Basuto War||14 January 1881||Tweefontein, South Africa
|-
|||Nourse's Horse||First Boer War||16 January 1881||Elandsfontein, South Africa
|-
|||94th Regiment of Foot||First Boer War||16 January 1881||Elandsfontein, South Africa
|-
|||1st King's Dragoon Guards||First Boer War||28 January 1881||Laing's Nek, South Africa
|-
|||58th Regiment of Foot||First Boer War||28 January 1881||Laing's Nek, South Africa
|-
|||58th Regiment of Foot||First Boer War||22 February 1881||Wesselstroom, South Africa
|-
|||Army Medical Department||First Boer War||27 February 1881||Majubu Hill, South Africa
|-
|||HMS Alexandra||Occupation of Egypt||11 July 1882||Alexandria, Egypt
|-
|||King's Royal Rifle Corps||Occupation of Egypt||5 August 1882||Kafr Dowar, Egypt
|-
|||Highland Light Infantry||Occupation of Egypt||13 September 1882||Tel-el-Kebir, Egypt
|-
|||19th Hussars||Sudan Campaign||29 February 1884||El Teb, Sudan
|-
|||HMS Hecla||Sudan Campaign||29 February 1884||El Teb, Sudan
|-
|||Black Watch||Sudan Campaign||13 March 1884||Tamai, Sudan
|-
|||King's Royal Rifle Corps||Sudan Campaign||13 March 1884||Tamai, Sudan
|-
|||Royal Regiment of Artillery||Sudan Campaign||17 January 1885||Abu Klea, Sudan
|-
|||21st Lancers||Sudan Campaign||2 September 1898||Omdurman, Sudan
|-
|||21st Lancers||Sudan Campaign||2 September 1898||Omdurman, Sudan
|-
|||21st Lancers||Sudan Campaign||2 September 1898||Omdurman, Sudan
|-
|||2nd Dragoon Guards||Sudan Campaign||2 September 1898||Omdurman, Sudan
|-
|||Highland Light Infantry||Sudan Campaign||22 September 1898||Gedarif, Sudan
|-
|||Bombay Medical Service||British rule in Burma||1 January 1889||Karenni, Burma
|-
|||Army Medical Department||British rule in Burma||4 May 1889||Tartan, Burma
|-
|||Indian Staff Corps||Manipur Expedition||data-sort-value="21 March 1891"|21 March 1891 to<br />9 April 1891||Thobal, Burma
|-
|||Corps of Royal Engineers||Hunza-Naga Campaign||2 December 1891||Nilt Fort, India
|-
|||5th Gurkha Rifles||Hunza-Naga Campaign||2 December 1891||Nilt Fort, India
|-
|||5th Gurkha Rifles||Hunza-Naga Campaign||20 December 1891||Nilt Fort, India
|-
|||West India Regiment||The Gambia||13 March 1892||Toniataba, Gambia
|-
|||Army Medical Department||Kachin Hills Expedition||6 January 1893||Fort Sima, Burma
|-
|||Indian Medical Service||Chitral Expedition||3 March 1895||Chitral Fort, India
|-
|||Bulawayo Field Force||Matabeleland Rebellion||30 March 1896||Bulawayo, Rhodesia
|-
|||Bulawayo Field Force||Matabeleland Rebellion||style="background:#e3d9ff;" data-sort-value="22 April 1896"|22 April 1896*||Umguza, Rhodesia
|-
|||Mashonaland Mounted Police||Mashona Rebellion||19 June 1896||Salisbury, Rhodesia
|-
|||22nd Punjab Infantry||Siege of Malakand||26 July 1897||Malakand, India
|-
|||Corps of Royal Engineers||Mohmand Campaign||16 September 1897||Bilot, India
|-
|||Corps of Royal Engineers||Mohmand Campaign||16 September 1897||Bilot, India
|-
|||Corps of Royal Engineers||Mohmand Campaign||16 September 1897||Bilot, India
|-
|||Corps of Guides||Tirah Campaign||17 August 1897||Swat, India
|-
|||Corps of Guides||Tirah Campaign||style="background:#e3d9ff;" data-sort-value="17 August 1897"|17 August 1897*||Swat, India
|-
|||16th Lancers||Tirah Campaign||17 August 1897||Swat, India
|-
|||Sherwood Foresters||Tirah Campaign||20 October 1897||Dargai, India
|-
|||Gordon Highlanders||Tirah Campaign||20 October 1897||Dargai, India
|-
|||Gordon Highlanders||Tirah Campaign||20 October 1897||Dargai, India
|-
|||Dorset Regiment||Tirah Campaign||20 October 1897||Dargai, India
|-
|||HMS Hazard||Occupation of Crete||6 September 1898||Crete, Greece
|-
|||Seaforth Highlanders||Third Ashanti Expedition||6 June 1900||Dompoassi, Ashanti
|-
|||Indian Staff Corps||Third Ashanti Expedition||30 September 1900||Obassa, Ashanti
|-
|||Royal Marine Light Infantry||Boxer Rising||24 June 1900||Peking, China
|-
|||Naval Brigade||Boxer Rising||13 July 1900||China
|- style="background:#faecc8"
|78 Second Boer War recipients‡
|align="center" data-sort-value=""|—
|Second Boer War
|data-sort-value="1 January 1899"|1899–1902
|align="center" data-sort-value=""|—
|-
|||King's African Rifles||Second Somaliland Expedition||6 October 1902||Erego, Somaliland
|-
|||4th Gurkha Rifles||Third Somaliland Expedition||22 April 1903||Daratoleh, Somaliland
|-
|||Rifle Brigade||Third Somaliland Expedition||22 April 1903||Daratoleh, Somaliland
|-
|||1st Bombay Grenadiers||Third Somaliland Expedition||22 April 1903||Daratoleh, Somaliland
|-
|||Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry||Fourth Somaliland Expedition||19 December 1903||Jidballi, Somaliland
|-
|||Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry||Fourth Somaliland Expedition||10 January 1904||Jidballi, Somaliland
|-
|||Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)||Kano-Sokoto Expedition||26 February 1903||Northern Nigeria
|-
|||8th Gurkha Rifles||Armed Mission to Tibet||6 July 1904||Gyantse Fortress
|- style="background:#faecc8"
|627 First World War recipients‡
|align="center" data-sort-value=""|—
|First World War
|data-sort-value="1 January 1914"|1914–1918
|align="center" data-sort-value=""|—
|-
|||HM Coastal Motor Boat 4||North Russia Relief Force||17 June 1919||Kronstadt, Russia
|-
|||Royal Fusiliers||North Russia Relief Force||10 August 1919||Sheika River, Russia
|-
|||HM Coastal Motor Boat 31||North Russia Relief Force||18 August 1919||Kronstadt, Russia
|-
|||HM Coastal Motor Boat 88||North Russia Relief Force||18 August 1919||Kronstadt, Russia
|-
|||Royal Fusiliers||North Russia Relief Force||style="background:#e3d9ff;" data-sort-value="29 August 1919"|29 August 1919*||Emtsa, Russia
|-
|||Indian Medical Service||Waziristan Campaign||style="background:#e3d9ff;" data-sort-value="22 October 1919"|22 October 1919*||Khajuri, Waziristan
|-
|||39th Garhwal Rifles||Waziristan Campaign||style="background:#e3d9ff;" data-sort-value="2 January 1920"|2 January 1920*||Kot Kai, Waziristan
|-
|||28th Punjab Regiment||Waziristan Campaign||10 April 1921||Haidari Kach, Waziristan
|-
|||Manchester Regiment||Arab Revolt||style="background:#e3d9ff;" data-sort-value="24 July 1920"|24 July 1920*||Hillah, Mesopotamia
|-
|||12th Frontier Force Regiment||Second Mohmand Campaign||style="background:#e3d9ff;" data-sort-value="29 September 1935"|29 September 1935*||Mamund Valley, India
|- style="background:#faecc8"
|181 Second World War recipients‡
|align="center" data-sort-value=""|—
|Second World War
|data-sort-value="1 January 1939"|1939–1945
|align="center" data-sort-value=""|—
|-
|||Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders||Korean War||style="background:#e3d9ff;" data-sort-value="23 September 1950"|23 September 1950*||Songju, Korea
|-
|||Gloucestershire Regiment||Korean War||data-sort-value="22 April 1951"|22–23 April 1951||Imjin River, Korea
|-
|||Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry||Korean War||style="background:#e3d9ff;" data-sort-value="22 April 1951"|22–23 April 1951*||Imjin River, Korea
|-
|||Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)||Korean War||4 November 1951||Hill 217, Korea
|-
|||10th Gurkha Rifles||Malaysia-Indonesia Confrontation||21 November 1965||Sarawak, Borneo
|-
|||Australian Army Training Team Vietnam||Vietnam War||style="background:#e3d9ff;" data-sort-value="13 November 1965"|13 November 1965*||Tra Bong, Vietnam
|-
|||Australian Army Training Team Vietnam||Vietnam War||style="background:#e3d9ff;" data-sort-value="23 February 1967"|23 February 1967<br />7 March 1967<br />7 April 1967*||Huong Tra, Vietnam
|-
|||Australian Army Training Team Vietnam||Vietnam War||data-sort-value="6 May 1969"|6–11 May 1969||Kon Tum province, Vietnam
|-
|||Australian Army Training Team Vietnam||Vietnam War||24 May 1969||Ben Het, Vietnam
|-
|||Parachute Regiment||Falklands War||style="background:#e3d9ff;" data-sort-value="28 May 1982"|28 May 1982*||Goose Green, Falkland Islands
|-
|||Parachute Regiment||Falklands War||style="background:#e3d9ff;" data-sort-value="12 June 1982"|12 June 1982*||Mount Longdon, Falkland Islands
|-
|||Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment||Iraq War||data-sort-value="1 May 2004"|1 May 2004<br />11 June 2004||Al-Amarah, Iraq
|-
|||Parachute Regiment||War in Afghanistan||style="background:#e3d9ff;" data-sort-value="27 July 2006"|27 July 2006<br />20 August 2006*||Sangin, Afghanistan
|-
|||Grenadier Guards||War in Afghanistan||style="background:#e3d9ff;" data-sort-value="13 June 2012"|13 June 2012*||Nahiri Saraj District, Afghanistan
|-
|||Parachute Regiment||War in Afghanistan||22 August 2013||Helmand Province, Afghanistan
|}
Notes
- A Between 1858 and 1881, the Victoria Cross could be awarded for actions taken "under circumstances of extreme danger" not in the face of the enemy. O'Hea single-handedly put out a fire in an ammunition cart, and was awarded the VC for that action. This rule was changed in 1881 to allow only acts "in the presence of the enemy".
- B 628 Medals were awarded to 627 recipients. Two Bars were awarded; Noel Godfrey Chavasse was awarded the Victoria Cross and Bar for two separate actions; Arthur Martin-Leake was awarded a VC in the Second Boer War, and his Bar for actions in the First World War.
- C 182 medals were awarded to 181 recipients; Charles Upham was awarded the Victoria Cross and Bar.
References
;General
;Specific