David Harvey - Monuments To Courage

My abiding passion in military history is the history of the Victoria Cross and its winners. This is a two volume set which deals with every single winner of the 1351 winners of the highest award for valour for those serving in The British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.

The first award was made to Midshipman Charles Lucas, for throwing overboard a live shell that landed on the deck of HMS Hecla in 1856 during the Crimean War.

Since the book was written there have been a further two awards of the VC to Johnson_Beharry and Bryan Budd.

When the first medals were awarded there were two different coloured ribbons used - Blue for the Royal Navy and Red for the Army. This has now changed and only the Red Ribbon is now used.

There have been only 3 awards of the VC and bar in the history of the medal and the three winners are Noel Chavasse, Charles Upham and Arthur Martin–Leake.

Also up until 1920 it was possible for a VC winner to be stripped of his award, if convicted of a criminal offence. In all 8 men suffered this punishment. But King George V decreed that a VC winner would still be entitled to retain his medal, and could wear it on the scaffold if convicted of murder.

The volumes contain details of all the actions that led to the award of the VC and also details and pictures of their gravestones (where applicable). The books also contain pictures of the winners and details of where the medals are available for public view. The two volume set is expensive, but is an invaluable reference source.

David Harvey - Monuments To Courage
Hardcover: 900 pages
Publisher: Naval & Military Press Ltd (April 2000)
ISBN 1843423561