Victoria's Cross: The Untold Story of Britain's Highest Award for Bravery

Victoria's Cross: The Untold Story of Britain's Highest Award for Bravery

Language: English

Pages: 352

ISBN: 1843542706

Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub


This controversial book, by one of the UK's finest military historians, reveals the squalid truth about Britain's highest military honor, exposing a shameful history of racism, misogyny, and political expediency. When 25-year old Private Johnson Beharry won the Victoria Cross in 2005 for bravery under fire in Iraq, he was the first person to win Britain's highest military honor since the Falklands war in 1982 and the first living recipient since 1969, when two Australians were given the award for action in Vietnam. Born out of the squalor of the Crimean War in 1856 and the fragility of the monarchy at that time, the VC's prestige is such that it takes precedence over all other orders and medals in Britain. But while many books have been written about specific aspects of the VC and its recipients, none have asked why so many brave men who deserved the medal were denied it, and why no women have ever been awarded the VC, even though they are entitled. Military historian Gary Mead's vivid and balanced account of the VC's life and times exposes the hypocrisy behind one of the UK's last sacred cows, and explores its role as a barometer for the shifting sands of political and social change during the last 150 years.

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To their exceeding the ration. A similar board has been established in the USA where today awards are being made for deserving acts in World War I which had been missed for various reasons.35 Removing quotas and rewarding all courageous acts, perhaps graded according to degrees of bravery, would certainly mean many more medals given out; but this need not entail the kind of cheapening seen with the Iron Cross or the Croix de Guerre. Unfortunately, the British armed forces continue to support.

(and civilians) being eligible since 1921. 15. Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry on 21 February, 2007. A politically useful VC in an unpopular war.

Distinguishing the bravest men in the army. Every officer will prize it, and none the less because it will be worn by the men; because there is nothing brave men recognise more cordially than bravery in others.44 This democratic promise has been lost sight of in the determination to avoid cheapening the VC. 2 A Most Grand, Gratifying Day ‘There is nothing so stupid as a gallant officer.’ DUKE OF WELLINGTON1 ‘We have moved a step. Valour in Private Jones is to be alike distinguished with.

The NZC’s land-grabbing rapacity. An eager imperialist, Heaphy volunteered his services to the local militia, whose task – backed by regular British forces – was to repress local resistance. He learned the Maori language and, according to his obituary in The Times, ‘by his judicious mediations he prevented much native heartburning and bitterness of spirit towards the colonists’.33 Judiciousness was in scant evidence in 1864. On 11 February that year, the now Captain Heaphy was in command of a.

Knocked out the tank. A second German tank then appeared at a railway underpass; Byce realized that if he could destroy it in the underpass, it would block other tanks from attacking his position. He went forward with another soldier to a house which was a point of vantage, but found it occupied by the enemy. Sergeant Byce and his companion cleared the building with hand grenades, but by this time the tank was through and moving on to his position. He ordered his platoon to let the four enemy.

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