For all of you who are interested in such things, I just thought I would let you know that there are only 23, Victoria Cross Recipients still living. This is minus the 5 who have passed away in this last year to year and a half. Most are ww2 vets, but some are vets from other wars like the Vietnam War. If any of you have any interest of knowing at least one V.C Recipient, I strongly suggest you contact them.
I have met the LAST serviving Canadian recipiant of the Victoria Cross, althought it was very brief. Mr. Smith is one of the most interesting men I have had the privilage to meet. I find it very regretable that I more of the general public don't share in my interests in meeting the vets and talking with them or just listening to what they have to say.
I dont know any VC recipients though 2 ex pupils of my school earned them (WW1 and Boar War). I was lucky enough to do work experience at the Royal Artillery Museum in London where I learned a lot about the exploits of 2 VC recipients, 2nd LT Ward Gunn and Halividar Umrau Singh. The former died protecting his 2pdr in the desert after destroying several german tanks by himself. The latter was in Burmah and defended his gun against an attack by a Japanese companie sized unit. He began using a Bren, then when that ran out he closed with them (amazing in its self, a lone man moving towards a charging companie) and used his bayonet despite being wounded. The Japanese retreated as Singh was re-inforced shortly after and was found, wemi concious by his gun bearing 7 sevear wounds and surrounded by over 30 dead Japanese and his dead and wounded gun crew. He is a man I have one hell of a lot of respect for, he is also still alive aged about 108 and was invited to attend the opening of the museum but didnt (apparently he was bowling in a cricket match though I have a feeling someone was trying to have me on). What gets me is the matter of fact way in which recipients of most bravery awards explain what they did and say things like 'I didnt do anything special, I did what I had to what anyone would do'. I honestly dont think I would attack a kompanie of Japanese armed with a bayonet or hang around and try to pick off attacking Panzers with a 2pdr gun on my own either. I cant think of many people who would.
Thanks to my good friend Paul Errington from England, I have a book on the Durham Light Infantry that is signed by Captain Richard Wallace Annand V.C. Captain Annand is 86 and lives in or near London (Durham) Try writing to him, he is anice gentleman.
If none of you are from Sydney, you probably don't know that Sir (Arthur) Roden Cutlen VC died a couple of weeks ago. He won his VC fighting the Vichy French in Syria. We have only living 2 VC winners left in Australia now. One is a WW2 vet from Victoria. The other is WO2 Keith Payne, who lives in Queensland. My (TV) company interviewed Keith for a documentary a couple of years ago. But it had nothing to do with the military. Strangely enough, he is also one of the few Australians to have ever been badly poisoned by a platypus!
Do you know something. I never realsied that VCs were awarded to people from other nations of the Commonwealth. I just assumed it was for those serving in the British Army. You learn something new everyday.
Thanks for the update. Im hoping to get enough info about Captain Richard Wallace Annand VC-to have Otto post here for me.
Bish, Australians can no longer win the VC. We've always had a rule against accepting decorations administered by foreign governments, but in the past, those awarded by the Crown were exmept from this. So Aussies could get VCs, knighthoods, OBEs and so forth. But not since the rules changed in the early 80s. To replace it, the Australian Victoria Cross (AVC) has been created. But so far, thank God, there hasn't been cause to award one.
Yes, it's true. See my last answer. There has been some political lobbying to award a posthumous AVC to one John Simpson, who was a medic at Gallipoli. He's a bit of a legendary figure in the ANZAC story, thanks to a timely newspaper article during the campaign. He's grown into a bit of a symbol of courage in adversity and 'mateship'. In fact, it's a bit hard to sort fact from fiction in some ways, kind of like Robin Hood or Jesse James. Thankfully, the powers that be have resisted the calls to award Simpson the first AVC. They feel (correctly IMHO) that awarding the medal because of who someone was and what they have come to represent, rather than according to the strict guidelines of the award, is a bad start to the decoration's history.
Make that 24-i just received news that an SAS soldier is secretly going to receive the VC for his part in flushing out the Al-Qaeda in the Afghani Mountains. He will never be named!!!
Really? I wonder how they'll get around that? Part of the requirement for the award is that the recipient be publicly named in the London Gazette.
Well, SAS members have won it before. I believe they are named under there original unit. Incidentally, is this a first. It was anouced tonight that 5 members of the SBS are to get the CMH.
Thants what I just heard too. A new VC and a few new MoH, to add to our lists................... Im as happy as a Bollweevil who managed to escape a Bollweevil trap. [ 25 March 2002: Message edited by: C.Evans ]</p>
Honestly-it was in the article,due to his units occupation in this comparatively secret war-and teh full actions by which he will be awarded the VC, the editors at the London Gazette have complied with the SAS and are keeping his name out of their papers
check http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=324392002&rware=IXWDPMAETYJW&CQ_CUR_DOCUMENT=3 Sounds like a helluva fight... Yesterday also in the Dutch papers that the Commander of the Dutch Commandos was really p****d off that his commandos hadn't seen any action yet. That the SF of half of Europe's nations are there and kicking butt, but they are still doing nuthing. He is lobbying now to get them involved...getting political about it... Soz, this is off topic, but too show that there are capable men who wanna go after the al-quida bastards... [ 26 March 2002: Message edited by: Stevin Oudshoorn ]</p>
I believe the MoH has been awarded to foreigners before. The Americans are a little freer with their awards than the Brits. But VCs and MoHs have been exchanged once before. The British officially awarded a VC to the American Unknown Soldier and the Americans gave a MoH to the British one.
Hello Bish-as a matter of fact--some forigners were awarded the CMoH. I know several Philippinos who were and I think a few Brits and maybe someone from France.