The Victoria Crosses That Saved An Empire

Author : Brian Best
Publisher : Frontline Books
Page : 282 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 2016-06-19
Category : History
ISBN : 9781473857070

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The Victoria Crosses that Saved an Empire by Brian Best Pdf

The Indian Mutiny struck at the very heart of the British Empire. If India was lost the whole edifice of British domination across its colonies was in jeopardy. Everything was at stake, Britains leading role in the word, its international commerce and the reputation of its armed forces. Across the globe Britain ruled only through the compliance of the subordinate nations but if India could throw off the imperialist yolk others might also rebel. The very fate of the Empire hung in the balance.The situation was considered to be so serious that the British authorities extended the warrant of the newly-created Victoria Cross to include anyone, even civil servants, who performed prodigious acts of valour to save India, and save the Empire.A total 182 VCs were awarded during the Mutiny, the same number as in the whole of the Second World War, climaxing in one day at Lucknow when twenty-four men displayed extraordinary valour to raise the siege the most VCs ever won in a single day.This is the story of those few months between May 1857 and June 1858 when the world turned its gaze upon the jewel in Victorias crown and 182 men soldier, sailor and civilian wrote their names into the history books.

Author : John Grehan
Publisher : Frontline Books
Page : 214 pages
File Size : 48,6 Mb
Release : 2016-10-31
Category : History
ISBN : 9781473851726

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The First VCs by John Grehan Pdf

Officers led and men followed; all were expected to do their duty without thought of reward. Enlisted men rarely penetrated the officer ranks and promotion owed more to money than merit. Then came the Crimean War.The incompetence and ineffectiveness of the senior officers contrasted sharply with the bravery of the lower ranks. Fuelled by the reports from the first-ever war correspondents which were read by an increasingly literate public, the mumblings of discontent rapidly grew into a national outcry. Questions were asked in Parliament, answers were demanded by the press why were the heroes of the Alma, Inkerman and the Charge of the Light Brigade not being recognised? Something had be done.That something was the introduction of an award that would be of such prestige it would be sought by all men from the private to the Field Marshal. It would be the highest possible award for valour in the face of the enemy and it bore the name of the Queen for whom the men fought.This is the story of how the first Victoria Crosses were attained in the heat of the most deadly conflict of the nineteenth century. It is also an examination of how the definition of courage, as recognised by the awarding of VCs, evolved, from saving the regimental colours at the Alma to saving a comrade in the No Mans Land before Sevastopol.

Author : Michael Ashcroft
Publisher : Biteback Publishing
Page : 310 pages
File Size : 45,9 Mb
Release : 2016-11-08
Category : History
ISBN : 9781785901409

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Victoria Cross Heroes: Volume II by Michael Ashcroft Pdf

Foreword by Lance-Sergeant Johnson Beharry VC THE VICTORIA CROSS is Britain and the Commonwealth's most prestigious gallantry medal for courage in the face of the enemy. It has been bestowed upon 1,355 heroic individuals from all walks of life since its creation during the Crimean War. Lord Ashcroft, who has been fascinated with bravery since he was a young boy, now owns 200 VCs, by far the largest collection of its kind in the world. Following on from the bestselling Victoria Cross Heroes, first published in 2006 to mark the 150th anniversary of the award, Victoria Cross Heroes: Volume II gives extraordinary accounts of the bravery behind the newest additions to Lord Ashcroft's VC collection - those decorations purchased in the last decade. With nearly sixty action-packed stories of courageous soldiers, sailors and airmen from a range of global conflicts including the Indian Mutiny of 1857-58, the Second Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902 and the First and Second World Wars, this book is a powerful testament to the strength of the human spirit and a worthy tribute to the servicemen who earned the Victoria Cross. Their inspirational deeds of valour and self-sacrifice should be championed and never forgotten.

Author : Lara Kriegel
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 365 pages
File Size : 47,9 Mb
Release : 2022-02-17
Category : History
ISBN : 9781108842228

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The Crimean War and its Afterlife by Lara Kriegel Pdf

Rescuing the Crimean War from the shadows, Lara Kriegel demonstrates the centrality of a Victorian war to the making of modern Britain.

Author : Brian Best
Publisher : Frontline Books
Page : 216 pages
File Size : 47,9 Mb
Release : 2020-09-30
Category : History
ISBN : 9781526772497

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Unrewarded Courage by Brian Best Pdf

The Victoria Cross is the most exclusive and prestigious of all gallantry awards. In order to retain this exclusivity, the standard of courage, endeavor or sacrifice required for a recommendation to be accepted for the award of the VC must be of the highest possible order. This has meant that many extremely courageous acts have failed to be rewarded with the VC, even though they appear to be just as remarkable in the level of danger and daring as some of those which were accepted for the medal. The reason for this, is that the awarding of the VC, indeed even the acknowledgment from a commanding officer that an individual’s action merits submission to the selection board, is entirely subjective. What one general might consider to be of exceptional valor might be regarded by another senior officer as merely a soldier carrying out his duty. When Trooper Clement Roberts rode into the thick of battle in South Africa to rescue a young war reporter who had been thrown from his horse, little did he know that he was saving the life of Britain’s future wartime Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill. Recommended for the VC, Roberts was eventually awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. Similarly, following the airborne operation at Arnhem in the Second World War, Captain Michael Dauncey was recommended by three other officers for the award of the Victoria Cross. These appeals, however, were rejected. The reasons behind the failure to award Lieutenant Colonel Paddy Mayne, a member of 1st SAS Regiment, the VC, despite repeated calls for his actions to be recognized in such a manner, was the subject of an Early Day Motion put before the House of Commons as recently as June 2005. Following the airborne operation at Arnhem in the Second World War, Captain Michael Dauncey was recommended by three other officers for the award of the Victoria Cross. These appeals, however, were rejected. The reasons behind the failure to award Lieutenant Colonel Paddy Mayne, a member of 1st SAS Regiment, the VC, despite repeated calls for his actions to be recognized in such a manner, was the subject of an Early Day Motion put before the House of Commons as recently as June 2005. In this revealing and unique analysis of actions that did not result in the award of the VC, despite recommendations to this effect, Brian Best has highlighted the uneven decisions made throughout the decades and in campaigns around the globe, that led to some men becoming national heroes and others, equally courageous, being merely footnotes in history.

Author : Frank Jastrzembski
Publisher : Casemate Publishers
Page : 259 pages
File Size : 55,7 Mb
Release : 2017-05-30
Category : History
ISBN : 9781473866829

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Valentine Baker's Heroic Stand at Tashkessen 1877 by Frank Jastrzembski Pdf

There are moments in the past of many a man's career that stand out clear and defined after the lapse of even many years: life pictures, the very memory of which brings back a glorious thrill of pride and pleasure. This is the feeling which vibrates through me still, when I recall that last and closing scene that crowned the hard-fought fight at Tashkessen.History has best remembered Valentine Baker for his embarrassments. In 1875, he was accused of sexual assault and dismissed from the British Army. In 1884, he suffered an embarrassing defeat at the Battle of El Teb. But what about Baker's positive achievements?The most underappreciated event that took place in his controversial life came during the Russo-Turkish War in 1877. The exiled Baker, in command of 3,000 Ottoman soldiers, was dispatched to the village of Tashkessen to stall 25,000 advancing Russian soldiers. Through his superb leadership and brilliant disposition of his troops, Baker was able to score a victory.The Spartan stand of Baker and his command has gained little recognition. Despite this modern obscurity, Baker's performance at Tashkessen was applauded by his contemporaries as a model of tactical leadership and heroism. This is the exhilarating tale of how Valentine Baker was able to find redemption at Tashkessen.

Author : William Wright
Publisher : Amberley Publishing Limited
Page : 633 pages
File Size : 51,6 Mb
Release : 2024-03-15
Category : History
ISBN : 9781445684703

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Victorian Epic by William Wright Pdf

Explores one of the most dramatic episodes in British military history - and 24 VCs won in a single day.

Author : John Nadler
Publisher : Penguin Canada
Page : 304 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2014-09-23
Category : History
ISBN : 9780143193142

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Valour Road by John Nadler Pdf

The First World War lasted for four years and three months. And when it ended on November 11, 1918, the people of Pine Street, a sleepy avenue on the outskirts of Winnipeg, came to a startling realization. During the course of the conflict, young Leo Clarke, Robert Shankland, and Fred Hall, all from their street, had each received the Victoria Cross, the highest award for bravery at that time. Such a phenomenon has never been repeated anywhere in the former British empire. Accessing original documents in his research—such as the wartime diary of Leo’s brother, Charlie, official war records, and general history—author John Nadler constructs a story of the three heroic soldiers, their families, and the enormous impact of WWI on a young Canada. This historic concurrence was so meaningful that a statue was erected in Winnipeg in tribute to these three ordinary soldiers, and their street was renamed Valour Road in their honour.

Author : Kevin Brazier
Publisher : Casemate Publishers
Page : 450 pages
File Size : 51,6 Mb
Release : 2015-09-30
Category : History
ISBN : 9781473872066

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The Complete Victoria Cross by Kevin Brazier Pdf

This fully revised paperback edition of the complete chronological record of VC holders is an essential work of reference for every student of military history. All the British and Commonwealth servicemen who have been awarded the highest honour for exceptional acts of bravery and self-sacrifice are commemorated here. The first VCs awarded for the Crimean War and in the nineteenth-century colonial wars are described, as are the VCs awarded in the world wars of the twentieth century and the most recent VCs awarded during present-day conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The extraordinary exploits recounted in this fascinating book make unforgettable reading.

Author : Thomas Henry Kavanagh
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 238 pages
File Size : 45,6 Mb
Release : 1860
Category : Delhi (India)
ISBN : OXFORD:600018487

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How I Won the Victoria Cross by Thomas Henry Kavanagh Pdf

Author : Thomas Henry Kavanagh VC
Publisher : Pickle Partners Publishing
Page : 197 pages
File Size : 53,6 Mb
Release : 2014-08-15
Category : History
ISBN : 9781782894797

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How I Won My Victoria Cross [Illustrated Edition] by Thomas Henry Kavanagh VC Pdf

[Illustrated with over one hundred maps, photos and portraits, of the battles, individuals and places involved in the Indian Mutiny] The siege of Lucknow remains, even after one hundred and fifty years have passed, the most iconic struggle of the Indian Mutiny of 1857; the British, their families and loyal sepoys were surrounded in the rambling buildings of the Residence. Other British forces were on their way to relieve the garrison, which was surrounded by 10,000 furious rebel troops and internally wracked by hunger, filth, cholera, dysentery and small pox. The question remained, would the relieving forces be able to reach the beleaguered men women and children in Lucknow in time? A hero emerged from the unlikeliest source; among the non-combatant civil service men holed up in the residence was an Irishman named Thomas Henry Kavanagh inspired by the chance to win undying glory. “I resolved to die in the struggle,” he writes, “rather than survive it with no better fame than I took into it.” He engaged in every dirty and dangerous job during the siege; leading a group of fellow civil service volunteers as a mobile reserve around the most embattled parts of the fortifications, manning field mortars, counter-tunnelling against a bomb attempt by the rebels. However, his lasting fame rests on his epic quest to escape the garrison disguised as a sepoy, and guide the relieving forces into the city of Lucknow and past the defences of the mutineers. This journey was as difficult as one can imagine and forms the subject of this famous book; the perilous journey would be recognized as one of the bravest feats of the entire conflict Kavanagh was awarded the coveted Victoria Cross for outstanding bravery, one of only five civilians to ever do so.

Author : Jonathan Fennell
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 967 pages
File Size : 49,6 Mb
Release : 2019-01-24
Category : History
ISBN : 9781107030954

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Fighting the People's War by Jonathan Fennell Pdf

Jonathan Fennell captures for the first time the true wartime experience of the ordinary soldiers from across the empire who made up the British and Commonwealth armies. He analyses why the great battles were won and lost and how the men that fought went on to change the world.

Author : Brian Best
Publisher : Pen and Sword
Page : 599 pages
File Size : 46,7 Mb
Release : 2017-03-30
Category : History
ISBN : 9781473887381

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The Victoria Cross Wars by Brian Best Pdf

The British Empire at its height stretched around the globe. From Asia to the Americas, scores of countries were conquered or assimilated into the greatest commonwealth of nations in history. Many of these countries were won, and held, at the point of the bayonet, and British soldiers and sailors fought long and hard campaigns in deserts, mountains and jungles to maintain and expand the Empire. Fighting, though, means bloodshed; it also means bravery. Victoria Crosses were awarded in operations against Persia, Abyssinia and China, in New Zealand, Burma and Sudan, in the Perak War, the Andaman Islands Expedition and the Mashona Rebellion to name but a few of the forty-four different campaigns of the colonial era.The Victoria Cross Wars explains Britains involvement in these little-known and forgotten campaigns and details the battles and engagements that resulted in the granting of the most highly regarded award for valor in the face of the enemy. The greater conflicts of the twentieth century receive due treatment as do more recent operations in the troubled parts of the world.A total of 1,358 VCs have been awarded since the cross of valor was first instituted in 1855, the latest of which was announced in February 2015. The stories behind the awarding of these medals have been repeated in countless anthologies but The Victoria Cross Wars explains not just what the men did, but why they were there and what they were fighting for.

Author : Peter Francis Kenny
Publisher : Xlibris Corporation
Page : 1847 pages
File Size : 41,9 Mb
Release : 2015-05-27
Category : History
ISBN : 9781503505841

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We Who Proudly Served by Peter Francis Kenny Pdf

Although Australia is only a young country in comparison to other nations, it can hold its head up high and proudly proclaim that it is one of the giants in this world of toil and trouble in which we live. When the odds are stacked against Australians, they dont turn and run; instead, they stand and fight and overcome the obstacles that face them. The contents of this volume are a tribute to all the men and women of this proud and great country, who have come from all walks of life to give of their time, and unfortunately, some have even given their lives, to defend this great land and keep it free. There have been politicians, doctors, nurses, police officers, average everyday citizens, musicians, actors, artists, farmers, graziers, authors, sportsmen and women, journalists, and a host of others who have taken up the cause for their country and the monarchy, serving from the Crimean to the war in Vietnam and beyond. Their heroic deeds and their many sacrifices have ensured that todays generation can rest easier, proud in the knowledge that these servicemen and women have paved the way for our freedom. Now they come together once again as one big family to shed an insight on their achievements so that you can fully understand and appreciate what they have and had experienced. I dedicate this work to the memory of all those who have made the supreme sacrifice in order that we may live in peace and prosperity and also to the families of those who did not return. The book is not a glorification of war but a glorification of the individual and his or her actions and deeds.

Author : Various
Publisher : DigiCat
Page : 404 pages
File Size : 42,6 Mb
Release : 2022-06-03
Category : History
ISBN : EAN:8596547040422

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Brave British soldiers and the Victoria Cross by Various Pdf

Samuel Orchart Beeton describes the acts and deeds of brave soldiers that won them the highest award "the prize of valor." This book aims to sustain the bravery that exists in youthfulness in the experience of manhood. It encourages the essence of showcasing braveness and loyalty when it truly matters. This book is worthy of a read by every citizen of a country since it promotes loyalty towards one's nation – even outside the shores of the country.