Instituted:
January 1856
Description:
A cross pattee. (Obverse) a lion statant gardant
on the royal crown, with the words FOR VALOUR
on a semi circular scroll. (Reverse) a circular
panel. The cross is suspended by a ring from
a seriffed 'V' attached to a suspension bar
decorated with laurel leaves.
Bar:
A sliding bar decorated with laurel leaves.
Ribbon:
Crimson
Comments:
Only three people have been awarded the Victoria
Cross twice: Noel Chavasse and Arthur Martin-Leake,
both members of The Royal Army Medical Corps,
and New Zealander Charles Upham. The second
award is designated by a bar worn on the suspension
ribbon of the decoration and this is known
as a "VC and Bar".
Noel
Chavasse
was during the First World War, a captain
with the Royal Army Medical Corps. He was
awarded his VC and Bar for his actions on
August 9, 1916, at Guillemont, France and
during the period July 31 to August 2, 1917,
at Wieltje, Belgium. During these actions
he attended to the wounded whilst under fire
and after being shot himself. Chavasse died
of his wounds in Brandhoek.
Lieutenant-Colonel
Arthur Martin-Leake
was a surgeon captain in the Royal Army Medical
Corps, during the South African War (Boer
War). He was awarded his VC and Bar for actions
on 8 February 1902, at Vlakfontein, South
Africa, and during the period 29 October to
8 November 1914 near Zonnebeke. Martin-Leake
attended to wounded men under heavy enemy
fire, even after being shot himself.
Captain
Charles Hazlitt Upham
was a New Zealand soldier. He won the VC and
Bar in Crete in March 1941 and for his actions
on July 14 and 15, 1942. On both occasions
he displayed outstanding gallantry in fighting
the Germans even after being badly wounded.
He was eventually captured and branded ‘dangerous’
by the Germans for his continual escape attempts
and he was incarcerated in the infamous Oflag
IV-C (Colditz) on October 14 1944. When King
George VI inquired of Major-General Howard
Kippenberger whether Upham deserved a bar
to the cross, Kippenberger replied: "In
my respectful opinion, sir, Upham has won
the VC several times over".y
reproduction
