Awarded For Valour

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.

Based on primary source research, this is the most comprehensive history of the Victoria Cross available, tracing the evolution of the award from its inception in 1856 to the most recent bestowals. The study also examines the evolution of the concept of heroism and how the definition of heroism changed along with the nature of warfare.

Recounts the actions and experiences of decorated Canadian troops who landed on Juno Beach on D-Day.

Based on primary source research, Awarded for Valour is the most comprehensive history of the Victoria Cross available, tracing the evolution of the award from its inception in 1856 to the most recent bestowals in the twenty-first century. The study examines the evolution of the concept of heroism as well, analyzing the nature of the acts that won the VC and how the definition of heroism changed along with the nature of warfare.

The Victoria Cross is the most famous decoration for bravery in the world, its prestige rivalled only by the Medal of Honor. Other awards recognise courage in dangerous (but not combat) circumstances, among them the George Cross and Canada's Cross of Valour. But how is bravery measured? Is valour "in the presence of an enemy" more deserving than valour away from combat? Do all brave persons receive the honours they deserve? Where does "duty" end and "above the call of duty" begin? Has courage sometimes been confused with recklessness? This book examines recommendations for VCs and similar awards, asking why some were approved and some not. It explores factors such as service politics, evolving perceptions "extreme danger" and the role of personalities who sponsored or opposed recommendations. The author questions campaigns to award posthumous honours years after the event in attempts to rewrite history. Such lobbying in the United States resulted in bestowal of the Medal of Honor on Theodore Roosevelt 82 years after his death. Similar actions are proposed in the case of VCs for Australian, British and New Zealand heroes decades after the First and Second World Wars, purportedly to "re-right" historic injustices. Halliday revisits the controversy of Billy Bishop's VC (1917) and sheds new light on VCs awarded after the 1942 Dieppe Raid. He includes a provocative chapter on Canadian honours and awards, suggesting that current Canadian definitions of valour and service are more generous than those prevailing in other countries.

It was the events of the Crimean War that changed everything. Until that time, those serving in Britain’s army or navy had been expected to do their duty without thought of recognition or reward, particularly the men in the lower ranks. Fueled by reports from the first ever war correspondents, which were read by an increasingly literate public, the mumblings of discontent over how the gallantry and valor of the ordinary man was recognized 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 officially acknowledged? Something had to 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 most junior private to a Field Marshal. It would be the highest possible award for valor in the face of the enemy and it bore the name of the Queen for whom the men fought – The Victoria Cross. Since the VC was instituted in January 1856, it has been awarded 1,358 times to 1,355 individual recipients. Those men were thrown into wars and campaigns around the globe, from the seas and skies around the UK to the deserts of Africa and the sweltering jungles of the Far East. The two world wars saw the most VCs awarded – 628 in the First and 182 in the Second. Only fifteen medals, eleven to members of the British Army, and four to the Australian Army, have been awarded since the Second World War. In this highly-illustrated work, the renowned Victoria Cross historian and author Brian Best examines the introduction and evolution of the VC, along with some of the fascinating individuals and remarkable acts of valor associated with it, through an intriguing collection of 100 objects.

For Valour tells the remarkable stories of the 100 Australians who have been awarded the Victoria Cross for exceptional acts of bravery and self-sacrifice in battle. From Captain Neville Howse of the New South Wales Army Medical Corps in 1900 to Corporal Cameron Baird of the 2nd Commando Regiment in 2013, heroic actions in the Boer War appear alongside those from the First World War, North Russia, the Second World War, Vietnam and Afghanistan. Vivid descriptions of events on the battlefield are matched with biographical profiles of each of the recipients to provide insights into their lives outside wartime service. With a foreword from Daniel Keighran VC, new archival research and striking photographs and artworks from the Australian War Memorial, For Valour commemorates the servicemen who have been awarded the military's highest honour.