Canadian Recipients of the Victoria Cross

The Victoria Cross (VC), instituted in 1856 by Queen Victoria, is the Commonwealth's premier military decoration for gallantry. It is awarded in recognition of the most exceptional bravery displayed in the presence of the enemy, although in rare instances the decoration has been given to mark other courageous acts. In total, there have been 99 Canadian recipients of the Victoria Cross. In 1993, Canada adopted its own national version of the Victoria Cross. The Canadian VC has not yet been awarded.

The Victoria Cross, instituted 1856 by Queen Victoria, is the Commonwealth's premier military decoration for gallantry. It is awarded in recognition of the most exceptional bravery displayed in the presence of the enemy.

Private Michael J. O`Rourke,7th Canadian Infantry Battalion, was awarded the Victoria Cross while serving as a stretcher-bearer during the fighting for Hill 70 in 1917. He had been already received the Military Medal for heroism during the Battle of the Somme in 1916. Here he is wearing the ribbons for both medals.

Born in Horton Bluff, NS, Hall won the Victoria Cross

Major David Currie (second from right, pistol in hand) oversees the surrender of German soldiers in Saint Lambert-sur-Dives, 19 August 1944. Currie was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions that day.

The awarding of the original Victoria Cross was suspended in Canada in 1972, but on 2 February 1993 Queen Elizabeth II approved the creation of a Canadian VC. In design it resembles the original except for the Latin inscription.

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The first recipients of the Victoria Cross (VC) saw action in the Crimean War. Among them was a Canadian lieutenant, Alexander Roberts Dunn, who was awarded the VC for heroism during the charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava. Another early recipient was William Hall, who in 1859 became the first Black and the first Canadian naval recipient of the Victoria Cross.

Over the years, there have been 99 Canadian recipients (living and posthumous) of the Victoria Cross. This includes Canadians who were attached to the forces of other Commonwealth countries and some non-Canadians serving in Canadian units. The decoration is in the form of a bronze cross patée bearing the royal crest and the words "For Valour." The ribbon is dark crimson.

The awarding of the medal was dropped in 1972 when the Canadian Decorations for Bravery were created (Cross of Valour, Star of Courage, Medal of Bravery). However, in April 1987, Brian Mulroney's Conservative government asked the deputy director of the Chancellory of Canadian Orders and Decorations to consider its reinstatement.

In 1993, Queen Elizabeth II approved the creation of three Military Valour Decorations: a Canadian VC, Star of Military Valour and Medal of Military Valour. The Canadian VC has the same criteria as the original British decoration. It resembles the original VC except that the Latin inscription Pro Valore replaces the equivalent English inscription "For Valour." No Canadian VCs have yet been awarded. Since September 2021, there has been a campaign to award the VC to Jess Larochelle, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan.

Canadian Victoria Cross Recipients

Name	Date of Action	Conflict
Alexander R. Dunn	1854	Battle of Balaclava, Crimean War
William N. Hall	1857	Indian Rebellion of 1857
Herbert T. Reade	1857	Indian Rebellion of 1857
Campbell M. Douglas	1867	Andaman Islands Expedition
Raymond H.L.J. de Montmorency	1898	Battle of Omdurman, Sudan Campaign
Hampden Z.C. Cockburn	1900	South African (Boer) War
Edward J.G. Holland	1900	South African (Boer) War
William H.S. Nickerson	1900	South African (Boer) War
Arthur H.L. Richardson	1900	South African (Boer) War
Richard E.W. Turner	1900	South African (Boer) War
Edward D. Bellew	1915	First World War
Frederick W. Campbell	1915	First World War
Frederick Fisher	1915	First World War
Benjamin Geary	1915	First World War
Frederick W. Hall	1915	First World War
Michael O’Leary	1915	First World War
Francis A.C. Scrimger	1915	First World War
Leo Clarke	1916	First World War
John C. Kerr	1916	First World War
James C. Richardson	1916	First World War
John A. Sinton	1916	First World War
Thomas O.L. Wilkinson	1916	First World War
Colin F. Barron	1917	First World War
Philip E. Bent	1917	First World War
William A. Bishop	1917	First World War
Harry Brown	1917	First World War
Robert G. Combe	1917	First World War
Robert Hanna	1917	First World War
Frederick M.W. Harvey	1917	First World War
Frederick Hobson	1917	First World War
Thomas W. Holmes	1917	First World War
Cecil J. Kinross	1917	First World War
Filip Konowal	1917	First World War
Okill M. Learmonth	1917	First World War
Thain W. MacDowell	1917	First World War
Hugh McKenzie	1917	First World War
William J. Milne	1917	First World War
George H. Mullin	1917	First World War
Christopher P.J. O’Kelly	1917	First World War
Michael J. O’Rourke	1917	First World War
John G. Pattison	1917	First World War
George R. Pearkes	1917	First World War
James P. Robertson	1917	First World War
Robert Shankland	1917	First World War
Ellis W. Sifton	1917	First World War
Harcus Strachan	1917	First World War
Wallace L. Algie	1918	First World War
William G. Barker	1918	First World War
Rowland Bourke	1918	First World War
Alexander P. Brereton	1918	First World War
Jean Brillant	1918	First World War
Hugh Cairns	1918	First World War
William H. Clark-Kennedy	1918	First World War
Frederick G. Coppins	1918	First World War
John B. Croak	1918	First World War
Robert E. Cruickshank	1918	First World War
Edmund De Wind	1918	First World War
Thomas F. Dinesen	1918	First World War
Gordon M. Flowerdew	1918	First World War
Herman J. Good	1918	First World War
Milton F. Gregg	1918	First World War
Samuel L. Honey	1918	First World War
Bellenden S. Hutcheson	1918	First World War
Joseph Kaeble	1918	First World War
George F. Kerr	1918	First World War
Arthur G. Knight	1918	First World War
Graham T. Lyall	1918	First World War
John MacGregor	1918	First World War
George B. McKean	1918	First World War
Alan A. McLeod	1918	First World War
William Merrifield	1918	First World War
William H. Metcalf	1918	First World War
Harry G.B. Miner	1918	First World War
Coulson N. Mitchell	1918	First World War
Claude J.P. Nunney	1918	First World War
Cyrus W. Peck	1918	First World War
Walter L. Rayfield	1918	First World War
Thomas Ricketts	1918	First World War
Charles S. Rutherford	1918	First World War
Robert Spall	1918	First World War
James E. Tait	1918	First World War
John F. Young	1918	First World War
Raphael L. Zengel	1918	First World War
John R. Osborn	1941	Second World War
John W. Foote	1942	Second World War
Charles C.I. Merritt	1942	Second World War
Frederick T. Peters	1942	Second World War
Paul Triquet	1943	Second World War
David V. Currie	1944	Second World War
Charles F. Hoey	1944	Second World War
David E. Hornell	1944	Second World War
John K. Mahony	1944	Second World War
Andrew C. Mynarski	1944	Second World War
Ernest A. Smith	1944	Second World War
Ian W. Bazalgette	1945	Second World War
Aubrey Cosens	1945	Second World War
Robert H. Gray	1945	Second World War
Frederick A. Tilston	1945	Second World War
Frederick G. Topham	1945	Second World War

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Canadian Recipients of the Victoria Cross

Canadian Victoria Cross Recipients

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