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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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List Of Canadian Victoria Cross Recipients
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest award of the United Kingdom honours system. It is awarded for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" to members of the British armed forces. It may be awarded posthumously. It was previously awarded to Commonwealth countries, most of which have established their own honours systems and no longer recommend British honours. It may be awarded to a person of any military rank in any service and to civilians under military command although no civilian has received the award since 1879. Since the first awards were presented by Queen Victoria in 1857, two thirds of all awards have been personally presented by the British monarch. These investitures are usually held at Buckingham Palace.

Background

Established in 1856, the Victoria Cross has been awarded to service personnel for extraordinary valour and devotion to duty while facing a hostile force. Between 1858 and 1881 the Victoria Cross could also be awarded for actions taken "under circumstances of extreme danger" not in the face of the enemy. Six people were awarded Victoria Crosses under this clause – one Irish man in 1866 for actions taken during the Fenian raids; five (a Canadian, three Irish and an English man) for a single incident in 1867 during the Andaman Islands Expedition. In 1881, VC regulations were amended to only allow acts "in the presence of the enemy".

Since 1993, Canadians have no longer been eligible for the Victoria Cross: that medal has been superseded by the Canadian Victoria Cross – of equal honour, but yet to be awarded. The scroll of the Canadian medal differs in that the inscription is in Latin rather than English; by using a language that is an ancestor of French and has greatly contributed to the development of English, the medal avoids linguistic discrimination between Canada's two official languages. The fleur-de-lis, in heraldry long associated with the French crown has been added at the end each scroll. The actual metal of the medal is a distinct Canadian composition.

Summary

The Victoria Cross has been presented to 99 Canadians, or people closely associated with Canada, between its creation for acts performed during the Crimean War and 1993 when the Canadian Victoria Cross was instituted. No Canadian has received either honour since 1945.

The first Canadian to be awarded the Victoria Cross was Alexander Roberts Dunn for his actions at the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War in 1854. William Hall, a Nova Scotian, was the first black recipient of the Victoria Cross. The last living Canadian recipient of the British Victoria Cross, "Smokey" Smith, died in August 2005.

Seventy-three Victoria Crosses were awarded to Canadians for their actions in the First World War, and Canadians received sixteen VCs during the Second World War. The remaining recipients were awarded the medal for actions performed in the Crimean War (Battle of Balaclava), the Indian Mutiny (the Indian Rebellion of 1857), a native uprising at a remote Indian Ocean island during the Andaman Islands Expedition, the Battle of Omdurman during the Sudan Campaign of 1896–1899, and the Second Boer War.

Timothy O'Hea, a 23-year-old Irishman in the British army, fought a fire in a railway car containing 900 kilograms of ammunition stationed at Danville, Quebec during the Fenian raids. O'Hea is the only VC recipient awarded for actions on Canadian soil.

Seven Canadians were awarded VCs individually on one single day, 2 September 1918, for actions they performed along the 30 km long Drocourt-Quéant Line near Arras, France: Bellenden Hutcheson, Arthur George Knight, William Henry Metcalf, Claude Nunney, Cyrus Wesley Peck, Walter Leigh Rayfield and John Francis Young. Their acts of exceptional valour were performed during Canada's Hundred Days of successful offensive campaigning that helped end the war.

Recipients

(This list is arranged alphabetically when first opened but the order can be changed to other criteria such as date of valourous action, by clicking in box at top of each column.)

  Purple highlight with an asterisk *, indicates that the Victoria Cross was awarded posthumously

Name Date of action Conflict Unit Perpetuating Unit Place of action Province of origin Notes
Wallace Algie 1918* First World War 20th Battalion, CEF The Queen's York Rangers (1st American Regiment) (RCAC) Cambrai, France Ontario
William Barker 1918 First World War No. 201 Squadron RAF None Forêt de Mormal, France Manitoba
Colin Barron 1917 First World War 3rd Battalion, CEF Royal Regiment of Canada Passchendaele, Belgium Ontario
Ian Bazalgette 1944* Second World War No. 115 Squadron RAF No. 115 Squadron RAF Trossy St. Maximin, France Alberta
Edward Bellew 1915 First World War 7th Battalion, CEF British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) Kerselaere, Belgium British Columbia
Philip Bent 1917* First World War 9th Battalion, The Leicestershire Regiment B Company, Second Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment Polygon Wood, Belgium Nova Scotia
William Bishop 1917 First World War No. 60 Squadron RAF No. 60 Squadron RAF Cambrai, France Ontario
Rowland Bourke 1918 First World War Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Ostend, Belgium British Columbia
Alexander Brereton 1918 First World War 8th Battalion, CEF Royal Winnipeg Rifles Amiens, France Manitoba
Jean Brillant 1918* First World War 22nd Battalion, CEF Royal 22nd Regiment Meharicourt, France Quebec
Harry Brown 1917* First World War 10th Battalion, CEF Royal Winnipeg Rifles and Calgary Highlanders Loos, France Ontario
Hugh Cairns 1918* First World War 46th Battalion, CEF Saskatchewan Dragoons Valenciennes, France Saskatchewan
Frederick Campbell 1915* First World War 1st Battalion, CEF Royal Canadian Regiment Givenchy, France Ontario
William Clark-Kennedy 1918 First World War 24th Battalion, CEF Victoria Rifles of Canada Fresnes, France Quebec
Leo Clarke 1916* First World War 2nd Battalion, CEF Governor General's Foot Guards Pozières, France Manitoba
Hampden Cockburn 1900 Second Boer War Royal Canadian Dragoons Royal Canadian Dragoons Komati River, South Africa Ontario
Robert Combe 1917* First World War 27th Battalion, CEF Royal Winnipeg Rifles Acheville, France Saskatchewan
Frederick Coppins 1918 First World War 8th Battalion, CEF Royal Winnipeg Rifles Hackett Woods, France Manitoba
Aubrey Cosens 1945* Second World War 1st Battalion, The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada Queen's Own Rifles of Canada Mooshof, Germany Ontario
John Croak 1918* First World War 13th Battalion, CEF Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada Amiens, France Nova Scotia .
Robert Cruickshank 1918 First World War 2/14th (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (London Scottish) London Regiment Jordan, Palestine Manitoba
David Currie 1944 Second World War 29th Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment (The South Alberta Regiment) South Alberta Light Horse Battle of Falaise, France Saskatchewan
Raymond de Montmorency 1898 Battle of Omdurman, Sudan Campaign 21st Lancers 17th/21st Lancers Omdurman, Sudan Quebec
Edmund De Wind 1918* First World War 15th Battalion, The Royal Irish Rifles Royal Irish Regiment Groagie, France Alberta
Thomas Dinesen 1918 First World War 42nd Battalion, CEF Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada Parvillers, France n/a
Campbell Douglas 1867 Bravery at Sea, Andaman Islands Expedition 24th Regiment of Foot South Wales Borderers Little Andaman, India Ontario
Alexander Dunn 1854 Battle of Balaclava, Crimean War 33rd Regiment of Foot Yorkshire Regiment Balaclava, Crimea Ontario
Frederick Fisher 1915* First World War 13th Battalion, CEF Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada St. Julien, Belgium Ontario
Gordon Flowerdew 1918* First World War Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Bois de Moreuil, France British Columbia
John Foote 1942 Second World War 1st Battalion, The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment) Dieppe, France Ontario
Herman Good 1918 First World War 13th Battalion, CEF Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada Hangard Wood, France New Brunswick
Robert Gray 1945* Second World War Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Royal Canadian Navy Honshū, Japan British Columbia
Milton Gregg 1918 First World War Royal Canadian Regiment Royal Canadian Regiment Cambrai, France New Brunswick
Frederick Hall 1915* First World War 8th Battalion, CEF Royal Winnipeg Rifles Ypres, Belgium Manitoba
William Hall 1857 Indian rebellion of 1857 HMS Shannon none Lucknow, India Nova Scotia
Robert Hanna 1917 First World War 29th Battalion, CEF British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) Lens, France British Columbia
Frederick Harvey 1917 First World War Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Guyencourt, France Alberta
Frederick Hobson 1917* First World War 20th Battalion, CEF Queen's York Rangers (1st American Regiment) (RCAC) Lens, France Ontario
Charles Hoey 1944 Second World War 1st Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment Royal Anglian Regiment Ngakyedauk Pass, Burma (now Myanmar) British Columbia
Edward Holland 1900 Second Boer War Royal Canadian Dragoons Royal Canadian Dragoons Komati River, South Africa Ontario
Thomas Holmes 1917 First World War 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion, CEF Governor General's Horse Guards Passchendaele, Belgium Ontario
Samuel Honey 1918* First World War 78th Battalion, CEF Winnipeg Grenadiers Bourlon Wood, France Ontario
David Hornell 1944* Second World War No. 162 Squadron RCAF Faroes, Atlantic Ontario
Bellenden Hutcheson 1918 First World War 75th Battalion, CEF Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own) Arras, France Ontario
Joseph Kaeble 1918* First World War 22nd Battalion, CEF Royal 22 Régiment Neuville-Vitasse, France Quebec
George Kerr 1918 First World War 3rd Battalion, CEF Queen's Own Rifles of Canada and Royal Regiment of Canada Bourlon Wood, France Ontario
John Kerr 1916 First World War 49th Battalion, CEF Loyal Edmonton Regiment (4th Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry) Courcelette, France Nova Scotia Alberta
Cecil Kinross 1917 First World War 49th Battalion, CEF Loyal Edmonton Regiment (4th Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry) Passchendaele, Belgium Alberta
Arthur Knight 1918* First World War 10th Battalion, CEF Royal Winnipeg Rifles and Calgary Highlanders Villers-les-Cagnicourt, France Saskatchewan
Filip Konowal 1917 First World War 47th Battalion, CEF Royal Westminster Regiment Lens, France n/a
Okill Learmonth 1917* First World War 2nd Battalion, CEF Governor General's Foot Guards Loos, France Quebec
Graham Lyall 1918 First World War 102nd Battalion, CEF British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) Cambrai, France Ontario
Thain MacDowell 1917 First World War 38th Battalion, CEF Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Duke of Edinburgh's Own) Vimy Ridge, France Ontario
John MacGregor 1918 First World War 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion, CEF British Columbia Dragoons Cambrai, France British Columbia
John Mahony 1944 Second World War 1st Battalion, The Westminster Regiment (Motor) Royal Westminster Regiment River Melfa, Italy British Columbia
George McKean 1918 First World War 14th Battalion, CEF Royal Montreal Regiment Gavrelle Sector, France Alberta
Hugh McKenzie 1917* First World War Canadian Machine Gun Corps Royal Canadian Armoured Corps Meetscheele Spur, Belgium Ontario Alberta
Alan McLeod 1918* First World War No. 2 Squadron RFC No. 2 Squadron RAF Albert, France Manitoba
William Merrifield 1918 First World War 4th Battalion, CEF 56th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA, Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment) Abancourt, France Ontario
Charles Merritt 1942 Second World War 1st Battalion, The South Saskatchewan Regiment South Saskatchewan Regiment Dieppe, France British Columbia
William Metcalf 1918 First World War 16th Battalion, CEF Canadian Scottish Regiment Arras, France n/a
William Milne 1917* First World War 16th Battalion, CEF Canadian Scottish Regiment Thelus, France Saskatchewan
Harry Miner 1918* First World War 58th Battalion, CEF Royal Regiment of Canada Demuin, France Ontario
Coulson Norman Mitchell 1918 First World War 4th Battalion Canadian Engineers Canal de L'Escaut, France Manitoba
George Mullin 1917 First World War Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Passchendaele, Belgium Saskatchewan
Andrew Mynarski 1944* Second World War No. 419 Squadron RCAF 419 Tactical Fighter Training Squadron Cambrai, France Manitoba
William Nickerson 1900 Second Boer War Royal Army Medical Corps Wakkerstroom, South Africa New Brunswick
Claude Nunney 1918* First World War 38th Battalion, CEF Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Duke of Edinburgh's Own) Drocourt-Queant Line, France Ontario
Christopher O'Kelly 1917 First World War 52nd Battalion, CEF Lake Superior Scottish Regiment Passchendaele, Belgium Manitoba
Michael O'Leary 1915 First World War 1st Battalion, Irish Guards Irish Guards Cuinchy, France Saskatchewan
Michael O'Rourke 1917 First World War 7th Battalion, CEF British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) Hill 70, France British Columbia
John Osborn 1941* Second World War 1st Battalion, The Winnipeg Grenadiers Winnipeg Grenadiers Mount Butler, Hong Kong Manitoba
John Pattison 1917* First World War 50th Battalion, CEF King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC) Vimy Ridge, France Alberta
George Pearkes 1917 First World War 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion, CEF Sherbrooke Hussars Passchendaele, Belgium Yukon
Cyrus Peck 1918 First World War 16th Battalion, CEF Canadian Scottish Regiment Cagnicourt, France New Brunswick
Frederick Peters 1942 Second World War HMS Walney Oran, Algeria P.E.I
Walter Rayfield 1918 First World War 7th Battalion, CEF British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) Arras, France Ontario
Herbert Reade 1857 Indian rebellion of 1857 61st Regiment of Foot The Rifles Delhi, India Ontario
Arthur Richardson 1900 Second Boer War Strathcona's Horse Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Wolwespruit, South Africa Saskatchewan
James Richardson 1916* First World War 16th Battalion, CEF Canadian Scottish Regiment Somme, France British Columbia
James Peter Robertson 1917* First World War 27th Battalion, CEF Royal Winnipeg Rifles Passchendaele, Belgium Nova Scotia Alberta
Charles Rutherford 1918 First World War 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion, CEF Sherbrooke Hussars Monchy, France Ontario
Francis Scrimger 1915 First World War Canadian Army Medical Corps St. Julien, Belgium Quebec
Robert Shankland 1917 First World War 43rd Battalion, CEF Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada Passchendaele, Belgium Manitoba
Ellis Sifton 1917* First World War 18th Battalion, CEF Essex and Kent Scottish Neuville-S-Vaast, France Ontario
John Sinton 1916 First World War Indian Medical Service Orah Ruins, Mesopotamia British Columbia
Ernest Smith 1944 Second World War 1st Battalion, The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada Seaforth Highlanders of Canada River Savio, Italy British Columbia
Robert Spall 1918* First World War Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Parvillers, France Manitoba
Harcus Strachan 1917 First World War Fort Garry Horse Fort Garry Horse Masnières, France Manitoba Alberta
James Tait 1918* First World War 78th Battalion, CEF Winnipeg Grenadiers Amiens, France Manitoba
Frederick Tilston 1945 Second World War 1st Battalion, The Essex Scottish Regiment Essex and Kent Scottish Hochwald Forest, Germany Ontario
Frederick Topham 1945 Second World War 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion Rhine, Germany Ontario
Paul Triquet 1943 Second World War Royal 22 Régiment Royal 22 Régiment Casa Berardi, Italy Quebec
Richard Turner 1900 Second Boer War Royal Canadian Dragoons Royal Canadian Dragoons Komati River, South Africa Quebec
Thomas Wilkinson 1916* First World War 7th Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border) La Boiselle, France British Columbia
John Young 1918 First World War 87th Battalion, CEF Canadian Grenadier Guards Dury-Arras Sector, France Quebec
Raphael Zengel 1918 First World War 5th Battalion, CEF North Saskatchewan Regiment Warvillers, France Saskatchewan

See also