Victoria Cross
VC.jpg

The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest military decoration which is, or has been, awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories. It takes precedence over all other orders, decorations and medals. It may be awarded to a person of any rank in any service and civilians under military command. In the United Kingdom, it is usually presented to the recipient or their next of kin by the British monarch during an investiture held at Buckingham Palace. In

IMG_2935.jpg

those countries aside of Britain where the Monarch of the Commonwealth realms is the head of state, the Governor-General usually fulfils the same function. It is the joint highest award for bravery in the United Kingdom with the George Cross, which is the equivalent honour for valour not in the face of the enemy. However, the VC is higher in the order of wear and would be worn first by an individual who had been awarded both decorations (which has not so far occurred).

The VC was introduced on 29 January 1856 by Queen Victoria to reward acts of valour during the Crimean War. Since then, the medal has been awarded 1,356 times to 1,353 individual recipients. Only 13 medals, nine to members of the British Army, and four to the Australian Army, have been awarded since the Second World War. The traditional explanation of the source of the gunmetal from which the medals are struck is that it derives from Russian cannon captured at the siege of Sevastopol. Recent research has thrown doubt on this story, suggesting a variety of origins for the material actually making up the medals themselves.

In May 2015 London Borough of Lewisham unveiled it's first VC Plaque to John Lynn and at the same time unveiled a monument to all the local VC recipients whether they were born in the Borough or were residents. It is locate in Lewisham Park, Opposite Lewisham Hospital on Lewisham High Street, alongside the Lewisham Metropolitan Borough War Memorial.

On 28th May 2016 a further 2 plaques were unveiled to Major Francis John Harvey and Lt. Richard Basil Brandram Jones.

Below is a list of the recipients of the Victoria Cross with links to the London Borough of Lewisham Area

By wars:
Indian Mutiny
Research has uncovered further VCs awarded to people with a connection to the London Borough of Lewisham since the dedication of the Victoria Cross Memorial, so they are not named on the memorial:
Major Leith, James (1826 - 1869) 14th Light Dragoons Attended Blackheath Proprietary School Awarded the VC 28 April 1858

Afghan War

Capt. Creagh, O'Moore (1848 - 1923) Bombay Staff Corps, Indian Army Attended Royal Naval School, New Cross, Deptford Awarded the VC 22 April 1879
Zulu War
Pte. Hook, Alfred Henry or Harry ( 1850 - 1905) 24th Regiment( South Wales Borderer's ) Lived Sydenham Hill Awarded the VC 2.5.1879
Boer War
Sgt. Engleheart, Henry William (1863 - 1939) 10th Hussars Lived in Blackheath and Sydenham Awarded VC 3.3.1900
WW1
Lt Auten, Harold (1891 - 1964) Royal Naval Reserve Lived in Lewisham Awarded VC 30.7.1918
Cmdr. RN Campbell, Gordon (1888 - 1953) Royal Navy Lived in Sydenham Awarded VC 21.4.1917
Brig. Coffin, Clifford (1870 - 1959) Corps of Royal Engineers comd 25th Infantry Brigade Born Blackheath Awarded VC 31.5.1917
Coy. Sgt. Maj. Evans, George (1876 - 1937) 18th Battalion, Manchester Regiment Lived in Sydenham Awarded VC 30.7.1916
Major Harvey, Francis John (1873 - 1916) Royal Marine Light Infantry Born Sydenham Awarded VC 31.5.1916 Posthumous award
Pte. Godley, Sidney Frank (1889 - 1957) The Royal Fusiliers Lived in Lewisham Awarded VC 23.8.1914
Lt. Jerrard, Alan (1897 - 1968) 66 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps Born Lewisham Awarded VC 30.3.1918
Lt. Jones, Richard Basil Brandram (1897 - 1916) 8th Battalion The Royal North Lancashire Regiment Born at Honor Oak Awarded VC 21.5.1916 Posthumous award
2nd Lt Johnson, Frederick Henry (1890 - 1917) 73rd Field Company. Royal Engineers Attended St Dunstan's College, Catford Awarded the VC 18 Nov 1915
Pte. Lynn, John (1887 - 1915) Lancashire Fusiliers Born Forest Hill Awarded VC 2.5.1915 Posthumous Award
Lt. Maling, George Allen (1888 - 1929) Royal Army Medical Corps attached to 12th Battalion of the Rifle Brigade Died at Lee Awarded VC 18.11.1915
Capt. Rev. Mellish, Edward Noel (1880 - 1962) The Royal Fusiliers, Chaplin Vicar of St. Mark`s Lewisham Awarded VC 27/29.3.1916
Pte. Pattison, John George (1875 - 1917) 50th Battalion. Canadian Infantry Born in Woolwich & Deptford Educated & Resident Awarded VC 10.4.1917
Capt. Stone, Walter Napleton (1891 - 1917) 3d Bn, Royal Fusiliers Born Blackheath Awarded VC 30.7.1918
Research has uncovered further VCs awarded to people with a connection to the London Borough of Lewisham since the dedication of the Victoria Cross Memorial, so they are not named on the memorial:
Lt. Alfred James Terrence Flemming-Sandes (1894 - 1961) 2nd Battalion East Surrey Regiment | Lived in Catford Awarded VC 25 September 1915

WW2

Capt. Gardner, Philip John or Pip (1914 - 2003) 4th Royal Tank Regiment Born in Sydenham Awarded VC 23.11.1944
Lt. Horwood, Alec George (1914 - 1944) Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment att'd 1st Bn, Northampshire Regiment Born Deptford Awarded VC 18/20.1.1944
Lt. Knowlands, George Arthur (1922 - 1945) Royal Norfolk Regiment Born Catford Awarded VC 31.1.1945 Posthumous award
Research has uncovered further VCs awarded to people with a connection to the London Borough of Lewisham since the dedication of the Victoria Cross Memorial, so they are not named on the memorial:
Brigadier Campbell, Lorne Maclaine (1902 - 1991) Sutherland Highlanders Lived in Sydenham Awarded VC 6 April 1943
By Surname
Lt Auten, Harold (1891 - 1964) Royal Naval Reserve Lived in Lewisham WW1
Cmdr. RN Campbell, Gordon (1888 - 1953) Royal Navy Lived in Sydenham WW1
Brigadier Campbell, Lorne Maclaine (1902 - 1991) Sutherland Highlanders Lived in Sydenham Awarded VC 6 April 1943
Brig. Coffin, Clifford (1870 - 1959) Corps of Royal Engineers comd 25th Infantry Brigade Born Blackheath WW1
Capt. Creagh, O'Moore (1848 - 1923) Bombay Staff Corps, Indian Army Attended Royal Naval School, New Cross, Deptford Afghan War
Sgt. Engleheart, Henry William (1863 - 1939) 10th Hussars Lived in Blackheath and Sydenham Boer War (2)
Coy. Sgt. Maj. Evans, George (1876 - 1937) 18th Battalion, Manchester Regiment Lived in Sydenham WW1
Capt. Gardner, Philip John or Pip (1914 - 2003) 4th Royal Tank Regiment Born in Sydenham WW2
Lt. Godley, Sidney Frank (1889 - 1957) The Royal Fusiliers Lived in Lewisham WW1
Maj. Harvey, Francis John (1873 - 1916) Royal Marine Light Infantry Born Sydenham WW1
Pte. Hook, Alfred Henry or Harry (1850 - 1905) 24th Regiment( South Wales Borderers ) Lived Sydenham Hill Zulu War
Lt. Horwood, Alec George (1914 - 1944) Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment att'd 1st Bn, Northampshire Regiment Born Deptford WW2
Lt. Jerrard, Alan (1897 - 1968) 66 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps Born Lewisham WW1
2nd Lt Johnson, Frederick Henry (1890 - 1917) 73rd Field Company. Royal Engineers Attended St Dunstan's College, Catford WW1
Lt. Jones, Richard Basil Brandram (1897 - 1916) 8th Battalion The Royal North Lancashire Regiment Born at Honor Oak WW1
Lt. Knowlands, George Arthur (1922 - 1945) Royal Norfolk Regiment Born Catford WW2
Major Leith, James (1826 - 1869) 14th Light Dragoons Attended Blackheath Proprietary School Awarded the VC 28 April 1858
Pte. Lynn, John (1887 - 1915) Lancashire Fusiliers Born Forest Hill WW1
Lt. Maling, George Allen (1888 - 1929) Royal Army Medical Corps attached to 12th Battalion of the Rifle Brigade Died at Lee WW1
Capt. Rev. Mellish, Edward Noel (1880 - 1962) The Royal Fusiliers, Chaplin Vicar of St. Mark`s Lewisham WW1
Pte. Pattison, John George (1875 - 1917) 50th Battalion. Canadian Infantry Deptford WW1
Lt Arthur James Terence Flemming-Sandes (1894 - 1961) East Surrey Regiment Lived in Catford and Worked in Sydenham WW1 - found 2015
Capt. Stone, Walter Napleton (1891 - 1917) 3d Bn, Royal Fusiliers Born Blackheath WW1

Do you have more information on people named on this memorial or the memorial? If so click here to contribute information.

somerights20.gif

by Local History and Archives Centre, Lewisham and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License