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
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 |
| Pte. | Hook, Alfred Henry or Harry | ( 1850 - 1905) | 24th Regiment( South Wales Borderer's ) | Lived Sydenham Hill | Awarded the VC 2.5.1879 |
| Sgt. | Engleheart, Henry William | (1863 - 1939) | 10th Hussars | Lived in Blackheath and Sydenham | Awarded VC 3.3.1900 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Brigadier | Campbell, Lorne Maclaine | (1902 - 1991) | Sutherland Highlanders | Lived in Sydenham | Awarded VC 6 April 1943 |
| 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 |
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by Local History and Archives Centre, Lewisham and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence