I believe (and therefore am probably wrong) that the VC requires an officer to be present to witness the act and write it up. Hence why many GCs awarded to chaps that do heroic acts but unfortunately didnt have the right person present?
I think I read somewhere once there had to be more than a 90% chance that the person receiving it croaking it in said incident.
either way, cant take an amazing award from the chap for something I know I and many others would most definately not have the balls to do.
Wikipedia is awesome:
The Victoria Cross is awarded for
“ ... most conspicuous bravery, or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice, or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy.
[1] ”
A recommendation for the VC is normally issued by an officer at regimental level, or equivalent, and has to be supported by three witnesses, although this has been waived on occasion.
[23] The recommendation is then passed up the military
hierarchy until it reaches the
Secretary of State for Defence. The recommendation is then laid before the monarch who approves the award with his or her signature. Victoria Cross awards are always promulgated in the
London Gazette with the single exception of the award to the
American Unknown Soldier in 1921.
[24] The Victoria Cross warrant makes no specific provision as to who should actually present the medals to the recipients.
Queen Victoria indicated that she would like to present the medals in person and she presented 185 medals out of the 472 gazetted during her reign. Including the first 62 medals presented at a parade in Hyde Park on
26 June 1857 by
Queen Victoria, nearly 900 awards have been personally presented to the recipient by the reigning British monarch. Nearly 300 awards have been presented by a member of the royal family or by a civil or military dignitary. About 150 awards were either forwarded to the recipient or next of kin by registered post or no details of the presentations are known.
[25]
Worth Noting this:
The
Victoria Cross (
VC) is the highest
military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of some
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, and is presented to the recipient by the
British monarch during an investiture held at
Buckingham Palace. 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.[2] However, the VC is higher in order of precedence and would be worn first by an individual who had been awarded both decorations (which has not so far occurred).
Interesting bit here though, perhaps another petition to increase it to whatever those snivelling toads over in Westminster get paid (including the free pad in London):
This is payable to both VC and GC winners:
Annuity
The original warrant stated that NCOs and private soldiers or seamen on the Victoria Cross Register were entitled to a £10 per annum
annuity.
[41] In 1898, Queen Victoria raised the pension to £50 for those that could not earn a livelihood, be it from old age or infirmity.
[42] Today holders of the Victoria Cross or George Cross are entitled to an annuity, the amount of which is determined by the awarding government.
Since 2002, the annuity paid by the British government is £1,495 per year.
[43] As of January 2005, under the
Canadian Gallantry Awards Order, members of the
Canadian Forces or people who joined the British forces before
31 March 1949 while domiciled in Canada or Newfoundland receive
$3,000 per year.
[44] The Australian Government provides the two surviving Australian recipients a Victoria Cross Allowance under Subsection 103.4 of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.
[45] In January 2006 the amount was
$A3,230 per year which is indexed annually in line with Australian Consumer Price Index increases.
[46][47]