Actually, you want to read this months Britain at War magazine covering some of the VC's never awarded during the 2nd world war.......
Some of them were eye openers... one covered was a pilot whose aircraft was hit and a large white hot lump of metal jammed by his rudder pedals, one of the crew tried to dislodge it, but was unable to, eventually it set fire to the aircraft and the pilots legs and boots, one of the crew heard the pilot call for them to abandon the aircraft and looking back upon hearing the order saw the pilot was totally engulfed from head to foot in fire still holding the aircraft steady so his crew could abandon it..
It was denied if i remember correctly because someone deemed he was doing his job!!!!!!!!!!!! Me, I would have given him a VC, that is well above and beyond.
Another was deferred until his captive crew would be released at the end of the war, but wasn't followed up on...... will copy parts of the article if you want to read it.......
Australia is relooking at some that were put fwd for VC's to re-assess their cases, one thinks the UK should do similar.
See
http://www.defence-honours-tribunal....0Reference.pdf