Medal Awards
 

Hi
Being a bit of an ignorance ?? about this I thought that the VC could only be awarded for VALOUR in a Declared War. If I am wrong (again) would somebody please explain it to me as there is a small wager in the local !!! :confused: :confused:

Don't know about an actual declaration of war but it is the UK's highest award for bravery (valour) by a military person in the presence of the enemy.

Simple but true.

War was not declared by either side during the Falklands Conflict, yet 2 were awarded for acts of valour in the face of the enemy. Seems crystal to me.

(Wikipedia)
No mention of the declared war bit, though. Definitely for valour, though. At least, that's what it says on the medal.

And the award is not restricted to military personnel - VCs can be (and have been) awarded to civilians for valour in the face of the enemy.

I suspect that a declared war went out with gents wearing bowler hats to work in the City etc. A wonderful relic of the days of chivalry, but not quite Noo Liabour PC I feel. These days it's all based around UN resolution XXX

Or spirit of a previous UN resolution if you can't quite get one to go along with your predetermined plan...

Go and have another beer.

It doesn't have to be a declared war but it does have to be 'in the face of the enemy'. Recently in afgan a para cpl was awarded the VC (pos) for storming a taliban MG postion. Another guy was killed when he rescued his section from a minefield and was killed in the process. He was awarded the GC (pos). Whilst by all accounts he displayed the utmost bravary worthy of a VC in his actions, as his act was not 'in the face of the enemy' and therefore didn't meet the criteria for the VC. I think there have been a few similar incidents in Iraq in the last few years.

A state of war exists when the armed forces of two countries engage intentionally in warlike acts against each other. Doesn't have to be formally declared. Hitler never declared war on anyone, just went in. We Brits, of course, did it properly and officially after giving him an ultimatum. The Japs actually intended to declare war on the US before Pearl Harbour but their embassy cocked up the timing.
There were Brit VCs in the Indonesian confrontation and Aussie ones in Vietnam.

VCs were awarded during several colonial policing campaigns as well - and if the declared war criteria existed, we'd have had to have (in effect) declared war on ourselves for the VC awards to be permissible.

There was one VC in the Indonesian Confrontation, awarded to Rambahadur Limbu.

Hi
THANK YOU FOR THE REPLY'S GENTS, all is a LOT CLEARER NOW but it cost me some beers but it cost some of the BRAVE HOLDERS a LOT MORE that a few beers:ok: :ok: :ok:
All the BEST
SPIT:

And apparently you also helped them drink some as well:ok: