The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's)

'Sans Peur' 'Ne Obliviscaris'

The Victoria Cross - Background
The Victoria Cross "for valour"	The Victoria Cross is the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy. It is awarded by the British monarch to British and Commonwealth forces. Gallantry: the quality or state of being heroic the quality of mind enabling a person to face danger or hardship with resolution an act of bravery dashing courage Valour: courage in the face of the enemy bravery in battle To date (July 2007), in all branches of the British and Commonwealth forces, there have been 1352 VC medals awarded, but 3 men have won it twice, this makes a total of 1355. There have been 158 Scottish-born Victoria Cross recipients and it is believed that five of the first ten Victoria Crosses awarded went to Scottish soldiers. The first recipient of the Victoria Cross was an Irishman, 20 year old Royal Navy mate, Lt Charles Davis Lucas. He was born in Drumargole, County Armagh, in 19 February 1834. It was awarded to him in June 1854 for his action on board "HMS Hecla" while bombarding Bomarsund, a fort in the Aland Islands, Finland, during the Crimean War in the Baltic. The Victoria Cross is not a Maltese Cross, but is more accurately described as a cross patté. All Victoria Crosses are now issued with a 1.5 inch wide Crimson Ribbon. At one time they had dark blue ribbons for the Royal Navy and crimson for the Army. But, in 1918, at the time of formation of the Royal Air Force, King Edward approved that from that date a crimson ribbon would be used for all arms of the services. The Cross is 1.375 inches wide and has a total weight of 0.87 ounces. The front of the bar is adorned with laurel leaves and the back is engraved with the recipients details. The date of the act of valour is engraved in the centre circle. Details on the suspender bar include the number, rank, name and regiment, or other description of the recipient. The Victoria Cross was designed by H.H. Armstead, an employee of the jewellers, Messrs. Hancocks and Co., Burlington Gardens London W1, who still supply them. The design of the Cross first received royal approval. Originally, the metallic materials used in the construction of the Victoria Cross came from gunmetal taken from Russian guns captured in the Crimean War, but since the end of the First World War it has been made from metal taken from captured Chinese guns.

The Victoria Cross - Background

The Victoria Cross
"for valour"

The Victoria Cross is the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy. It is awarded by the British monarch to British and Commonwealth forces.

Gallantry:

the quality or state of being heroic
the quality of mind enabling a person to face danger or hardship with resolution
an act of bravery
dashing courage
Valour:

courage in the face of the enemy
bravery in battle

To date (July 2007), in all branches of the British and Commonwealth forces, there have been 1352 VC medals awarded, but 3 men have won it twice, this makes a total of 1355. There have been 158 Scottish-born Victoria Cross recipients and it is believed that five of the first ten Victoria Crosses awarded went to Scottish soldiers.

The first recipient of the Victoria Cross was an Irishman, 20 year old Royal Navy mate, Lt Charles Davis Lucas. He was born in Drumargole, County Armagh, in 19 February 1834.

It was awarded to him in June 1854 for his action on board "HMS Hecla" while bombarding Bomarsund, a fort in the Aland Islands, Finland, during the Crimean War in the Baltic.

The Victoria Cross is not a Maltese Cross, but is more accurately described as a cross patté.

All Victoria Crosses are now issued with a 1.5 inch wide Crimson Ribbon. At one time they had dark blue ribbons for the Royal Navy and crimson for the Army. But, in 1918, at the time of formation of the Royal Air Force, King Edward approved that from that date a crimson ribbon would be used for all arms of the services.

The Cross is 1.375 inches wide and has a total weight of 0.87 ounces.

The front of the bar is adorned with laurel leaves and the back is engraved with the recipients details. The date of the act of valour is engraved in the centre circle. Details on the suspender bar include the number, rank, name and regiment, or other description of the recipient.

The Victoria Cross was designed by H.H. Armstead, an employee of the jewellers, Messrs. Hancocks and Co., Burlington Gardens London W1, who still supply them. The design of the Cross first received royal approval.

Originally, the metallic materials used in the construction of the Victoria Cross came from gunmetal taken from Russian guns captured in the Crimean War, but since the end of the First World War it has been made from metal taken from captured Chinese guns.

List of 16 soldiers of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders who have won the Victoria Cross 8 of these medals are on display in the Regimental Museum in Stirling Castle
Rank	Name	Date	Location
Lance Corporal	DUNLAY, John..... details ......	16 November 1857	Lucknow, India
Captain	STEWART, William George Drummond..... details ......	16 November 1857	Lucknow, India
Private	GRANT, Peter..... details ......	16 November 1857	Lucknow, India
Private	MacKAY, David ..... details ......	16 November 1857	Lucknow, India
Colour Sergeant	MUNRO, James..... details ......	16 November 1857	Lucknow, India
Sergeant	PATON, John..... details ......	16 November 1857	Lucknow, India
Lieutenant & Adjutant	McBEAN, William..... details ......	11 March 1858	Lucknow, India
Captain	LIDDELL, John Aiden..... details ......	31 July 1915	La Panne, Belgium
Lieutenant	GRAHAM, John Reginald Noble..... details ......	22 April 1917	Istabulat, Mesopotamia
2nd Lieutenant	HENDERSON, Arthur, MC..... details ......	23 April 1917	Fontaine-les-Croiselles, France
2nd Lieutenant	BUCHAN, John Crawford..... details ......	21 March 1918	Marteville, France
Lieutenant	MacINTYRE, David Lowe..... details ......	24-27 August 1918	Henin, France
Lieutenant	BISSETT, William Davidson..... details ......	25 October 1918	Maing, France
Lieutenant Colonel	CAMPBELL, Lorne MacLaine, DSO, OBE, TD ..... details ......	6 April 1943	Wadi Akarit, Tunisia
Major	ANDERSON, John Thompson McKellar, DSO, TD..... details ......	23 April 1943	Longstop Hill, Tunisia
Major	MUIR, Kenneth (posthumous)..... details ......	23 September 1950	Hill 282, Songju, Korea

('ne obliviscaris')

Click to see a list of Scottish Victoria Cross recipients

Dates	Number of VC's Awarded
1856 - 1913	522
1914 - 1919	634 - including 2 bars
1920 - 1938	5
1939 - 1945	182 - including 1 bar
1946 - to date	12
Total Awarded (July 2007)	1355

Service	Number of VC's Awarded
Fleet Air Arm Royal Marines Royal Navy Royal Naval Air Service Royal Naval Reserve Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve	119
British Army	838 - including 2 bars
Royal Air Force Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Royal Auxiliary Air Force Royal Flying Corps	32
Australian Forces	91
Canadian Forces	80
New Zealand Forces	22 - including 1 bar
South African Forces	28
Newfoundland Forces	1
Fijian Forces	1
King's African Rifles	1
Honourable East India Company Indian Army	137
Civilians	4
American Unknown Warrior	1

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The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's)

The Victoria Cross - Background

Gallantry: the quality or state of being heroic the quality of mind enabling a person to face danger or hardship with resolution an act of bravery dashing courage Valour: courage in the face of the enemy bravery in battle

List of 16 soldiers of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders who have won the Victoria Cross

Rank

Name

Date

Location

('ne obliviscaris')

Click to see a list of Scottish Victoria Cross recipients

Dates

Number of VC's Awarded

Service

Number of VC's Awarded

Gallantry:

the quality or state of being heroic
the quality of mind enabling a person to face danger or hardship with resolution
an act of bravery
dashing courage
Valour:

courage in the face of the enemy
bravery in battle