The Victoria Cross has been presented to 96 Canadians, or people closely associated with Canada, between its creation for acts performed during the Crimean War and 1993 when the Canadian Victoria Cross was instituted. No Canadian has received either honour since 1945.
Seventy-one Victoria Crosses were awarded to Canadians for their actions in the First World War, and Canadians won sixteen VCs during the Second World War. The remaining recipients were awarded the medal for actions performed in the Crimean War (Battle of Balaclava), the Indian Rebellion of 1857, in a native uprising at a remote Indian Ocean island and the Second Boer War.
The first Canadian to be awarded the Victoria Cross was Alexander Roberts Dunn for his actions at the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War in 1854. WILLIAM HALL, A NOVA SCOTIAN, WAS THE FIRST BLACK RECIPIENT OF THE VICTORIA CROSS.
THE LAST LIVING CANADIAN RECIPIENT OF THE BRITISH VICTORIA CROSS, "SMOKEY" SMITH, DIED IN AUGUST 2005. “Smokey” was
Comrade and a good friend
Timothy O'Hea, a 23-year-old Irishman in the British army, fought a fire in a railway car containing 900 kilograms of ammunition stationed at Danville, Quebec during the Fenian raids.[8] O'Hea is the only VC recipient awarded for actions on Canadian soil.
Seven Canadians were awarded VCs individually on one single day, 2 September 1918, for actions they performed along the 30 km long Drocourt-Quéant Line near Arras, France: Bellenden Hutcheson, Arthur George Knight, William Henry Metcalf, Claude Nunney, Cyrus Wesley Peck, Walter Leigh Rayfield and John Francis Young. Their acts of exceptional performed during Canada's Hundred Days of successful offensive campaigning that helped end the war
List of Individual Recipients
Name Date of action Conflict Unit Perpetuating Unit Place of action Province of origin Alexander Dunn 1854 Battle of Balaclava 33rd Regiment of Foot Yorkshire Regiment Balaclava, Crimea Ontario
Raymond de Montmorency 1898 Battle of Omdurman 21st Lancers 17th/21st Lancers Omdurman, Sudan Quebec
Campbell Douglas 1867 Bravery at Sea 24th Regiment of Foot South Wales Borderers Little Andaman, India Ontario
Raphael Zengel 1918 First World War 5th Battalion, CEF North Saskatchewan Regiment Warvillers, France Saskatchewan
John Young 1918 First World War 87th Battalion, CEF Canadian Grenadier Guards Dury-Arras Sector, France Quebec
Thomas Wilkinson 1916* First World War Loyal North Lancashire Regiment Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) La Boiselle, France
James Tait 1918* First World War 78th Battalion, CEF Winnipeg Grenadiers Amiens, France N.W.T[97]
Harcus Strachan 1917 First World War Fort Garry Horse Fort Garry Horse Masnières, France Manitoba Alberta
Robert Spall 1918* First World War Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Parvillers, France Manitoba
John Sinton 1916 First World War Indian Medical Service Orah Ruins, Mesopotamia British Columbia
Ellis Sifton 1917* First World War 18th Battalion, CEF Essex and Kent Scottish Neuville-St.-Vaast, France Ontario
Robert Shankland 1917 First World War 43rd Battalion, CEF Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada Passchendaele, Belgium Manitoba
Francis Scrimger 1915 First World War Canadian Army Medical Corps St. Julien, Belgium Quebec
Charles Rutherford 1918 First World War 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion, CEF Sherbrooke Hussars Monchy, France Ontario
James Robertson 1917* First World War 27th Battalion, CEF Royal Winnipeg Rifles Passchendaele, Belgium Nova Scotia
James Richardson 1916* First World War 16th Battalion (Canadian Scottish), CEF Canadian Scottish Regiment Somme, France British Columbia
Walter Rayfield 1918 First World War 7th Battalion, CEF British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) Arras, France Ontario
Cyrus Peck 1918 First World War 16th Battalion (Canadian Scottish), CEF Canadian Scottish Regiment Cagnicourt, France New Brunswick
George Pearkes 1917 First World War 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion, CEF Sherbrooke Hussars Passchendaele, Belgium Yukon
John Pattison 1917* First World War 50th Battalion, CEF King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC) Vimy Ridge, France Alberta
Michael O'Rourke 1917 First World War 7th Battalion, CEF British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) Hill 70, France British Columbia
Michael O'Leary 1915 First World War Irish Guards Irish Guards Cuinchy, France Saskatchewan
Christopher O'Kelly 1917 First World War 52nd Battalion, CEF Lake Superior Scottish Regiment Passchendaele, Belgium Manitoba
Claude Nunney 1918* First World War 38th Battalion, CEF Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Duke of Edinburgh's Own) Drocourt-Queant Line, France Ontario[75]
George Mullin 1917 First World War Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Passchendaele, Belgium Saskatchewan[72] [note 10]
Coulson Norman Mitchell 1918 First World War 4th Battalion Canadian Engineers Canal de L'Escaut, France Manitoba[71]
Harry Miner 1918* First World War 58th Battalion, CEF Royal Regiment of Canada Demuin, France Ontario[70]
William Milne 1917* First World War 16th Battalion (Canadian Scottish), CEF Canadian Scottish Regiment Thelus, France Saskatchewan[69]
William Metcalf 1918 First World War 16th Battalion (Canadian Scottish), CEF Canadian Scottish Regiment Arras, France n/a [note 10]
William Merrifield 1918 First World War 4th Battalion, CEF 56th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA, Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment) Abancourt, France Ontario[67]
Alan McLeod 1918* First World War No. 2 Squadron RFC No. 2 Squadron RAF Albert, France Manitoba[66]
Hugh McKenzie 1917* First World War Canadian Machine Gun Corps Royal Canadian Armoured Corps Meetscheele Spur, Belgium Ontario Alberta[65] [note 13]
George McKean 1918 First World War 14th Battalion, CEF Royal Montreal Regiment Gavrelle Sector, France Alberta[64]
John MacGregor 1918 First World War 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion, CEF British Columbia Dragoons Cambrai, France British Columbia[62]
Thain MacDowell 1917 First World War 38th Battalion, CEF Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Duke of Edinburgh's Own) Vimy Ridge, France Ontario[61]
Graham Lyall 1918 First World War 102nd Battalion, CEF British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) Cambrai, France Ontario[60]
Okill Learmonth 1917* First World War 2nd Battalion, CEF Governor General's Foot Guards Loos, France Quebec[59]
Filip Konowal 1917 First World War 47th Battalion, CEF Royal Westminster Regiment Lens, France n/a [note 12]
Arthur Knight 1918* First World War 10th Battalion, CEF Royal Winnipeg Rifles and Calgary Highlanders Villers-les-Cagnicourt, France Saskatchewan[59]
Cecil Kinross 1917 First World War 49th Battalion, CEF Loyal Edmonton Regiment (4th Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry) Passchendaele, Belgium Alberta[58]
John Kerr 1916 First World War 49th Battalion, CEF Loyal Edmonton Regiment (4th Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry) Courcelette, France Nova Scotia[57] [note 11]
George Kerr 1918 First World War 3rd Battalion, CEF Queen's Own Rifles of Canada and Royal Regiment of Canada Bourlon Wood, France Ontario[56]
Joseph Kaeble 1918* First World War 22nd Battalion, CEF Royal 22e Régiment Neuville-Vitasse, France Quebec[55]
Bellenden Hutcheson 1918 First World War 75th Battalion, CEF Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own) Arras, France Ontario[54] [note 10]
Samuel Honey 1918* First World War 78th Battalion, CEF Winnipeg Grenadiers Bourlon Wood, France Ontario[52]
Thomas Holmes 1917 First World War 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion, CEF Governor General's Horse Guards Passchendaele, Belgium Ontario[51]
Frederick Hobson 1917* First World War 20th Battalion, CEF Queen's York Rangers (1st American Regiment) (RCAC) Lens, France Ontario[48]
Frederick Harvey 1917 First World War Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Guyencourt, France Alberta[47]
Robert Hanna 1917 First World War 29th Battalion, CEF British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) Lens, France British Columbia[46]
Frederick Hall 1915* First World War 8th Battalion (90th Winnipeg Rifles), CEF Royal Winnipeg Rifles Ypres, Belgium Manitoba[44] [note 1]
Milton Gregg 1918 First World War Royal Canadian Regiment Royal Canadian Regiment Cambrai, France New Brunswick[43]
Herman Good 1918 First World War 13th Battalion (Royal Highlanders of Canada), CEF Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada Hangard Wood, France New Brunswick[41]
Gordon Flowerdew 1918* First World War Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Bois de Moreuil, France British Columbia[39]
Frederick Fisher 1915* First World War 13th Battalion (Royal Highlanders of Canada), CEF Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada St. Julien, Belgium Ontario[38]
Thomas Dinesen 1918 First World War 42nd Battalion, CEF Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada Parvillers, France n/a[35] [note 6]
Edmund De Wind 1918* First World War Royal Irish Rifles Royal Irish Regiment (1992) Groagie, France Alberta[34] [note 5]
Robert Cruickshank 1918 First World War London Regiment London Regiment Jordan, Palestine Manitoba[31] [note 3]
John Croak 1918* First World War 13th Battalion (Royal Highlanders of Canada), CEF Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada Amiens, France Nova Scotia[29] .[note 2][30]
Frederick Coppins 1918 First World War 8th Battalion, CEF Royal Winnipeg Rifles Hackett Woods, France Manitoba[27]
Robert Combe 1917* First World War 27th Battalion, CEF Royal Winnipeg Rifles Acheville, France Saskatchewan[26]
Leo Clarke 1916* First World War 2nd Battalion, CEF Governor General's Foot Guards Pozières, France Manitoba[24] [note 1]
William Clark-Kennedy 1918 First World War 24th Battalion, CEF Victoria Rifles of Canada Fresnes, France Quebec[23]
Frederick Campbell 1915* First World War 1st Battalion, CEF Royal Canadian Regiment Givenchy, France Ontario[22]
Hugh Cairns 1918* First World War 46th Battalion, CEF Saskatchewan Dragoons Valenciennes, France Saskatchewan[21]
Harry Brown 1917* First World War 10th Battalion, CEF Royal Winnipeg Rifles and Calgary Highlanders Loos, France Ontario[20]
Jean Brillant 1918* First World War 22nd Battalion, CEF Royal 22nd Regiment Meharicourt, France Quebec[19]
Alexander Brereton 1918 First World War 8th Battalion, CEF Royal Winnipeg Rifles Amiens, France Manitoba[18]
Rowland Bourke 1918 First World War Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Ostend, Belgium British Columbia[17]
William Bishop 1917 First World War No. 60 Squadron RAF No. 60 Squadron RAF Cambrai, France Ontario[16]
Philip Bent 1917* First World War Leicestershire Regiment B Company, Second Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment Polygon Wood, Belgium Nova Scotia[15]
Edward Bellew 1915 First World War 7th Battalion, CEF British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) Kerselaere, Belgium British Columbia[14]
Colin Barron 1917 First World War 3rd Battalion, CEF Royal Regiment of Canada Passchendaele, Belgium Ontario[12]
William Barker 1918 First World War No. 201 Squadron RAF None Forêt de Mormal, France Manitoba[11]
Wallace Algie 1918* First World War 20th Battalion, CEF The Queen's York Rangers (1st American Regiment) (RCAC) Cambrai, France Ontario[10]
Herbert Reade 1857 Indian rebellion of 1857 61st Regiment of Foot The Rifles Delhi, India Ontario[85]
William Hall 1857 Indian rebellion of 1857 HMS Shannon none Lucknow, India Nova Scotia[45]
Richard Turner 1900 Second Boer War Royal Canadian Dragoons Royal Canadian Dragoons Komati River, South Africa Quebec[101]
Arthur Richardson 1900 Second Boer War Strathcona's Horse Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Wolwespruit, South Africa n/a[86] [note 15]
William Nickerson 1900 Second Boer War Royal Army Medical Corps Wakkerstroom, South Africa New Brunswick[74] [note 3]
Edward Holland 1900 Second Boer War Royal Canadian Dragoons Royal Canadian Dragoons Komati River, South Africa Ontario[50]
Hampden Cockburn 1900 Second Boer War Royal Canadian Dragoons Royal Canadian Dragoons Komati River, South Africa Ontario[25]
Paul Triquet 1943 Second World War Royal 22e Régiment Royal 22e Régiment Casa Berardi, Italy Quebec[100]
Frederick Topham 1945 Second World War 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion Rhine, Germany Ontario[99]
Frederick Tilston 1945 Second World War Essex Scottish Regiment Essex and Kent Scottish Hochwald Forest, Germany Ontario[98]
Ernest Smith 1944 Second World War Seaforth Highlanders of Canada Seaforth Highlanders of Canada River Savio, Italy British Columbia[94]
Frederick Peters 1942 Second World War HMS Walney Oran, Algeria P.E.I[83]
John Osborn 1941 Second World War Winnipeg Grenadiers Winnipeg Grenadiers Mount Butler, Hong Kong Manitoba[79]
Andrew Mynarski 1944* Second World War No. 419 Squadron RCAF 419 Tactical Fighter Training Squadron Cambrai, France Manitoba[73]
Charles Merritt 1942 Second World War South Saskatchewan Regiment South Saskatchewan Regiment Dieppe, France British Columbia[68]
John Mahony 1944 Second World War Westminster Regiment (Motor) Royal Westminster Regiment River Melfa, Italy British Columbia[63]
David Hornell 1944 Second World War No. 162 Squadron RCAF Faroes, Atlantic Ontario[53]
Charles Hoey 1944 Second World War Royal Lincolnshire Regiment Royal Anglian Regiment Ngakyedauk Pass, Burma (now Myanmar) British Columbia[49]
Robert Gray 1945* Second World War Fleet Air Arm Fleet Air Arm Honshū, Japan British Columbia[42] [note 9]
John Foote 1942 Second World War 1st Battalion, The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment) Dieppe, France Ontario[40]
David Currie 1944 Second World War 29th Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment (South Alberta Regiment) South Alberta Light Horse Battle of Falaise, France Saskatchewan[32]
Aubrey Cosens 1945* Second World War Queen's Own Rifles of Canada Queen's Own Rifles of Canada Mooshof, Germany Ontario[28]
Ian Bazalgette 1944* Second World War No. 115 Squadron RAF No. 115 Squadron RAF Trossy St. Maximin, France Alberta[13]
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