For Valour: Australians Awarded the Victoria Cross

by Craig Blanch, Aaron Pegram

For Valour tells the remarkable stories of the 100 Australians who have been awarded the Victoria Cross for exceptional acts of bravery and self-sacrifice in battle. Vivid descriptions of events on the battlefield are matched with biographical profiles of each of the recipients. New archival research and striking photographs and artworks from the Australian War Memorial commemorates the servicemen who have been awarded the military’s highest honour.

512 pages, Hardcover

Published February 1, 2019

Reviews

[Glenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

There have been 100 Australian awardees of the Victoria Cross - this book gives an insight on what they did to receive the award and a their life before and after... Well written and worthy of a read.

[Shreedevi Gurumurty · Rating 5 out of 5]

With archival research and striking photographs and artworks from the Australian War Memorial,For Valour commemorates the 100 Australian servicemen who have been awarded Australia's highest military honour for exceptional acts of bravery and self-sacrifice in battle.From Captain Neville Howse of New South Wales Army Medical Corps in 1900 to Corporal Cameron Baird of the 2nd Commando Regiment in 2013, heroic actions in the Boer War appear alongside those from the First World War,North Russia,the Second World War,Vietnam and Afghanistan.Vivid descriptions of events on the battlefield are matched with biographical profiles of each of the recipients to provide insights into their lives outside wartime service.The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces. It may be awarded posthumously. It was previously awarded by countries of the Commonwealth of Nations, most of which have established their own honours systems and no longer recommend British honours. It may be awarded to a person of any military rank in any service and to civilians under military command. No civilian has received the award since 1879.Since the first awards were presented by Queen Victoria in 1857, two-thirds of all awards have been personally presented by the British monarch. These investitures are usually held at Buckingham Palace.The VC was introduced on 29 January 1856 by Queen Victoria to honour acts of valour during the Crimean War.Owing to its rarity,the VC is highly prized.Beginning with the Centennial of Confederation in 1967,Canada,followed in 1975 by Australia and New Zealand,developed their own national honours systems, separate from and independent of the British or Imperial honours system.As each country's system evolved, operational gallantry awards were developed with the premier award of each system—the Victoria Cross for Australia, the Canadian Victoria Cross and the Victoria Cross for New Zealand—being created and named in honour of the Victoria Cross.