List of Australian Victoria Cross Recipients

List Of Australian Victoria Cross Recipients

The Victoria Cross (VC) is a military decoration awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the Australia Armed Forces. It may be awarded to a person of any rank in any service, and to civilians under military command. Being the highest award in the Australian Honours Order of Precedence, the Victoria Cross takes precedence over all other postnominals and Australian orders and decorations. The Victoria Cross was instituted by Queen Victoria in 1856, initially to reward acts of valour during the Crimean War. Because of its rarity and inherent significance, the VC is highly prized, both as an award and as a collector's item, with one medal being sold for over A$1 million at auction. Australians have received the Victoria Cross under the Imperial honours system and later under the Australian Honours System, when in 1991 a new but equivalent award was established by letters patent within the Commonwealth of Australia and its Territories, known as the Victoria Cross for Australia. The Victoria Cross for Australia has been awarded only three times: twice to Special Air Service Regiment members and one to a member of the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment. All three were for actions in the War in Afghanistan.

The Imperial Victoria Cross has been awarded to ninety-six Australians—91 were received for actions whilst serving with Australian forces, and another 5 were received for actions whilst serving with South African and British forces. The majority of the awards were for action in the First World War when a total of 64 medals were awarded. Nine of these awards were for action during the Gallipoli Campaign. 20 medals were awarded for action in the Second World War, 6 in the Second Boer War, 4 in the Vietnam War and 2 in the Russian Civil War. Twenty-eight Australians have been awarded the medal posthumously. Notably, one recipient—Captain Alfred Shout VC, MC (who was also Mentioned in Despatches)—was Australia's most decorated soldier of the Gallipoli campaign. His Victoria Cross was posthumously awarded after Shout died of his wounds during the Battle of Lone Pine. Another nineteen VCs have been awarded to soldiers who were either born in Australia, or died there, but did not serve in Australian units and as such these are not included in this list.

With the death of Edward Kenna on 8 July 2009, Keith Payne is the only living recipient of the original Victoria Cross; three recipients of the Victoria Cross for Australia are still serving in the Australian Defence Force.