Most VC won in a single day...

[rbrauerei]

I have found the following:

"The largest number of Victoria Crosses won in a single day was on November 16th 1856 during the Indian Mutiny. On this day 24 men were awarded the VC.

The largest number of Victoria Crosses won in a single action was on January 22nd 1879 at Rourke’s Drift during the Zulu War. Following this action, 11 men were awarded the VC."

But haven't found the most VC won on a single day during the Great War. Experts?

[ragamuffin]

I have found the following:

The largest number of Victoria Crosses won in a single action was on January 22nd 1879 at Rourke’s Drift during the Zulu War. Following this action, 11 men were awarded the VC."

But haven't found the most VC won on a single day during the Great War. Experts?

How long was the action, to the hour?

Danke

[rbrauerei]

How long was the action, to the hour?

Danke

Approximately 1630 on 22 Jan the Zulus started appearing in force near the camp; the attacks reportedly lessened by 0400 on 23 Jan and the Zulus started withdrawing. Give or take a sweep of the minute hand. Bitte sehr!

[Bob Doneley]

Seven Australians were awarded the VC for battle at Lone Pine, Gallipoli, in August 1915.

On the 8th August Lance Corporal L. Keysor, 1st Battalion, originally from London, won the Victoria Cross.

On the 8-9th August Lieutenant W.J. Symons, 7th Battalion, originally from Bendigo, Victoria, wins the Victoria Cross.

On the 9th August Corporal A.S. Burton, 7th Battalion, originally from Kyneton, Victoria; Corporal W. Dunstan, 7th Battalion, originally from Ballarat, Victoria; Private J. Hamilton, 3rd Battalion, originally from Orange, New South Wales; Captain F.H. Tubb, 7th Battalion, originally from Longwood, Victoria; and Captain A.J. Shout, 1st Battalion, originally from New Zealand, were all awarded the Victoria Cross.

That makes 7 VC's for the period 8-9th August 1915, 5 alone for the 9th August 1915, 4 from one battalion (the 7th).

Captain Shout's VC sold at auction in Australia last year for just over AUD$1 million.

Bob

[uncle bill]

1st Lancashire Fusiliers. see mother site

In the landing of 1st Battalion at Cape Helles, Gallipoli, on 25th April 1915, the regiment won the distinction of awards of the Victoria Cross to 2 Officers and 4 Other Ranks. This is popularly referred to as the 'Six VC's before breakfast'. The landing beach was always thereafter named 'Lancashire Landing'.

[Dolphin]

There were at least 10 VCs awarded for actions on 1 July 1916:

Capt E N F Bell, 9th Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers;

Lt G St G Cather, 9th Royal Irish Fusiliers;

Capt J L Green, RAMC;

Maj S W Loudon-Shand, 10th Green Howards;

Maj L W B Rees, No 32 Sqn RFC;

Pte W McFadzean, 10th Royal Irish Rifles;

Pte R Quigg, 12th Royal Irish Rifles;

Dmr W Ritchie, 2nd Seaforth Highlanders;

Cpl G Sanders, 1/7th West Yorks; and

Sgt J Y Turnbull, 17th Highland Light Infantry.

Gareth

[PhilB]

I suspect that multiple VC awards sometimes have a political slant. I`ve never thought about the 1st July but the awards to the 8 infantrymen split into 4 Irish, 2 Scottish and 2 English. It may be purely coincidental. Phil B

[Mark Hone]

This matter has been discussed before and it all depends what you mean by 'single action'. 1st LF at W Beach is almost certainly the winner by most definitions, although the 6 were only awarded after a lot of hoo-hah: see 'Hell's Foundations' by Geoffrey Moorhouse. As Phil B says the awarding of VCs has never been done on anything like a consistent basis. For example there have always been dark mutterings that the multiple awards at Rorke's Drift were partly used to gloss over the Isandhlawana disaster and Crimean and Indian Mutiny VCs were given out in large numbers on occasions. Much as I love the LFs, they did seem to win a heck of a lot of VCs in the Great War, more than any other regiment.

[welshdoc]

QUOTE (Phil_B @ Mar 25 2007, 10:39 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I suspect that multiple VC awards sometimes have a political slant. I`ve never thought about the 1st July but the awards to the 8 infantrymen split into 4 Irish, 2 Scottish and 2 English. It may be purely coincidental. Phil B

What about the Welsh, it was that Bl****y ref again

[PhilB]

There would, of course, be a spread of awards between regiments and if they were completely fair, they`d follow a Bell curve, wouldn`t they? I think I might do one and see how it looks! Phil B

[Mark Hone]

I'd be interested to see your analysis, Phil. Of course you could get really sophisticated and do a Regular/ New Army/Territorial breakdown as well. On Regiments, to be fair you'd have to look at the relative size/number of battalions. There were over 100,000 LFs in the Great War and 13,000 died (if memory serves me correctly that's the same number of war dead from Birmingham). No way e.g. the Bedfordshire Regiment could match that.

[PhilB]

Here`s the first attempt. It`s a pretty good Bell curve, slanted towards the lower end probably by small regiments like the Cambridgeshires. There does appear to be a case to answer for the LFs though, Mark! They`re stuck out there on their own. In fact, they spoil my curve!

Number of VCs won along the bottom. Height = number of regiments winning that number. Phil B

[domwalsh]

Eight VCs were awarded for the attack on Zeebrugge 22-23 April 1918 and another three for the simultaneous attack on Ostend. The two raids were counted as one action, though I always regard them separately.

Regards,

Dom

[michaeldr]

At Gallipoli on 25th April 1915 there were twelve VCs awarded at Helles

six at 'W' Beach; Stubbs, Keneally, Bromley, Richards, Willis and Grimshaw

and another six at 'V' Beach; Unwin, Williams, Drewry, Samson Malleson and Tisdall

If you can add another 24 hours then you can also add another three VCs at Helles;

those awarded for actions on 26th April 1915 to Doughty-Wylie, Walford, and to Cosgrove

regards

Michael

[Dolphin]

What about the Welsh, it was that Bl****y ref again

Major Lionel Wilmot Brabazon Rees of the RFC was Welsh, having been born in Castle Street, Carnarvon/Caernarfon.

Cheers

Gareth

[rbrauerei]

Thought I'd toss out for curiosity/comparison US Medal of Honor stats:

Most in one day: 16 on 8 October 1918

Of 124 MoH in WWI 61 were won in the opening days of the Meuse-Argonne campaign 26 Sept - 8 October 1918.

[eric.mac]

During the battle of Neuve Chapelle 10-12 March 1915, I believe 9 VC's were awarded, 8 of them on the 12 March.

[michaeldr]

As someone who knows a little about Gallipoli and next to nothing about the Somme I found Gareth's post concerning 1st July 1916 [10 VCs awarded] a bit of a surprise

In my ignorance I would have supposed the figure for the first day of the Somme to have been higher than that for the first day at Gallipoli

Another point which is perhaps worth making is that at Helles where 12 VCs were won on 25th April 1915 there is only about a mile between the two beaches concerned

[Guest leuseaton]

Hi there, do you know the name of the UNWIN from

your list of VC won in a single day? I had relatives in this campaign and cannot find out much about them.

Thanks in advance

Lia Unwin Seaton

[eviltaxman]

Lia,

That'll be Edward Unwin. Click here for ---> more info

Les

[benson]

Lisa

That would be Captain Edward Unwin RN just google him for more info

Dave.

[Gunner Bailey]

There were at least 10 VCs awarded for actions on 1 July 1916:

Pte W McFadzean, 10th Royal Irish Rifles;

Gareth

I thought McFazdean was the 14th Royal Irish Rifles? Which is right?

Gunner Bailey

[eviltaxman]

I've always thought 14th too. Perhaps a typo by Gareth?

Les

[Desmond7]

14th for definite. Also wrongly attributed to 12th R Ir Rifles in that book 'Soldiers who died on 1st day of Somme.'

[Gunner Bailey]

14th for definite. Also wrongly attributed to 12th R Ir Rifles in that book 'Soldiers who died on 1st day of Somme.'

Thanks Guys. I thought I was right (as was Martin Middlebrook). What a selfless hero McFazdean was. Truely admirable in every sense.

Gunner Bailey