The Crimean War saw the introduction of the Victoria Cross, which was
awarded to 111 men. Whilst the history of the Crimean War has been
related many times, never before have the stories of those individuals
who were awarded the VC been told. In this, the result of four decades
of accumulated research, renowned historian James Bancroft describes who
the men were, how they gained the Victoria Cross, and what happened to
them afterwards. Great attention has been given to checking the correct
spelling of the names of people and locations, burial places and new
memorials, and dates of awards and promotions. The author has made every
effort to contact museums and other establishments to get up-to-date
information on the whereabouts of medals and their accessibility. The
men recorded here displayed valor and determination resulting in many
deeds of exceptional courage which became a regular occurrence in the
illustrious annals of the British Army. Among them are heroes who had
the guts to put themselves in mortal danger by picking up live shells
that could have exploded and blown them apart at any moment, gallant
troopers who took part in a cavalry charge that they knew was doomed
before it began and they were about to be cut to pieces, and valiant
individuals who had the audacity to sneak into unknown territory to take
the conflict into the enemy's back yard and risk capture and
ill-treatment. This account of the fascinating lives of these heroes is
accompanied with forty-five portraits.
