List of Victoria Cross recipients from the British 2nd Division

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A painting depicting two soldiers attempting to lash a gun carriage to a horse team, which also includes mounted soldiers.
Saving the guns at Colenso, by Sidney Paget, depicts the event that resulted in the 2nd Division earning four Victoria Cross medals

The Victoria Cross (VC) is a military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of armed forces of some Commonwealth countries and previous British Empire territories. The VC was introduced, in Great Britain, on 29 January 1856 by Queen Victoria to reward acts of valour during the Crimean War. It takes precedence over all other orders, decorations and medals. It may be awarded to a person of any rank in any service, and to civilians under military command. All those who earn the VC have their names published in The London Gazette.[1]

The 2nd Division was an infantry division of the British Army, which was formed and disbanded several times over a 200-year period. It was raised in 1854, to take part in the Crimean War against the Russian Empire.[2] It played an important role in the Battle of Inkerman, and was engaged throughout the Siege of Sevastopol (1854–1855).[3] In 1856, after the conclusion of hostilities, the division was disbanded.[4] During the war, ten VCs were earned by members of the division. It was formed again, in 1899, for service in the Second Boer War.[5] The division took part in all the notable battles that made up the Relief of Ladysmith. At the end of 1900, when conventional warfare ended, the division was broken-up so its forces could be reassigned in an effort to combat the Boer guerrilla tactics.[6][7] During this period, a further eight VCs were earned by soldiers who were part of the division. The division was reformed in 1902, and went on to fight in many of the major battles on the Western Front during the First World War (1914–1918).[8][9][10] During the four years of war, eighteen members of the division earned VCs. The division next saw combat during the Second World War (1939–1945), which resulted in three more soldiers being awarded the VC. Since the Second World War, the division has not been in battle and was disbanded for the final time in 2012.[11][12]

Date of action Rank Name Unit Place of action Country of action Sources

+Recipients

26 October 1854 Brevet-Major John Conolly 49th Regiment of Foot Inkerman, Crimea Russia [13]
26 October 1854 Sergeant Major Ambrose Madden 41st Regiment of Foot Inkerman, Crimea Russia [14][15][16]
30 October 1854 Corporal James Owens 49th Regiment of Foot Crimea Russia [15][17]
5 November 1854 Private Thomas Beach 55th Regiment of Foot Inkerman, Crimea Russia [15][17]
5 November 1854 Private John McDermond 47th Regiment of Foot Inkerman, Crimea Russia [15][17]
5 November 1854 Brevet-Major Hugh Rowlands 41st Regiment of Foot Inkerman, Crimea Russia [14][15]
5 November 1854 Brevet-Major Mark Walker 30th Regiment of Foot Inkerman, Crimea Russia [15][18]
5 November 1854 Sergeant George Walters 49th Regiment of Foot Inkerman, Crimea Russia [15][17]
8 September 1855 Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick Maude 3rd Regiment of Foot Sevastopol, Crimea Russia [19]
8 September 1855 Private John Connors 3rd Regiment of Foot Sevastopol, Crimea Russia [19]
15 December 1899 Major William Babtie Royal Army Medical Corps Colenso Natal [20][21]
15 December 1899 Captain Walter Congreve Rifle Brigade Colenso Natal [21][22]
15 December 1899 Corporal George Nurse Royal Field Artillery Colenso Natal [21][22]
15 December 1899 Captain Hamilton Reed Royal Field Artillery Colenso Natal [21][22]
15 December 1899 Lieutenant Frederick Roberts King's Royal Rifle Corps Colenso Natal [21][22]
15 December 1899 Captain Harry Schofield Royal Field Artillery Colenso Natal [21][23]
23 February 1900 Private Albert Curtis East Surrey Regiment Wynne's Hill Natal [21][24][25]
27 February 1900 Captain Conwyn Mansel-Jones West Yorkshire Regiment Tugela Natal [21][26]
23 August 1914 Corporal Charles Garforth 15th The King's Hussars Harmingnies Belgium [27][28]
25–26 August 1914 Lance Corporal George Wyatt Coldstream Guards Landrecies France [28][29]
14 September 1914 Private George Wilson Highland Light Infantry Verneuil France [28][30]
19–20 September 1914 Captain Harry Ranken Royal Army Medical Corps Haute-Avesnes France [28][27]
28 September 1914 Lance Corporal Frederick Dobson Coldstream Guards Near Soupir France [31][32]
29 October–8 November 1914 Lieutenant Arthur Martin-Leake Royal Army Medical Corps Zonnebeke Belgium [28][33]
11 November 1914 Lieutenant Walter Brodie Highland Light Infantry Becelaere Belgium [28][34]
1 February 1915 Lance Corporal Michael O'Leary Irish Guards Cuinchy France [28][33]
16 May 1915 Lance Corporal Joseph Tombs King's (Liverpool Regiment) Rue du Bois France [28][35]
25 September 1915 Captain Arthur Kilby South Staffordshire Regiment Cuinchy France [36][37]
27 September 1915 Corporal Alfred Burt Hertfordshire Regiment Cuinchy France [28][38]
16 November 1915 Second Lieutenant Alexander Turner Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment) Vermelles France [28][39]
24 October 1916 Sergeant Albert Gill King's Royal Rifle Corps Delville Wood France [40][41]
17 February 1917 Lance Sergeant Frederick Palmer Royal Fusiliers Near Miraumont France [42][43]
29 April 1917 Lance Corporal James Welch Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment) Oppy France [44][45]
30 November 1917 Lieutenant (Acting Captain) Walter Stone Royal Fusiliers Near Moeuvres France [46][47]
30 November–1 December 1917 Lieutenant (Acting Captain) Allastair McReady-Diarmid Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment) Near Moeuvres France [48][49]
16 April 1918 Private Jack Counter King's (Liverpool Regiment) Boisieux St. Marc France [50][51]
15–16 May 1940 Second Lieutenant Richard Annand Durham Light Infantry River Dyle Belgium [52][53]
21 May 1940 Company Sergeant-Major George Gristock Royal Norfolk Regiment River Escaut near Tournai Belgium [52][54]
4–6 May 1944 Lieutenant (Temporary Captain) John Randle Royal Norfolk Regiment Kohima India [54][55]

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