Author: Peter G. Cooksley
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0752493922
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 326
Book Description
Of more than 600 Victoria Crosses awarded to British and Empire servicemen during the First World War, nineteen were awarded to airmen of the newly formed Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service. Of these, four were posthumous awards and all but one of the total were to officers. Some of these valorous airmen were from humble backgrounds and with limited education; others were collegiate men from wealthy families. But in the words of one senior officer they all had in common 'the guts of a lion'. Each VS winner's act of bravery is recorded here in intricate detail, along with their backgrounds and their lives after the war.
VCs of the First World War: The Air VCs
Author: Peter G. Cooksley
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0752493922
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 326
Book Description
Of more than 600 Victoria Crosses awarded to British and Empire servicemen during the First World War, nineteen were awarded to airmen of the newly formed Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service. Of these, four were posthumous awards and all but one of the total were to officers. Some of these valorous airmen were from humble backgrounds and with limited education; others were collegiate men from wealthy families. But in the words of one senior officer they all had in common 'the guts of a lion'. Each VS winner's act of bravery is recorded here in intricate detail, along with their backgrounds and their lives after the war.
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0752493922
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 326
Book Description
Of more than 600 Victoria Crosses awarded to British and Empire servicemen during the First World War, nineteen were awarded to airmen of the newly formed Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service. Of these, four were posthumous awards and all but one of the total were to officers. Some of these valorous airmen were from humble backgrounds and with limited education; others were collegiate men from wealthy families. But in the words of one senior officer they all had in common 'the guts of a lion'. Each VS winner's act of bravery is recorded here in intricate detail, along with their backgrounds and their lives after the war.
VCs of the North
Author: Alan Whitworth
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473848237
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 190
Book Description
Today the Victoria Cross remains the supreme British award for bravery. It takes precedence over all other awards and decorations. During its 160-year history, since the first medals were given for gallantry during the Crimean War in the 1850s, 1,357 of these medals have been won, and almost fifty of them have gone to the soldiers of Cumbria, Durham and Northumberland . Alan Whitworth, in this carefully researched and revealing account, describes in graphic detail the exploits and the lives of this elite band of heroes. Within this group of Northern VC recipients are a number of outstanding names, including Richard Annand who gained the first VC of the Second World War and Roland Bradford who was one of only four sets of brothers to have secured the VC. He also had the distinction of becoming the youngest general in the British army. But among the roll of the brave whose gallantry and self-sacrifice are celebrated in these pages the reader will find the names and extraordinary deeds of many other men who were either born or bred or lived and died in the North. They will also find the story of the youngest Victoria Cross recipient who won his award aged just nineteen.The stories of these ordinary individuals who have 'performed some signal act of valour or devotion to their country' will be fascinating reading for anyone who is interested in military history in general and in the long military tradition of the North of England.
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473848237
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 190
Book Description
Today the Victoria Cross remains the supreme British award for bravery. It takes precedence over all other awards and decorations. During its 160-year history, since the first medals were given for gallantry during the Crimean War in the 1850s, 1,357 of these medals have been won, and almost fifty of them have gone to the soldiers of Cumbria, Durham and Northumberland . Alan Whitworth, in this carefully researched and revealing account, describes in graphic detail the exploits and the lives of this elite band of heroes. Within this group of Northern VC recipients are a number of outstanding names, including Richard Annand who gained the first VC of the Second World War and Roland Bradford who was one of only four sets of brothers to have secured the VC. He also had the distinction of becoming the youngest general in the British army. But among the roll of the brave whose gallantry and self-sacrifice are celebrated in these pages the reader will find the names and extraordinary deeds of many other men who were either born or bred or lived and died in the North. They will also find the story of the youngest Victoria Cross recipient who won his award aged just nineteen.The stories of these ordinary individuals who have 'performed some signal act of valour or devotion to their country' will be fascinating reading for anyone who is interested in military history in general and in the long military tradition of the North of England.
VCs of the First World War: Gallipoli
Author: Stephen Snelling
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0752487523
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 361
Book Description
The landings on the Gallipoli Peninsula on 25 April 1915 represented the greatest amphibious operation carried out during the course of the First World War. What had initially been a purely naval enterprise had escalated to become a full-scale Anglo-French invasion, resulting in an eight-month campaign which Churchill hoped would knock Turkey out of the war. For a campaign that promised so much, it ultimately became a tragedy of lost opportunities. By January 1916, when the last men were taken off the peninsula, the casualties totalled 205,000. This book tells the stories of the 39 men whose bravery on the battlefield was rewarded by the Victoria Cross, among them the war's first Australian VC, first New Zealand VC, and first Royal Marine VC. It represents the highest number of VCs won in a theatre of war, other than the Western Front.
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0752487523
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 361
Book Description
The landings on the Gallipoli Peninsula on 25 April 1915 represented the greatest amphibious operation carried out during the course of the First World War. What had initially been a purely naval enterprise had escalated to become a full-scale Anglo-French invasion, resulting in an eight-month campaign which Churchill hoped would knock Turkey out of the war. For a campaign that promised so much, it ultimately became a tragedy of lost opportunities. By January 1916, when the last men were taken off the peninsula, the casualties totalled 205,000. This book tells the stories of the 39 men whose bravery on the battlefield was rewarded by the Victoria Cross, among them the war's first Australian VC, first New Zealand VC, and first Royal Marine VC. It represents the highest number of VCs won in a theatre of war, other than the Western Front.
Yorkshire VCs
Author: Alan Whitworth
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 1781599025
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 503
Book Description
Today the Victoria Cross remains the supreme British award for bravery. It takes precedence over all other awards and decorations. During its 160-year history, since the first of these medals were given for gallantry during the Crimean War in the 1850's, 1,357 have been won, and no less than 69 of them have gone to Yorkshiremen. Alan Whitworth, in this carefully researched and revealing account, describes in graphic detail the exploits and the lives of this elite group of heroes.
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 1781599025
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 503
Book Description
Today the Victoria Cross remains the supreme British award for bravery. It takes precedence over all other awards and decorations. During its 160-year history, since the first of these medals were given for gallantry during the Crimean War in the 1850's, 1,357 have been won, and no less than 69 of them have gone to Yorkshiremen. Alan Whitworth, in this carefully researched and revealing account, describes in graphic detail the exploits and the lives of this elite group of heroes.
Victoria Cross Heroes: Volume II
Author: Michael Ashcroft
Publisher: Biteback Publishing
ISBN: 1785901400
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 310
Book Description
Foreword by Lance-Sergeant Johnson Beharry VC THE VICTORIA CROSS is Britain and the Commonwealth's most prestigious gallantry medal for courage in the face of the enemy. It has been bestowed upon 1,355 heroic individuals from all walks of life since its creation during the Crimean War. Lord Ashcroft, who has been fascinated with bravery since he was a young boy, now owns 200 VCs, by far the largest collection of its kind in the world. Following on from the bestselling Victoria Cross Heroes, first published in 2006 to mark the 150th anniversary of the award, Victoria Cross Heroes: Volume II gives extraordinary accounts of the bravery behind the newest additions to Lord Ashcroft's VC collection - those decorations purchased in the last decade. With nearly sixty action-packed stories of courageous soldiers, sailors and airmen from a range of global conflicts including the Indian Mutiny of 1857-58, the Second Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902 and the First and Second World Wars, this book is a powerful testament to the strength of the human spirit and a worthy tribute to the servicemen who earned the Victoria Cross. Their inspirational deeds of valour and self-sacrifice should be championed and never forgotten.
Publisher: Biteback Publishing
ISBN: 1785901400
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 310
Book Description
Foreword by Lance-Sergeant Johnson Beharry VC THE VICTORIA CROSS is Britain and the Commonwealth's most prestigious gallantry medal for courage in the face of the enemy. It has been bestowed upon 1,355 heroic individuals from all walks of life since its creation during the Crimean War. Lord Ashcroft, who has been fascinated with bravery since he was a young boy, now owns 200 VCs, by far the largest collection of its kind in the world. Following on from the bestselling Victoria Cross Heroes, first published in 2006 to mark the 150th anniversary of the award, Victoria Cross Heroes: Volume II gives extraordinary accounts of the bravery behind the newest additions to Lord Ashcroft's VC collection - those decorations purchased in the last decade. With nearly sixty action-packed stories of courageous soldiers, sailors and airmen from a range of global conflicts including the Indian Mutiny of 1857-58, the Second Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902 and the First and Second World Wars, this book is a powerful testament to the strength of the human spirit and a worthy tribute to the servicemen who earned the Victoria Cross. Their inspirational deeds of valour and self-sacrifice should be championed and never forgotten.
The Complete Victoria Cross
Author: Kevin Brazier
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 1473872065
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 450
Book Description
This fully revised paperback edition of the complete chronological record of VC holders is an essential work of reference for every student of military history. All the British and Commonwealth servicemen who have been awarded the highest honour for exceptional acts of bravery and self-sacrifice are commemorated here. The first VCs awarded for the Crimean War and in the nineteenth-century colonial wars are described, as are the VCs awarded in the world wars of the twentieth century and the most recent VCs awarded during present-day conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The extraordinary exploits recounted in this fascinating book make unforgettable reading.
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 1473872065
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 450
Book Description
This fully revised paperback edition of the complete chronological record of VC holders is an essential work of reference for every student of military history. All the British and Commonwealth servicemen who have been awarded the highest honour for exceptional acts of bravery and self-sacrifice are commemorated here. The first VCs awarded for the Crimean War and in the nineteenth-century colonial wars are described, as are the VCs awarded in the world wars of the twentieth century and the most recent VCs awarded during present-day conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The extraordinary exploits recounted in this fascinating book make unforgettable reading.
Billy Bishop VC: Lone Wolf Hunter
Author: Peter Kilduff
Publisher: Grub Street Publishers
ISBN: 1910690937
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 193
Book Description
A “superb” look at one of the Great War’s most storied combat pilots and his legendary solo missions, with never-before-published photos (Barrett Tillman). William Avery Bishop is recognized as the British Empire’s highest-scoring WWI ace, credited with seventy-two combat victories. Overall, he ranked behind only Manfred von Richthofen and René Fonck. This remarkable man’s story—his personal courage, daring, and superior marksmanship—has been detailed in books and articles, but here author Peter Kilduff investigates the untold story, bringing new light to missions and kills that have been previously steeped in controversy through evenhanded, thorough research and forensic evidence. As so many of Bishop’s victories were achieved during solo combat, the author examines and scrutinizes German, British, and Canadian archival sources, Bishop’s private correspondence, and accounts by friends and foes. Such an approach provides as complete an account as possible, in a valuable work featuring many previously unpublished photographs. “Kilduff is not the first to conduct such an inquiry into Bishop’s claim of 72 victories, but his book is by far the best researched . . . expertly laid out, with photos of the aircraft mentioned by Bishop, particularly the German types. Kilduff has done a marvelous and subtle job of showing how a real hero became larger than life.” —Aviation History
Publisher: Grub Street Publishers
ISBN: 1910690937
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 193
Book Description
A “superb” look at one of the Great War’s most storied combat pilots and his legendary solo missions, with never-before-published photos (Barrett Tillman). William Avery Bishop is recognized as the British Empire’s highest-scoring WWI ace, credited with seventy-two combat victories. Overall, he ranked behind only Manfred von Richthofen and René Fonck. This remarkable man’s story—his personal courage, daring, and superior marksmanship—has been detailed in books and articles, but here author Peter Kilduff investigates the untold story, bringing new light to missions and kills that have been previously steeped in controversy through evenhanded, thorough research and forensic evidence. As so many of Bishop’s victories were achieved during solo combat, the author examines and scrutinizes German, British, and Canadian archival sources, Bishop’s private correspondence, and accounts by friends and foes. Such an approach provides as complete an account as possible, in a valuable work featuring many previously unpublished photographs. “Kilduff is not the first to conduct such an inquiry into Bishop’s claim of 72 victories, but his book is by far the best researched . . . expertly laid out, with photos of the aircraft mentioned by Bishop, particularly the German types. Kilduff has done a marvelous and subtle job of showing how a real hero became larger than life.” —Aviation History
The Victoria Cross at Sea
Author: John Winton
Publisher: Frontline Books
ISBN: 1473876141
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 276
Book Description
Naval VCs have been won in places as far apart in time and distance as the Baltic in 1854 and Japan in 1945, in the trenches from the Crimea to the Western Front, in harbours from Dar es Salaam to Zeebrugge, from the Barents to the Java Sea, from New Zealand to the North Atlantic, and from China to the Channel. They have been won in battleships and trawlers, in submarines below the water and aircraft above it, on horseback and on foot.Age and rank meant nothing. Boy Cornwall was not seventeen at Jutland, and Frederick Parslow was in his sixtieth year when he earned his VC on board a horse transport ship. William Hall was the son of a freed slave; Charles Lucas, awarded the Royal Navys first VC, became a Rear Admiral. Neither were all the recipients of Britains highest gallantry decoration British, and men from Canada, Australia and New Zealand were included in those whose actions were recognised by the awarding of the VC. Yet every one of them had one thing in common uncommon valour.
Publisher: Frontline Books
ISBN: 1473876141
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 276
Book Description
Naval VCs have been won in places as far apart in time and distance as the Baltic in 1854 and Japan in 1945, in the trenches from the Crimea to the Western Front, in harbours from Dar es Salaam to Zeebrugge, from the Barents to the Java Sea, from New Zealand to the North Atlantic, and from China to the Channel. They have been won in battleships and trawlers, in submarines below the water and aircraft above it, on horseback and on foot.Age and rank meant nothing. Boy Cornwall was not seventeen at Jutland, and Frederick Parslow was in his sixtieth year when he earned his VC on board a horse transport ship. William Hall was the son of a freed slave; Charles Lucas, awarded the Royal Navys first VC, became a Rear Admiral. Neither were all the recipients of Britains highest gallantry decoration British, and men from Canada, Australia and New Zealand were included in those whose actions were recognised by the awarding of the VC. Yet every one of them had one thing in common uncommon valour.
Awarded for Valour
Author: M. Smith
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 0230583350
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 289
Book Description
Based on primary source research, this is the most comprehensive history of the Victoria Cross available, tracing the evolution of the award from its inception in 1856 to the most recent bestowals. The study also examines the evolution of the concept of heroism and how the definition of heroism changed along with the nature of warfare.
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 0230583350
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 289
Book Description
Based on primary source research, this is the most comprehensive history of the Victoria Cross available, tracing the evolution of the award from its inception in 1856 to the most recent bestowals. The study also examines the evolution of the concept of heroism and how the definition of heroism changed along with the nature of warfare.
Heroes of the Skies
Author: Michael Ashcroft
Publisher: Headline
ISBN: 0755363914
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 349
Book Description
Since the dawn of aerial combat in the First World War, the heroism of the men who put their lives at risk in the air has known no bounds. There were no more heroic airmen than the fighter pilots and bomber crews of the Second World War - men who sacrificed their own lives in order to save their crew or who, although in extreme pain, managed to get their aircraft home rather than risk becoming PoWs. In telling the stories of more than eighty such men, Heroes of the Skies paints a picture of aerial combat from the First World War right through to Afghanistan, and allows us to celebrate the extraordinary feats of our flying heroes.
Publisher: Headline
ISBN: 0755363914
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 349
Book Description
Since the dawn of aerial combat in the First World War, the heroism of the men who put their lives at risk in the air has known no bounds. There were no more heroic airmen than the fighter pilots and bomber crews of the Second World War - men who sacrificed their own lives in order to save their crew or who, although in extreme pain, managed to get their aircraft home rather than risk becoming PoWs. In telling the stories of more than eighty such men, Heroes of the Skies paints a picture of aerial combat from the First World War right through to Afghanistan, and allows us to celebrate the extraordinary feats of our flying heroes.