On this day

Victoria Cross created 1856

While other nations conferred honours regardless of rank on those who had performed particular acts of heroism, no such system existed for British forces until after the Crimean War .

The Crimean campaign was widely reported on in the newspapers, and pressure grew to democratize the system of awards as the heroism of junior ranks under fire was contrasted with the frequent idiocy of higher ranks at headquarters. Queen Victoria herself was very taken with the idea, and her consort Albert became a driving force to bring it about. The medal itself was kept simple, a cross with a red ribbon, and the words "For valour" inscribed upon it (Victoria was said to have vetoed the wording "For Bravery" as it might have indicated non-recipients had not acted bravely).

The VC was created on January 29th 1856. It was struck by the London jewellers Hancock's of Bruton Street, who have made every British VC since then. It was decided to use the metal from the cascabels of two Russian guns captured at Sevastopol (cascabels are the cannon-ball looking pieces at the non-business end of an old fashioned cannon), so the VC has been made from that bronze ever since – part of one is still available for use. The VC award was back-dated to include heroes of the Crimean War.

While the VC is awarded regardless of rank it has to be approved by the reigning monarch, after nomination by other survivors of the action in question – remarkably one recipient, New Zealander Flying Officer Lloyd Trigg, was nominated by the captain of the U-Boat he sank.

The VC is of such significance that it is always the first mentioned after the recipient's name (for example, an MBE would be listed after the VC). At awards ceremonies it takes precedence over all other honours, even knighthoods. And the VC is held in such high esteem by the services that, while not required to do so in regulations, all ranks will by tradition salute the holder of a VC, leading to the incongruous but truly merited sight of even the Chief of Staff saluting a private who has been given the medal.

Today's question – when and what was the earliest act of bravery that earned the Victoria Cross?

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