List of Canadian Victoria Cross recipients

The Victoria Cross is the highest award of the United Kingdom honours system. It is awarded for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" to members of armed forces of the United Kingdom and was in the past also awarded to members of armed forces of Canada and other Commonwealth countries. Canada, like most of the others, has established its own honours systems and no longer recommends VCs and other British honours. The Canadian Victoria Cross was created in 1993, as the highest award in the Canadian honours system.
During the time Canadians were eligible for the VC, it was sometimes awarded posthumously and awarded to a person of any military rank in any service and to civilians under military command. No Canadian civilian ever won the VC. Since the first awards were presented by Queen Victoria in 1857, two thirds of all awards were personally presented by the British monarch of the time. These investitures were usually held at Buckingham Palace.

Background

Established in 1856, the Victoria Cross has been awarded to service personnel for extraordinary valour and devotion to duty mostly while facing a hostile force. Between 1858 and 1881 the Victoria Cross could be awarded for extraordinary actions taken "under circumstances of extreme danger" not in the face of the enemy. Six people were awarded Victoria Crosses under this clause, two of them having a connection to Canada – one to an Irish soldier serving in the British army in Canada for actions taken in 1866 during the Fenian raids; and five for a dangerous boat rescue in 1867 during the Andaman Islands Expedition. In 1881, VC regulations were amended to only allow acts "in the presence of the enemy".
Since 1993, Canadians are not eligible for the Victoria Cross. That medal was superseded by the Canadian Victoria Cross – of equal honour, but yet to be awarded. The scroll of the Canadian VC differs in that the inscription is in Latin rather than English. By using a language that is an ancestor of French and has greatly contributed to the development of English, the medal avoids linguistic discrimination between Canada's two official languages. The fleur-de-lis, in heraldry long associated with the French crown has been added at the end each scroll. The actual metal of the medal is a distinct Canadian composition.
At a time when VCs could be awarded for actions taken not in the face of enemy fire, Timothy O'Hea, a 23-year-old Irishman in the British army, fought a fire in a railway car containing 900 kilograms of ammunition stationed at Danville, Canada East, during the Fenian raids. O'Hea is the only VC recipient awarded for actions on Canadian soil.

Summary

According to Veterans Affairs Canada, the Victoria Cross has been presented to 99 Canadians, or people closely associated with Canada, between its creation for acts performed during the Crimean War and 1993 when the Canadian Victoria Cross was instituted. No Canadian received the VC from 1945 to 1993, and no Canadian has yet been awarded the Canadian Victoria Cross, instituted in 1993. One list solely includes individuals, irrespective of their country of origin, who served in the Canadian armed forces. The Veterans’ Affairs site broadens the criteria to encompass those born in Canada who received the VC while in the United Kingdom armed forces.
The first Canadian to be awarded the Victoria Cross was Alexander Roberts Dunn for his actions in 1854, during the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War. William Hall, a Nova Scotian, was the first black recipient of the Victoria Cross. The last living Canadian recipient of the British Victoria Cross, "Smokey" Smith, died in August 2005.
Canadians were awarded the Victoria Cross for actions performed in the Crimean War, the Indian Mutiny, a native uprising at a remote Indian Ocean island during the Andaman Islands Expedition, the Battle of Omdurman during the Sudan Campaign of 1896–1899, and the Second Boer War. The Victoria Cross was awarded to 73 Canadians and other members of the Canadian army for actions during the First World War, and sixteen Canadians received the VC during the Second World War. Lieutenant Robert Hampton Gray of the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve was the last Canadian to win the VC during the Second World War. He was the last Canadian to receive the Victoria Cross ever.
Seven Canadians were awarded VCs individually on one single day, 2 September 1918, for actions they performed along the 30 km long Drocourt-Quéant Line near Arras, France: Bellenden Hutcheson, Arthur George Knight, William Henry Metcalf, Claude Nunney, Cyrus Wesley Peck, Walter Leigh Rayfield and John Francis Young. Their acts of valour were performed during Canada's Hundred Days, a period of successful offensive campaigning that helped end the war.

Recipients

Name	Date of action	Conflict	Unit	Perpetuating unit	Place of action	Province of origin	Notes
	1918*	World War I Canada's Hundred Days		Queen's York Rangers (1st American Regiment)	Cambrai, France	Ontario
	1918	World War I		-	Forêt de Mormal, France	Manitoba
	1917	World War I Second Battle of Passchendaele		Royal Regiment of Canada	Passchendaele, Belgium	Ontario
	1944*	World War II Aerial heroics during bombing raid on V-1 flying bomb site		No. 115 Squadron RAF	Trossy St. Maximin, France	Alberta
	1915	World War I Second Battle of Ypres		British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own)	Kerselaere, Belgium	British Columbia
	1917*	World War I Battle of Polygon Wood	9th Battalion, The Leicestershire Regiment	B Company, 2nd Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment	Polygon Wood, Belgium	Nova Scotia
	1917	World War I		No. 60 Squadron RAF	Cambrai, France	Ontario
	1918	World War I First Ostend Raid	Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve	Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve	Ostend, Belgium	British Columbia
	1918	World War I Canada's Hundred Days		Royal Winnipeg Rifles	Amiens, France	Manitoba
	1918*	World War I Canada's Hundred Days			Meharicourt, France	Quebec
	1917*	World War I Battle of Hill 70		Royal Winnipeg Rifles and Calgary Highlanders (10th Canadians)	Lens, France	Ontario
	1918*	World War I Canada's Hundred Days		Saskatchewan Dragoons	Valenciennes, France	Saskatchewan
	1915*	World War I		Royal Canadian Regiment	Givenchy, France	Ontario
	1918	World War I Canada's Hundred Days		Victoria Rifles of Canada	Fresnes, France	Quebec
	1916*	World War I Battle of Flers-Courcelette		Governor General's Foot Guards	Pozières, France	Manitoba
	1900	Second Boer War Battle of Leliefontein	Royal Canadian Dragoons	Royal Canadian Dragoons	Komati River, South Africa	Ontario
	1917*	World War I Battle of Arras		Royal Winnipeg Rifles	Acheville, France	Saskatchewan
	1918	World War I Canada's Hundred Days		Royal Winnipeg Rifles	Hackett Woods, France	Manitoba
	1945*	World War II Incursion into Germany		Queen's Own Rifles of Canada	Mooshof, Germany	Ontario
	1918*	World War I Canada's Hundred Days		Black Watch of Canada	Amiens, France	Nova Scotia	.
	1918	World War I Palestine campaign	2/14th Battalion, The London Regiment	London Regiment	Jordan, Palestine	Manitoba
	1944	World War II Falais pocket		South Alberta Light Horse	Battle of Falaise, France	Saskatchewan
	1898	Battle of Omdurman, Anglo-Egyptian conquest of Sudan	21st Lancers	Royal Lancers	Omdurman, Sudan	Quebec
	1918*	World War I defence against German spring offensive	15th Battalion, The Royal Irish Rifles	Royal Irish Regiment	Groagie, France	Alberta
	1918	World War I Canada's Hundred Days		Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada	Parvillers, France	n/a
	1867	Andaman Islands Expedition		Royal Welsh	Little Andaman, India	Ontario
	1854	Battle of Balaclava, Crimean War		Yorkshire Regiment	Balaclava, Crimea	Ontario
	1915*	World War I Second Battle of Ypres		Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada	St. Julien, Belgium	Ontario
	1918*	World War I defence against German spring offensive Battle of Moreuil Wood	Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)	Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)	Bois de Moreuil, France	British Columbia
	1942	World War II Dieppe raid	1st Battalion, The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry	Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment)	Dieppe, France	Ontario
	1915	World War I Capture of Hill 60	1st Battalion	Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment	Ypres, Belgium	Marylebone, London
	1918	World War I Canada's Hundred Days		Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada	Hangard Wood, France	New Brunswick
	1945*	World War II Pacific War aerial attack on Japanese navy in home waters	Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve	Royal Canadian Navy	Onagawa Bay, Japan	British Columbia
	1918	World War I Canada's Hundred Days	Royal Canadian Regiment	Royal Canadian Regiment	Cambrai, France	New Brunswick
	1915*	World War I Second Battle of Ypres		Royal Winnipeg Rifles	Ypres, Belgium	Manitoba
	1857	Indian rebellion of 1857		none	Lucknow, India	Nova Scotia
	1917	World War I Battle of Hill 70		British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own)	Lens, France	British Columbia
	1917	World War I	Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)	Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)	Guyencourt, France	Alberta
	1917*	World War I Battle of Hill 70		Queen's York Rangers (1st American Regiment) (RCAC)	Lens, France	Ontario
	1944*	World War II Burma campaign, Battle of the Admin Box	1st Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment	Royal Anglian Regiment	Ngakyedauk Pass, Burma	British Columbia
	1900	Second Boer War Battle of Leliefontein	Royal Canadian Dragoons	Royal Canadian Dragoons	Komati River, South Africa	Ontario
	1917	World War I Second Battle of Passchendaele		Governor General's Horse Guards	Passchendaele, Belgium	Ontario
	1918*	World War I Canada's Hundred Days		Winnipeg Grenadiers	Bourlon Wood, France	Ontario
	1944*	World War II Battle of Atlantic			Faroes, Atlantic	Ontario
	1918	World War I Canada's Hundred Days		Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own)	Arras, France	Ontario
	1918*	World War I			Neuville-Vitasse, France	Quebec
	1918	World War I Canada's Hundred Days		Queen's Own Rifles of Canada and Royal Regiment of Canada	Bourlon Wood, France	Ontario
	1916	World War I Battle of Flers–Courcelette		Loyal Edmonton Regiment (4th Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry)	Courcelette, France	Nova Scotia Alberta
	1917	World War I Second Battle of Passchendaele		Loyal Edmonton Regiment (4th Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry)	Passchendaele, Belgium	Alberta
	1918*	World War I Canada's Hundred Days		Royal Winnipeg Rifles and Calgary Highlanders (10th Canadians)	Villers-les-Cagnicourt, France	Saskatchewan
	1917	World War I Battle of Hill 70		Royal Westminster Regiment	Lens, France	n/a
	1917*	World War I		Governor General's Foot Guards	Lens, France	Quebec
	1918	World War I Canada's Hundred Days		British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own)	Cambrai, France	Ontario
	1917	World War I Vimy Ridge		Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Duke of Edinburgh's Own)	Vimy Ridge, France	Ontario
	1918	World War I Canada's Hundred Days		British Columbia Dragoons	Cambrai, France	British Columbia
	1944	World War II Italian campaign	1st Battalion, The Westminster Regiment (Motor)	Royal Westminster Regiment	River Melfa, Italy	British Columbia
	1918	World War I		Royal Montreal Regiment	Gavrelle Sector, France	Alberta
	1917*	World War I Second Battle of Passchendaele	Canadian Machine Gun Corps	Royal Canadian Armoured Corps	Meetscheele Spur, Belgium	Ontario Alberta
	1918*	World War I		No. 2 Squadron RAF	Albert, France	Manitoba
	1918	World War I Canada's Hundred Days		56th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA, Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment)	Abancourt, France	Ontario
	1942	World War II Dieppe Raid	1st Battalion, The South Saskatchewan Regiment	South Saskatchewan Regiment	Dieppe, France	British Columbia
	1918	World War I Canada's Hundred Days		Canadian Scottish Regiment	Arras, France	n/a
	1917*	World War I Vimy Ridge		Canadian Scottish Regiment	Thelus, France	Saskatchewan
	1918*	World War I Canada's Hundred Days		Royal Regiment of Canada	Demuin, France	Ontario
	1918	World War I Canada's Hundred Days			Canal de L'Escaut, France	Manitoba
	1917	World War I Second Battle of Passchendaele	Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry	Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry	Passchendaele, Belgium	Saskatchewan
	1944*	World War II Bomber campaign		419 Tactical Fighter Training Squadron	Cambrai, France	Manitoba
	1900	Second Boer War	Royal Army Medical Corps		Wakkerstroom, South Africa	New Brunswick
	1918*	World War I Canada's Hundred Days		Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Duke of Edinburgh's Own)	Drocourt-Queant Line, France	Ontario
	1917	World War I Second Battle of Passchendaele		Lake Superior Scottish Regiment	Passchendaele, Belgium	Manitoba
	1915	World War I	1st Battalion, Irish Guards	Irish Guards	Cuinchy, France	Saskatchewan
	1917	World War I Battle of Hill 70		British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own)	Lens, France	British Columbia
	1941*	World War II Battle of Hong Kong	1st Battalion, The Winnipeg Grenadiers	Winnipeg Grenadiers	Mount Butler, Hong Kong	Manitoba
	1917*	World War I Vimy Ridge		King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC)	Vimy Ridge, France	Alberta
	1917	World War I Second Battle of Passchendaele		Sherbrooke Hussars	Passchendaele, Belgium	Yukon
	1918	World War I Canada's Hundred Days		Canadian Scottish Regiment	Cagnicourt, France	New Brunswick
	1942*	World War II Operation Torch			Oran, Algeria	P.E.I.
	1918	World War I Canada's Hundred Days		British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own)	Arras, France	Ontario
	1857	Indian rebellion of 1857		The Rifles	Delhi, India	Ontario
	1900	Second Boer War	Strathcona's Horse	Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)	Wolwespruit, South Africa	Saskatchewan
	1916*	World War I Battle of the Somme		Canadian Scottish Regiment	Somme, France	British Columbia
	1918	World War I Hundred Days Offensive	1st Battalion	Royal Newfoundland Regiment	Ledeghem, Belgium	Newfoundland
	1917*	World War I Second Battle of Passchendaele		Royal Winnipeg Rifles	Passchendaele, Belgium	Nova Scotia Alberta
	1918	World War I Canada's Hundred Days		Sherbrooke Hussars	Monchy, France	Ontario
	1915	World War I Second Battle of Ypres	Canadian Army Medical Corps		St. Julien, Belgium	Quebec
	1917	World War I Second Battle of Passchendaele		Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada	Passchendaele, Belgium	Manitoba
	1917*	World War I Vimy Ridge		Essex and Kent Scottish	Neuville-S^t.-Vaast, France	Ontario
	1916	World War I Mesopotamian campaign	Indian Medical Service		Orah Ruins, Mesopotamia	British Columbia
	1944	World War II Italian campaign	1st Battalion, The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada	Seaforth Highlanders of Canada	River Savio, Italy	British Columbia
	1918*	World War I Canada's Hundred Days	Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry	Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry	Parvillers, France	Manitoba
	1917	World War I Battle of Cambrai	Fort Garry Horse	Fort Garry Horse	Masnières, France	Manitoba Alberta
	1918*	World War I Canada's Hundred Days		Winnipeg Grenadiers	Amiens, France	Manitoba
	1945	World War II Battle of the Rhineland	1st Battalion, The Essex Scottish Regiment	Essex and Kent Scottish	Hochwald Forest, Germany	Ontario
	1945	World War II Operation Varsity			Rhine, Germany	Ontario
	1943	World War II Italian campaign	Royal 22^e Régiment	Royal 22^e Régiment	Casa Berardi, Italy	Quebec
	1900	Second Boer War Battle of Leliefontein	Royal Canadian Dragoons	Royal Canadian Dragoons	Komati River, South Africa	Quebec
	1916*	World War I Battle of the Somme	7th Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment	Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border)	La Boiselle, France	British Columbia
	1918	World War I Canada's Hundred Days		Canadian Grenadier Guards	Dury-Arras Sector, France	Quebec
	1918	World War I Canada's Hundred Days		North Saskatchewan Regiment	Warvillers, France	Saskatchewan