Frederick Whirlpool VC
Frederick Whirlpool VC

Author: Alan Leek

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2018-09-05

Total Pages: 337

ISBN-13: 1925675726

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"A riveting historical mystery that sweeps four continents and fills a void in the Victoria Cross story." Frederick Whirlpool’s Victoria Cross is displayed near the entrance to the Hall of Valour at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra. It was the first VC pinned to an Australian uniform, yet almost nothing was known about its enigmatic recipient. Two acts of valour during the Indian Mutiny, won him the Victoria Cross, but 17 severe sword wounds ended his career. Arriving in Victoria in 1859, he became a volunteer rifleman and school teacher. His VC was presented in Melbourne in 1861. He was an applicant to join the Victoria Police, but a corrupt recruitment process and unsolicited political interference prevented it. Repulsed by fame, he fled and hid his cross from the world. Fragments of his story were known, but since 1895, they have been tainted by error, guesswork and in one recent British work, pure fantasy. This work solves an old mystery. It reveals his true identity and early life in Ireland before joining the East India Company Army. To understand his service, the Central Indian campaign under Sir Hugh Rose, is examined in some detail, something that has not been done before. The real horrors of that campaign are revealed to show their devastating impact on this sensitive man. Rich sources reveal his anguished story. Humphrey James’ reasons for changing his identity and leaving his family forever, are unearthed. His life in Australia is revealed, showing his fall, firstly from policing and then teaching, in NSW. He undoubtedly struggled with his demons and believed that he was destined for eternal damnation. The passage of his Victoria Cross, after his death was unknown before it appeared on the market in 1927. Its movements and those of his Indian Mutiny medal with its Central India clasp, are now revealed’ This fascinating story fills huge gaps in the narrative of this ordinary man, whose life is deserving of factual interpretation. It is a story of heroism, suffering and failure, but the forgotten man will triumph in its telling. His sad life ended as a recluse in 1899, and he was buried in an unmarked grave in Windsor. The only mourner who attended his funeral left a thread, which has allowed painstaking research to uncover the true story of this sad and purposefully enigmatic hero.

Liverpool VCs
Liverpool VCs

Author: James Murphy

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

Published: 2008-10-31

Total Pages: 469

ISBN-13: 1844686426

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In Liverpool local heroes tend to be drawn from football or the music business or from the period when the city was one of Britains greatest ports. Although it has produced many military heroes, only double VC winner Noel Chavasse has had the recognition he deserves. James Murphy, in this meticulously researched and sympathetically written book, sets the record straight. His biographies of twenty-three Liverpool VC winners show what extraordinary sacrifices the men of the city made when they were called on to fight for their country. He gives graphic accounts of the exploits that won them the VC, and he recalls other actions in which they were involved. His main purpose is to show these men at war, but he also provides an insight into their civilian lives, and he records the times they lived in. And he dispels the myths and corrects the errors of fact that have grown up around them.

Victoria Crosses of the Gurkha and Indian Regiments
Victoria Crosses of the Gurkha and Indian Regiments

Author: Kevin Brazier

Publisher: Pen and Sword Military

Published: 2023-06-30

Total Pages: 459

ISBN-13: 1399067516

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In this book you will find the stories of all the men awarded the VC while serving in the Gurkha and Indian regiments of the Indian Army; this also includes British soldiers serving in these regiments. The Indian Army have been involved in wars all over Europe, Africa, the Middle and Far East, in many campaigns. However, it was not until 1912 that native Gurkhas and Indians were eligible for the award. It would be 1914 when the first native Indian was awarded it and 1915 for the first Gurkha. Prior to this only British soldiers serving in the Indian Army had been awarded the VC. This book is divided into two parts, the first part deals with the men who were serving in the Gurkha regiments at the time of their VC actions. Of the 26 Gurkha regiment VC’s half were awarded to native born Gurkhas and half to British officers. Part two of the book deals with the men who were serving in the Indian Army at the time of their VC actions. Of the 135 VCs awarded to Indian regiments, only 28 were awarded to native Indians, the remainder going to British soldiers serving in Indian regiments.

The Victoria Crosses that Saved an Empire
The Victoria Crosses that Saved an Empire

Author: Brian Best

Publisher: Frontline Books

Published: 2016-06-19

Total Pages: 282

ISBN-13: 1473857074

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The Indian Mutiny struck at the very heart of the British Empire. If India was lost the whole edifice of British domination across its colonies was in jeopardy. Everything was at stake, Britains leading role in the word, its international commerce and the reputation of its armed forces. Across the globe Britain ruled only through the compliance of the subordinate nations but if India could throw off the imperialist yolk others might also rebel. The very fate of the Empire hung in the balance.The situation was considered to be so serious that the British authorities extended the warrant of the newly-created Victoria Cross to include anyone, even civil servants, who performed prodigious acts of valour to save India, and save the Empire.A total 182 VCs were awarded during the Mutiny, the same number as in the whole of the Second World War, climaxing in one day at Lucknow when twenty-four men displayed extraordinary valour to raise the siege the most VCs ever won in a single day.This is the story of those few months between May 1857 and June 1858 when the world turned its gaze upon the jewel in Victorias crown and 182 men soldier, sailor and civilian wrote their names into the history books.

The Complete Victoria Cross
The Complete Victoria Cross

Author: Kevin Brazier

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

Published: 2015-09-30

Total Pages: 450

ISBN-13: 1473872065

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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.

Unrewarded Courage
Unrewarded Courage

Author: Brian Best

Publisher: Frontline Books

Published: 2020-09-30

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13: 1526772493

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The Victoria Cross is the most exclusive and prestigious of all gallantry awards. In order to retain this exclusivity, the standard of courage, endeavor or sacrifice required for a recommendation to be accepted for the award of the VC must be of the highest possible order. This has meant that many extremely courageous acts have failed to be rewarded with the VC, even though they appear to be just as remarkable in the level of danger and daring as some of those which were accepted for the medal. The reason for this, is that the awarding of the VC, indeed even the acknowledgment from a commanding officer that an individual’s action merits submission to the selection board, is entirely subjective. What one general might consider to be of exceptional valor might be regarded by another senior officer as merely a soldier carrying out his duty. When Trooper Clement Roberts rode into the thick of battle in South Africa to rescue a young war reporter who had been thrown from his horse, little did he know that he was saving the life of Britain’s future wartime Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill. Recommended for the VC, Roberts was eventually awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. Similarly, following the airborne operation at Arnhem in the Second World War, Captain Michael Dauncey was recommended by three other officers for the award of the Victoria Cross. These appeals, however, were rejected. The reasons behind the failure to award Lieutenant Colonel Paddy Mayne, a member of 1st SAS Regiment, the VC, despite repeated calls for his actions to be recognized in such a manner, was the subject of an Early Day Motion put before the House of Commons as recently as June 2005. Following the airborne operation at Arnhem in the Second World War, Captain Michael Dauncey was recommended by three other officers for the award of the Victoria Cross. These appeals, however, were rejected. The reasons behind the failure to award Lieutenant Colonel Paddy Mayne, a member of 1st SAS Regiment, the VC, despite repeated calls for his actions to be recognized in such a manner, was the subject of an Early Day Motion put before the House of Commons as recently as June 2005. In this revealing and unique analysis of actions that did not result in the award of the VC, despite recommendations to this effect, Brian Best has highlighted the uneven decisions made throughout the decades and in campaigns around the globe, that led to some men becoming national heroes and others, equally courageous, being merely footnotes in history.

Rat in the Ranks
Rat in the Ranks

Author: Alan Leek

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2021-06-02

Total Pages: 280

ISBN-13: 1922488151

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Australia was a grim place during the Great Depression. Bettiing was inexpensive entertainment for the masses, but outlawed, police were forced to pit themselves against their public who flouted the law. Mendelssohn Bartholdy Miller was a young office called to this duty, but discovered a world of .corruption. He was ostracised, shunned and considered a ''rat'' for refusing to take part. This is a story of one man's battle against the odds to hold to the truth he knew about police corruption in an era of SP betting suppression that led to three Royal Commissions that rocked the State. It is also a tale of opportunites seized by gangsters, murderers and thugs in an era where crime flourished.