List of Australian Victoria Cross recipients

File:35AWM.jpg

The Australian War Memorial, which currently holds 66 VCs.

The Victoria Cross (VC) is a military decoration awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy"<ref name=OzVcpdf>Template:Cite web</ref> to members of the Australian Defence Force. It may be awarded to a person of any rank in any service, and to civilians under military command. Being the highest award in the Australian Honours Order of Wearing, the VC takes precedence over all other postnominals and Australian orders and decorations. The VC was instituted by Queen Victoria in 1856, initially to reward acts of valour during the Crimean War. Because of its rarity and inherent significance, the VC is highly prized, both as an award and as a collector's item, with one medal being sold for over A$1 million at auction.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Australians have received the VC under the Imperial honours system and later under the Australian Honours System, when in 1991 a new but equivalent award was established by letters patent within the Commonwealth of Australia and its Territories, known as the Victoria Cross for Australia. The Victoria Cross for Australia has been awarded five times: twice to Special Air Service Regiment members, once to a member of the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, and a posthumous award to a member of the 2nd Commando Regiment, and a posthumous award to Teddy Sheean. The first four were for actions in the War in Afghanistan while Sheean's was for actions during World War II.

The Imperial VC has been awarded to 96 Australians—91 were received for actions whilst serving with Australian forces, and another five to former members of the Australian forces then serving with South African and British forces. The majority of the awards were for action in the First World War when a total of 64 medals were awarded. Nine of these awards were for action during the Gallipoli Campaign. 20 medals were awarded for action in the Second World War, 6 in the Second Boer War, 4 in the Vietnam War and 2 in the Russian Civil War.<ref name=OzVcpdf/> Twenty-eight Australians have been awarded the medal posthumously.<ref>Wigmore 1986, p. 14.</ref> One recipient—Captain Alfred Shout VC, MC (who was also Mentioned in Despatches)—was Australia's most decorated soldier of the Gallipoli campaign. His Victoria Cross was posthumously awarded after Shout died of his wounds during the Battle of Lone Pine.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Another 19 VCs have been awarded to soldiers who were either born in Australia, or died there, but did not serve in Australian units before being awarded the VC, and as such these are not included in this list.<ref>Wigmore 1986, pp. 180–187.</ref>

Keith Payne is the only living Australian recipient of the original VC; there are three living recipients of the Victoria Cross for Australia.

Recipients

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AWM = This denotes that the medal is held at the Australian War Memorial

Victoria Cross

Name	Date of action	Conflict	Unit	Place of action	Location of medal
Template:Sortname	1942	Second World War	2/19th Battalion	Muar River, Malaya	AWM<ref name=awm>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Sortname	1918	First World War	16th Battalion	Hamel Wood, France	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1967*	Vietnam War	Australian Army Training Team	Huong Tra, Vietnam	AWM<ref>Template:Cite web Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Sortname	1918*	First World War	8th Battalion	Rosieres, France	Queensland Museum South Bank<ref name="QM">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Robert Beatham's medal, owned by Mr Neil Jenman and Mrs Ruth Jenman, is on loan to the Queensland Museum until 2012.</ref>
Template:Sortname	1901	Second Boer War	West Australia Mounted Infantry	Transvaal, South Africa	Western Australian Museum<ref>Lieutenant Colonel Frederick William Bell Template:Webarchive, victoriacross.org.uk</ref>
Template:Sortname	1917*	First World War	6th Battalion	Ypres, Belgium	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1900	Second Boer War	Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen	Warm Bad, South Africa	Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery<ref name=tmag>VC medals in the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart Template:Webarchive, victoriacross.org.uk</ref>
Template:Sortname	1916	First World War	10th Battalion	Pozières, France	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1918	First World War	26th Battalion	Villers-Bretonneux, France	Privately held
Template:Sortname	1918	First World War	20th Battalion	Villers-Bretonneux, France	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1918*	First World War	54th Battalion	Péronne, France	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1918	First World War	13th Battalion	Le Verguier, France	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1917*	First World War	31st Battalion	Zonnebeke, Belgium	Queensland Museum South Bank<ref name="QM"/>
Template:Sortname	1915*	First World War	7th Battalion	Gallipoli, Turkey	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1917	First World War	33rd Battalion	St. Yves, Belgium	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1918	First World War	33rd Battalion	Bouchavesnes, France	Imperial War Museum London<ref>Anthony Staunton, Cartwright, George (1894 - 1978) , Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 13, Melbourne University Press, 1993, p. 379. Retrieved on 2009-03-03.</ref>
Template:Sortname	1916*	First World War	Australian Machine Gun Corps	Pozières, France	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1917*	First World War	26th Battalion	Lagnicourt, France	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1945*	Second World War	2/2nd Battalion	Dagua, New Guinea	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1916*	First World War	8th Battalion	Pozières, France	Army Museum New Zealand<ref name=amnz>VC medals in the Army Museum, New Zealand Template:Webarchive, victoriacross.org.uk</ref>
Template:Sortname	1918	First World War	53rd Battalion	Péronne, France	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1941	Second World War	2/5th Field Regiment, RRoAA	Merdjayoun-Damour, Lebanon	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1918	First World War	15th Battalion	Hamel Wood, France	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1915*	First World War	25th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers	Maktau, Kenya	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1918	First World War	10th Battalion	Merris, France	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1943	Second World War	2/48th Battalion	Sattelberg, New Guinea	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1915	First World War	7th Battalion	Gallipoli, Turkey	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1917	First World War	Australian Machine Gun Corps	Zonnebeke, Belgium	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1941*	Second World War	2/17th Battalion	Tobruk, Libya	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1941	Second World War	No. 105 Squadron RAF	Bremen, Germany	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1942*	Second World War	2/9th Battalion	Milne Bay, Papua	Privately held
Template:Sortname	1918*	First World War	28th Battalion	Villers-Bretonneux, France	Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery<ref name=tmag/>
Template:Sortname	1918	First World War	41st Battalion	Bray, France	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1941	Second World War	2/31st Battalion	Djezzine, Syria	Privately held
Template:Sortname	1942*	Second World War	2/48th Battalion	El Alamein, Egypt	Army Museum of Western Australia<ref name=amwa>Items of significance Template:Webarchive, Army Museum of Western Australia, 4 January 2009. Retrieved on 2009-03-03.</ref>
Template:Sortname	1917	First World War	37th Battalion	Messines, Belgium	Shrine of Remembrance Melbourne<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Robert Grieve's medal is on loan to the Shrine by its owners, Wesley College</ref>
Template:Sortname	1942*	Second World War	2/48th Battalion	Tel-el-Eisa, Egypt	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1918	First World War	54th Battalion	Péronne, France	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1915	First World War	3rd Battalion	Gallipoli, Turkey	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1917	First World War	1st Battalion	Bullecourt, France	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1900	Second Boer War	New South Wales Medical Staff Corps	Vredefort, South Africa	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1918	First World War	24th Battalion	Montbrehain, France	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1917	First World War	10th Battalion	Polygon Wood, Belgium	Adelaide Town Hall<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Sortname	1915	First World War	14th Battalion	Gallipoli, Turkey	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1916	First World War	17th Battalion	Armentieres, France	Privately held
Template:Sortname	1917*	First World War	34th Battalion	Passchendaele, Belgium	Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle, N.S.W.<ref>Capt. Clarence Smith Jeffries Memorial Park (Abermain) Template:Webarchive, Register of War Memorials in New South Wales, 2002. Retrieved on 2009-03-03.</ref>
Template:Sortname	1917	First World War	50th Battalion	Noreuil, France	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1918	First World War	8th Battalion	Herleville Wood, France	Melbourne Grammar School<ref>William Joynt's VC medal was donated to Melbourne Grammar School where it is currently held. </ref>
Template:Sortname	1943	Second World War	2/25th Battalion	Nadzab, New Guinea	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1945	Second World War	2/4th Battalion	Wewak, New Guinea	unknown<ref>Kenna's VC had been on loan to the AWM since 9 April 2010 - see AWM Media Release 335 Template:Webarchive - but no longer appears on the War Memorial's list of Victoria Crosses held at the Memorial Template:Webarchive.</ref>
Template:Sortname	1917	First World War	2nd Battalion	Hermies, France	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1915	First World War	1st Battalion	Gallipoli, Turkey	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1942*	Second World War	2/48th Battalion	El Alamein, Egypt	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1942*	Second World War	2/14th Battalion	Isurava, Papua	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1916	First World War	9th Battalion	Pozières, France	Privately held
Template:Sortname	1918	First World War	21st Battalion	Mont St. Quentin, France	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1945*	Second World War	2/3rd Pioneer Battalion	Tarakan Island, Borneo	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1918*	First World War	23rd Battalion	Mont St. Quentin, France	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1918	First World War	18th Battalion	Estrees, France	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1901	Second Boer War	5th Victorian Mounted Rifles	Geelhoutboom, South Africa	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1918	First World War	16th Battalion	Madam Wood, France	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1918	First World War	47th Battalion	Dernancourt, France	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1917*	First World War	40th Battalion	Ypres, Belgium	Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston<ref>Co Sergeant Major Lewis McGee Template:Webarchive, victoriacross.org.uk</ref>
Template:Sortname	1917	First World War	No. 1 Squadron AFC	Tel el Hesi, Palestine	RAF Museum, London<ref>VC medals in the RAF Museum, London Template:Webarchive, victoriacross.org.uk</ref>
Template:Sortname	1942*	Second World War	RAAF attached No. 149 Squadron RAF	Turin, Italy	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1917	First World War	58th Battalion	Bullecourt, France	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1917	First World War	13th Battalion	Gueudecourt, France	AWM
Template:Sortname	1917	First World War	12th Battalion	Bapaume, France	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1943*	Second World War	No. 22 Squadron RAAF	New Guinea	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1916	First World War	16th Battalion	Pozières, France	Army Museum of Western Australia<ref name=amwa/>
Template:Sortname	1945	Second World War	8th (Militia) Battalion	Bougainville, New Guinea	Privately held
Template:Sortname	1969	Vietnam War	Australian Army Training Team	Ben Het, Vietnam	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1919*	North Russia Relief Force	45th Battalion, RF	Emtsa, Russia	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1917	First World War	3rd Pioneer Battalion	Ypres, Belgium	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1917*	First World War	11th Battalion	Louveral, France	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1945	Second World War	25th Battalion	Bougainville, New Guinea	Privately held
Template:Sortname	1901	Second Boer War	South African Constabulary	Thaba 'Nchu, South Africa	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1918	First World War	22nd Battalion	Ville-sur-Ancre, France	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1918	First World War	55th Battalion	Hindenburg Defences, France	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1918	First World War	51st Battalion	Villers-Bretonneux, France	St George's Cathedral Perth W.A.<ref>"A History and Detailed Guide to St George's Cathedral"Template:Dead link, Revised 2007, pp.10&14. Retrieved on 2009-03-03.</ref>
Template:Sortname	1915*	First World War	1st Battalion	Gallipoli, Turkey	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1969	Vietnam War	Australian Army Training Team	Kontum Province, Vietnam	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1945	Second World War	2/43rd Battalion	Beaufort, British North Borneo	Army Museum of Western Australia<ref name=amwa/>
Template:Sortname	1918	First World War	40th Battalion	Proyart, France	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1918	First World War	19th Battalion	Hangard Wood, France	Army Museum New Zealand<ref name=amnz/>
Template:Sortname	1919	North Russia Relief Force	45th Battalion, RF	Sheika River, Russia	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1915	First World War	7th Battalion	Gallipoli, Turkey	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1915	First World War	10th Light Horse	Gallipoli, Turkey	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1918	First World War	Australian Machine Gun Corps	Mont St. Quentin, France	Privately held
Template:Sortname	1915	First World War	7th Battalion	Gallipoli, Turkey	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1918	First World War	32nd Battalion	Bellicourt, France	Queensland Museum South Bank<ref name="QM"/><ref>Blair Wark's medal, owned by the United Service Club Queensland, is on loan to the Queensland Museum until 2012.</ref>
Template:Sortname	1918	First World War	43rd Battalion	Peronne, France	Privately held
Template:Sortname	1965*	Vietnam War	Australian Army Training Team	Tra Bong, Vietnam	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1917	First World War	12th Battalion	Boursies, France	AWM<ref name=awm/><ref>Whittle's VC has been on loan to the AWM since October 2009 - see AWM Media Release 296 Template:Webarchive.</ref>
Template:Sortname	1918	First World War	48th Battalion	Le Verguier, France	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	1900	Second Boer War	Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen	Warm Bad, South Africa	Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery<ref name=tmag/>

Victoria Cross for Australia

Name	Date of action	Conflict	Unit	Place of action	Location of medal
Template:Sortname	2013*	War in Afghanistan	2nd Commando Regiment	Khod Valley, Afghanistan	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	2008	War in Afghanistan	Special Air Service Regiment	Urozgan Province, Afghanistan	AWM<ref name=awm/><ref>Donaldson's VC has been on loan to the AWM since January 2009 - see AWM Media Release 215 Template:Webarchive.</ref>
Template:Sortname	2010	War in Afghanistan	6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment	Urozgan Province, Afghanistan	AWM<ref name=awm/>
Template:Sortname	2010	War in Afghanistan	Special Air Service Regiment	Kandahar Province, Afghanistan	AWM<ref name=awm/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Sortname	1942*	Second World War	HMAS Armidale	Arafura Sea, East Timor	AWM.
Template:Sortname	1968*	Vietnam War	1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment	Bình Dương province, South Vietnam

Note: Richard Norden was awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia in 2024 posthumously after his death in 1972 from unrelated causes.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

References

General

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