TOPIC:

The Royal Warrant instituting the VC did not make it clear if it could be awarded posthumously. Between 1857 and 1897, 18 recipients were gazetted after their deaths but only 12 of the awards were presented to the next of kin. For the remaining 6, a memorandum was issued saying they would have been recommended for the award had they survived.

By the start of the Boer War, the precedent had been established that the VC could be awarded posthumously if the recommendation for the award was submitted before the recipient’s death. Two such VCs were granted during the Second Boer War, to Frederick Roberts and to Francis Parsons.

LG 2 Feb 1900





In 1900 and 1901, three further awards were made to Herman Albrecht, Robert Digby-Jones and David Younger stating they would have been recommended for the VC had they survived. The London Gazette of 8 August 1902 stated that the next of kin of these three men would be sent medals.

In the same gazette, the first three posthumous awards were gazetted to Alfred Atkinson, John Barry and Gustavus Coulson.





In 1907, the posthumous policy was reversed and medals were sent to the next of kin of the remaining six officers and men.

Although the warrant was not amended to include posthumous awards until 1920, 25% of Great War VCs were posthumous.

The LG from January 1907 approving six earlier awards recommended between 1859 and 1897.