Frederick III, German Emperor

For more information, or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org Stories of the Victoria Cross by Frank Mundell Epigraph thus saith the queen for him who gave his life as nothing in the fight so he from russian wrong might save my crown my people and my right let there be made a cross of bronze and grave thereon my queenly crest write valour on its haughty scroll and hang it on his breast thus saith the land he who shall bear victoria's cross upon his breast in token that he did not fear to die had need been for her rest for the dear sake of her who gives, and the high deeds of him who wears, shall, high or low, all honour have, from all through all his years.

By Sir Edwin Arnold End of Epigraph CHAPTER I OF STORIES OF THE VICTORIA CROSS during the struggle in the crimea when our soldiers were almost daily performing feats of valour and astonishing the world by their matchless daring queen victoria read with keen interest the reports from the seat of war when she saw how willingly both officers and privates faced the death-dealing torrent of grape-shot and shell not only for the honour of their country but often also that they might carry succour to a fallen comrade she felt that something should be done by way of special recognition of their gallantry something which should also prove an incentive to great and noble conduct on the field of battle accordingly in the year eighteen fifty six her majesty instituted by royal warrant the famous decoration known as the victoria cross in the sign manual issued at the time the following passage occurs now for the purpose of attaining an end so desirable as that of rewarding individual instances of merit and valour we have instituted and created a new naval and military decoration which we are desirous should be highly prized and eagerly sought after by the officers and men of our naval and military services this decoration took the form of a maltese cross in bronze in the centre of the cross is the royal crest and underneath it is a scroll on which are inscribed the words for valour on the reverse side is given a brief account of the deed for which the medal has been awarded the cross is suspended from the left breast of the wearer by a blue ribbon for the navy and by a red ribbon for the army on the bar to which the ribbon is attached is a sprig of laurel and the hero's name the value of the cross amounts only to a few shillings yet there is not a man of any rank in the army or navy who is not proud to be the wearer of this simple maltese cross the decoration is only awarded to those either officers or men who in the presence of an enemy have performed some signal act of valour further in order that all may be on a perfectly equal footing it was decreed that neither rank nor long service nor wounds nor any other circumstance of condition whatsoever save the merit of conspicuous bravery shall be held to establish a sufficient claim to the honour treaty of peace which brought the terrible struggle with russia to an end was signed in eighteen fifty six and on the twenty sixth of june in the same year the first presentation of the victoria cross took place in hyde park in the presence of many thousands of spectators the troops who were to take part in the ceremony were drawn up in line about nine o'clock and those who were to be decorated stood in single file opposite shortly afterwards the firing of guns announced the approach of the royal party the queen mounted on a white horse rode between the prince consort and prince frederick william of prussia afterwards emperor of germany she was dressed in a scarlet tunic with a gold embroidered sash over her left shoulder she also wore a round hat with a gold band and a plume of red and white feathers the heroes who had earned the coveted decoration on many a hard-fought field advanced one by one men of all ranks and ages officers and privates grim and bearded veterans by the side of smooth-faced youths who had just completed their first campaign as each man approached and her majesty stooping from her saddle fixed the cross that bore her name on the hero's breast cheer after cheer arose from the immense throng of admiring spectators after the crosses had been distributed the troops marched past presented arms and gave three cheers for her majesty and the heroes of the day The Queen then left the park amidst the hearty cheers of the assembled multitude, having added another to those good acts of womanly and queenly grace which have made her name loved and revered throughout the land.

End of Chapter 1 chapter two of stories of the victoria cross by frank mundell heroes of the elma the first battle of the crimean war was fought on the 20th of september 1854 the russian army was strongly posted on the heights overlooking the river alma and from this commanding position they poured an incessant fire on the british force which was advancing against them with grim determination our men crossed the river scaled the heights and drove the russians from their stronghold many deeds of valour were performed on that eventful day few veterans ever displayed greater courage than did lieutenant lindsay of the scots fusilier guards though he was only twenty-one years of age and this was his first battle lindsay carried the colours of his regiment which drew upon him the fire of the enemy during the passage of the river and while ascending the heights he advanced steadily and unwounded though men fell right and left of him an idea of the danger through which he passed may be formed from the fact that at the close of the day there were found twenty-three bullet holes in the flag and the staff was broken as the regiment neared the russian battery a cry was heard fusiliers retire thinking that the order was intended for them some of the men fell back the officers knowing that the command had been given to another regiment of fusiliers and seeing their own men in the act of retreating did all in their power to correct the mistake no one being more conspicuous in this than lieutenant lindsay in spite of their efforts the soldiers continued to retreat but the colour escort under lindsay held their ground and waited till the troops should be brought back to their support while in this position they were attacked by a body of russians and for some moments it seemed as if the little band would be cut to pieces and the standard captured

Hi, it's Sherry from LifeSource Water.