IDENTIFIERS ----------- id: 141544 accession number: CM.1450-2009 DATE AUDIT ---------- created: Saturday 6 August 2011 updated: Monday 15 January 2024 DESCRIPTIVE DATA ---------------- object type: The Victoria Cross is the highest award for gallantry that can be made by the United Kingdom. Instituted in 1856 to recognise deeds done in the Crimean War, reportedly at the suggestion of Prince Albert, the new medal was to be given "for valour". Even today this simple statement justifies the medal's award. The first medals were legendarily struck from bronze from the captured Russian guns of Sebastopol, although it is now believed that the metal came from older Chinese cannon that were found in the Arsenal in 1857. (These weapons may however have been captured from the Russians during the Crimean campaign.) The design was entrusted to the London jewellers' firm of C. F. Hancock & Sons, Holborn, and it is there that the Victoria Cross is still made when it is awarded today. This Cross was awarded to Private David Hawkes, of the 2nd Battalion of the Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own). David Hawkes (1822-58) was 35 years old during the Indian Mutiny (which is described more fully elsewhere) when the deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. On 11 March 1858 at Lucknow, India (one of the towns which most immediately bore the brunt of the uprising and had to endure a long siege), Private Hawkes's company was engaged with a large number of the enemy near the Iron Bridge. At one stage a captain (Henry Wilmot) found himself at the end of a street with only four of his men, opposed to a considerable body of the enemy. One of the men was shot through both legs and Private Hawkes, although severely wounded, lifted him up with the help of a corporal (William Nash) and they then carried their comrade for a considerable distance, the captain firing with the men's rifles and covering the retreat of the party. Hawkes's luck did not last; he was killed in action at Fyzabad, India on 14 August 1858. Lester Watson purchased his Cross at some point before 1928. title: Victoria Cross NOTES ----- type: history note value: Gift of L. Hoyt Watson; ex Lester Watson Collection, bt before 1928 LICENSING --------- text license status: CC0 image license status: CC-BY-NC-SA OWNERSHIP --------- instutition: The Fitzwilliam Museum department: Coins and Medals collection: Lester Watson Collection creditline: Given by Lester Watson through Cambridge in America, 2009 STABLE URL ---------- url: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141544 TECHNIQUES ---------- struck CATEGORIES ------ category: medal DATING ------ creation date: 1858 - 1928 creation date earliest: 1858 creation date latest: 1928 CREATORS -------- maker: Hancock, Charles maker: Hancock, Charles maker: Victoria (1837-1901) maker: London DIMENSIONS ---------- dimension: Diameter units: mm value: 36.8 dimension: Weight units: g value: 27.96 CITATIONS -------- Handbook of British and Foreign Orders, War Medals and Decorations Awarded to the Ar British and other Campaign and Gallantry Medals From the Collection of Lester Watson (d. 1959) --- IMAGES surrogate: large format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0333_281_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 129 pixels surrogate: mid format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0333_281_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 129 pixels surrogate: original format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0333_281_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 129 pixels surrogate: preview format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0333_281_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 129 pixels surrogate: large format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0333_282_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 128 pixels surrogate: mid format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0333_282_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 128 pixels surrogate: original format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0333_282_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 128 pixels surrogate: preview format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0333_282_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 128 pixels