Canada’s last surviving winner of the Victoria Cross died earlier today, at age 91.
Ernest “Smokey” Smith, of the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada, was awarded the VC for single-handedly attacking a German Panther V tank at ten yards range, then standing in the open and engaging the infantry supporting it with his Thompson machine-gun, to protect his wounded buddy during further German counter-attacks near the Savio River in Italy on October 22nd, 1944.
I met him several times when I was a kid. A very down-to-earth, normal guy, who liked a drink now and then. The kind of a guy who wouldn’t leave a buddy behind, I guess.
The Victoria Cross is a British medal, awarded by the British government (technically, the monarch). One thousand, three hundred and fifty-one Victoria Cross medals have been handed out since 1856 CE.
Post-WWII, most Commonwealth nations become more independant of Britain, particularly with regard to military matters and foreign policy. Canada, for instance, acquired so many US and British ships during WWII that it boasted the third largest Navy in the world by the end of 1945. A lot of traditions and roles that had been handled by the British were domesticated out of necessity, and by the continuing British policy of delegating control to the former Dominions.
Outside of the Commonwealth, the VC has been awarded to five Americans (plus the American Unknown Soldier at Arlington*), three Danes, two Germans, one Belgian, one Swiss, one Swede and one Russian.
Conversely, US Congress awarded the Medal of Honor to the British Unknown Soldier.
Canada, since WWII, has served in Korea, Iraq I and Afghanistan. We’ve also maintained a UN Peacekeeping force since its inception. No VC has been awarded since WWII.
The Victoria Cross is the highest combat decoration awarded to Canadian soldiers in wartime. It was originally a British honour given to Canadian soldiers, but is now a Canadian version of the British honour. It’s remarkably difficult to win, and I’ll give my respect to any man I see wearing one. Many combat leaders have been known to say something along the lines of not allowing any live V.C. winners under their command.
To amplify a certain point in the page that Aguecheek linked to: the Canadian version of the VC bears the latin phrase “Pro Valore” vice the English phrase “For Valour” the the British medal bears. The version with the Latin phrase has never been awarded.
I assume you mean that no Victoria Cross has been awarded to a Canadian since WWII ? Certainly an Australian was awarded the VC in Vietnam, and I would think that maybe one was awarded in the Falklands War to UK personnel?
You assume correctly, and my apologies for unintentionally slighting the achievements of Maj Badcoe, WO II Payne, WO II Simpson, WO II Wheatley, as well as the British recipients from Korea, Sarawak, Vietnam, Falklands and Iraq.
Never meant to be an official rule, more anecdotal than anything else (I’ve read it a few times in various histories - no cite, sorry). An act of valour that warrants a V.C. is often considered one that’s so risky and/or hopeless, that the only way to achieve it is by self-sacrifice. Anything else is worthy of a medal, but ‘obviously’ the situation wasn’t too hopeless or the soldier as self-sacrificing, otherwise he’d be dead.
Not that I agree with this, mind - I’ve read plenty of stories of living V.C. winners who bloody well deserved it, and were lucky enough to live. Just more of an example of how it’s not awarded haphazardly.
As we live near Ottawa, my husband and I try to get to the national Remembrance Day ceremonies at the Cenotaph if possible; otherwise, we go to the local one in Manotick. I had the honour and privilege of meeting Smokey Smith once - he definitely falls into the “Most Unforgettable Character” category.
