Irish Recipients of the Victoria Cross

The medal is in the shape of a Cross Patte ( from the French for ' with feet ' or ' paws ' and referring in the case of a cross, to the spreading ends ) rather than a Maltese Cross, as descibed in the original warrant. It measures 1.375 inches across, and with the supender bar and link, weighs around 0.87 ounces. It's dull in colour, made as it is from gunmetal - specifically, at first from the cascabels of two cannon captured from the Russians at Sebastopol in the Crimea, although later in the First World War, it's probable that other gunmetal was used. The cascabel is the large knob at the rear of the of a cannon which holds the rope for for transporting it - and the two original cannon from Sebastopol stand outside the Officer's Mess in Woolwich. The Cross is cast, then chased and finished by hand, then the award suspender bar and link are treated chemically to give an overall dull brown appearance, which is darker in some issues than in others.

On the front of the Cross is simply inscribed ' For Valour ' on the reverse are the details of the recipient. The suspender bar is decorated with laurel leaves ( the traditional Roman award to a hero was a wreath of laurel ) and on the reverse is inscribed the name, rank and regiment of the recipient along with a date of the deed engraved on the central circle. In the unlikely event of a bar being awarded to the VC - there have been just three - the bar is designed like like the suspender bar, but without the V-shaped lug for hanging the Cross itself. The ribbon referred to as ' red ' in the original warrant, is more properly crimson, although it was first ordained to be dark blue blue for the Royal Navy and crimson for the Army.

Shortly before the formation of the Royal Air Force on the 1st April 1918, the King approved the use of crimson for all future awards. The first presentation of the award was made in Hyde Park, London on the 26th June 1857 when Queen Victoria decorated 62 officers and men for their actions in the Crimea. Since the inception of the Victoria Cross, there have been a number of changes within the warrant. In October 1857 it was extended to include the Honourable East India Company. This however did not include native soldiers. From 1858 to 1881 there was an extension granted for cases of conspicuous courage and bravery displayed under circumstances of danger, but not before the enemy ( six awards were made ) In January 1867 there was an extension to local forces in New Zealand and in the colonies and their dependencies, and as late as 1911 the warrant was extended to include native officers, NCOs and men of the Indian Army. Surprisingly, it was not until 1920 that an official amendment was instituted allowing the VC to be awarded posthumously, reflecting the experience of the First World War.

The original warrant made no mention of posthumous awards and it had been decided that the VC would not be given for an act in which the intended recipient had been killed or where he died shortly afterwards. However in 1900, the VC was awarded to Frederick Hugh Roberts ( son of the famous Irish Firld Marshal Frederick Roberts VC ) for his action at Colenso, although he died a day later. Two years later a further six VCs were awarded posthumously and in 1907 six others dating between 1859 and 1897 were also awarded.

The most Vcs won in one day was 24, in the second relief of Lucknow on the 16th November 1857 during the Indian Mutiny. The highest tally of awards for a single action ( which lasted overnight on the 22/23rd January 1879 ) was 11, for the defence of Rorke's Drift during the Zulu War. The first VC awards allowed a special pension of £10 a year payable to non-commissioned ranks. From 1898 this could beincreased, at discretion to £50, then later £75. Only in 1959 was the pension granted irrespective of rank and raised to £100. When in 1995 it was increased to £1,300 there were just 33 recipients still alive. The army unit with the most VC awards is The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, with 56 recipients, followed by the Royal Artillery with 51, the Royal Engineers with 41 and the Royal Army Medical Corps and Rifle Brigade with 27 apiece. Over 75% of VC awards have been made to a man who has grown up as the responsible child of an early-widowed mother or the eldest child in a large family. Only three men have won a bar to a VC, these were Arthur Martin-Leake, Noel Chavasse and Charles Upham.

In a few seconds we distinctivley saw the guns fired again, one after the other, sharp. This was done several times-a pause, and then a flash - the sun was shining on the camp at the time, and then the camp looked dark, just as if a shadow was passing over it. The guns did not fire after that, and in a few minutes all the tents had disappeared. '

The fighting had been hand-to-hand and no quarter given to the British Regulars, as they fought back to back quite often in small groups, with bayonet and rifle butt when their ammunition had finally expended. It was during these last minutes that Neville Coghill and Teignmouth Melvill attempted to save the Queen's Colours.

Colonel Pulleine in command of the camp called Lieutenant's Melvill and Coghill of the 1/24th to him and gave the Queen's Colour of the Battalion , the symbol of Regimental and national pride - into their care, ordering them to ' take it to a place of safety ' Together Melvill amd Coghill dashed across country, braving the horrors of the Zulu pursuit, only to lose the Colours in the raging Mzinyathi ( Buffalo ) River, on the very threshold of safety. At the time of his action Coghill was 26 years old. He was awarded his VC for the fllowing action.

On the 22nd January 1879 - After the disaster at Isandlwana, he joined Lieutenant Melvill, who was endeavouring to bring the Queen's Colour of the Regiment to safety, and together they rode, pursued by Zulu warriors, to the Buffalo River. He crossed safely, but looked back to see Melvill being carried away in the torrent. As he plunged back into the river to assist his brother officer, his horse was shot under him. Both men struggled to the Natal bank, where they were engulfed by Zulus, a people who took no prisoners. When their bodies were discovered, a ring of dead Zulus was found around them.

Both men were buried where they died on the 4th February 1879, the site being marked by a memorial. The Colour was found some weeks later by a patrol who saw the pole sticking out of the water. Most of the gold had perished, but it was later restored and now hangs in the Regimental chapel in Brecon Cathedral, Wales.