  admiral sir victor alexander charles crutchley  (2 november 1893 â 24 january 1986) was a royal navy admiral during the second world war and a first world war recipient of the victoria cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to british and commonwealth forces. ==early life== crutchley was born on 2 november 1893 at 28 lennox gardens, chelsea, london, the only son of percy edward (1855â1940) and the hon. frederica louisa (1864â1932), second daughter of charles fitzroy, 3rd baron southampton. his mother had been maid of honour to queen victoria.morgan, henry james types of canadian women and of women who are or have been connected with canada : (toronto, 1903)  he was a godchild of queen victoria (from whom he derived his first two names). he joined the navy in 1906 and was educated at the royal naval college, osborne. ==first world war== in september 1915 crutchley was promoted to lieutenant and posted to a battleship of the grand fleet, hms centurion. centurion participated in the battle of jutland. after the battle roger keyes assumed command of centurion and acquired a highly favorable impression of crutchley. keyes selected crutchley for the zeebrugge raid of 23 april 1918; he was assigned by keyes as first lieutenant to commander alfred e. godsal, also of centurion, on the obsolete cruiser [[hms brilliant (1891)|brilliant]
1893_births 1986_deaths British_World_War_I_recipients_of_the_Victoria_Cross Chief_Commanders_of_the_Legion_of_Merit Deputy_Lieutenants_of_Dorset High_Sheriffs_of_Dorset Knights_Commander_of_the_Order_of_the_Bath People_from_Chelsea,_London Recipients_of_the_Croix_de_Guerre_(France) Recipients_of_the_Distinguished_Service_Cross_(United_Kingdom) Recipients_of_the_Order_of_Polonia_Restituta Royal_Navy_admirals_of_World_War_II Royal_Navy_officers_of_World_War_I Royal_Navy_recipients_of_the_Victoria_Cross