List of Second Anglo - Afghan War Victoria Cross recipients The Victoria Cross ( VC ) was awarded to 16 members of the British Armed Forces for action during the Second Afghan War of 1878 – 1880 . The Victoria Cross is a military decoration awarded for valour " in the face of the enemy " to members of the armed forces of some Commonwealth countries and previous British Empire territories . The VC was introduced in Great Britain on 29 January 1856 by Queen Victoria to reward acts of valour during the Crimean War , and takes precedence over all other orders , decorations and medals . It may be awarded to a person of any rank in any service and to civilians under military command . The first ceremony was held on 26 June 1857 , when Queen Victoria invested 62 of the 111 Crimean recipients in Hyde Park . The original Royal Warrant did not contain a specific clause regarding posthumous awards , although official policy was to not award the VC posthumously . Between 1897 and 1901 , several notices were issued in the " London Gazette " regarding soldiers who would have been awarded the VC had they survived . In a partial reversal of policy in 1902 , six of the soldiers mentioned were granted the VC , but not " officially " awarded the medal . In 1907 , the posthumous policy was completely reversed and medals were sent to the next of kin of the six officers and men . The Victoria Cross warrant was not officially amended to explicitly allow posthumous awards until 1920 , but one quarter of all awards for the First World War were posthumous . In the 19th century , Afghanistan was seen as an important buffer state to the north - west of British - ruled India . In 1866 Sher Ali Khan came to power and was initially well disposed towards Britain . During the next 10 years , relations between the two countries deteriorated , primarily over the issue of Russian encroachment on Afghanistan . In 1878 , Sher Ali reluctantly allowed a Russian mission to Kabul , and refused entry to the Viceroy Lord Lytton . After this refusal , Britain sent him an ultimatum that demanded a British envoy be accepted into Afghanistan ; when this was ignored , Britain sent in three columns of British troops . The three British columns proceeded over the Bolan Pass to Kandahar , the Khyber Pass to Ali Masjid and through the Kurram Valley to Kabul . After several large victories for the British in 1878 , fighting continued in the harsh mountainous terrain through the early months of 1879 . As the British marched on Kabul , Sher Ali fled , leaving Yakub Khan to sign the Treaty of Gandamak on 26 May 1879 which required a British envoy in Kabul and the relinquishing of foreign affairs to the British . When the Afghan army mutinied in late 1879 , Frederick Roberts , 1st Earl Roberts launched punitive actions and he occupied Kabul on 6 October 1879 . After a popular uprising in December , Roberts withdrew to Sherpur where they were besieged for three weeks before launching a major attack on 22 – 23 December where they returned to Kabul and occupied it once again . Abdur Rahman Khan was instated as Emir in July 1880 but Ayub Khan led a rebel force which defeated the British at the Battle of Maiwand and besieged Kandahar . Roberts led a force from Kabul to Kandahar that defeated the rebels at the Battle of Kandahar on 1 September 1880 . British forces withdrew in 1887 after Abdur Khan confirmed the initial Treaty of Gandamak and Britain ' s control over foreign policy .