List of Victoria Cross recipients by nationality This is a list of recipients of the Victoria Cross by nationality . This list does not include the Victoria Cross awarded to the American Unknown Soldier of World War I Tomb of the Unknowns , buried in Arlington National Cemetery . He was awarded the VC posthumously in 1921 . This gesture reciprocated the award of the Medal of Honor to the British Unknown Warrior . The Victoria Cross ( VC ) is a military decoration awarded for valour " in the face of the enemy " to members of armed forces of some Commonwealth countries and previous British Empire territories . It takes precedence over all other postnominals and medals . It may be awarded to a person of any rank in any service and civilians under military command , and is presented to the recipient during an investiture by the British monarch . It is the joint highest award for bravery in the United Kingdom with the George Cross , which is the equivalent honour for valour not " in the face of the enemy . " The VC has been awarded on 1356 occasions to 1353 individual recipients . 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 1867 , the VC was extended to colonial troops acting under British command . The extension was made following a recommendation for gallantry regarding colonial soldier Major Charles Heaphy for action in the New Zealand land wars in 1864 . He was operating under British command and the VC was " gazetted " in 1867 . Colonial troops were not eligible for the VC during the New Zealand land wars , so the New Zealand Cross ( 1869 ) was created . Indian troops were not originally eligible for the Victoria Cross since they had been eligible for the Indian Order of Merit since 1837 which was the oldest British gallantry award for general issue . When the Victoria Cross was created , Indian troops were still controlled by the East India Company and did not come under Crown control until 1860 . European officers and men serving with the Honourable East India Company were not eligible for the Indian Order of Merit and the Victoria Cross was extended to cover them in October 1857 . It was only at the end of the 19th Century that calls for Indian troops to be awarded the Victoria Cross intensified . Indian troops became eligible for the award in 1911 . The first awards to Indian troops appeared in the " London Gazette " on 7 December 1914 to Darwan Sing Negi and Khudadad Khan . Negi was presented with the Victoria Cross by King George V during a visit to troops in France . The presentation occurred on 5 December 1914 and he is one of a very few soldiers presented with his award before it appeared in the " London Gazette " . In 1904 , Frederick Russell Burnham was to be awarded the Victoria Cross for his valour in Southern Africa , but Burnham declined rather than renounce his U . S . citizenship — a requirement at the time . Instead , he was awarded the British Army ' s second highest commendation , the Distinguished Service Order . Several Commonwealth countries have now created their own award systems . Since 1991 , Australia , Canada and New Zealand have created their own separate Victoria Crosses ; the Victoria Cross for Canada , the Victoria Cross for Australia and the Victoria Cross for New Zealand . Only four of these separate medals have been awarded ; Willie Apiata received the Victoria Cross for New Zealand on 26 July 2007 ; Mark Donaldson , Ben Roberts - Smith and Daniel Keighran have all been awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia for actions in Afghanistan . As these are separate medals , they are not included in this list .