The Victoria Cross is the highest honour that anyone in Britain (and formerly Commonwealth) can be given. It is awarded to military personnel who have shown outstanding bravery under enemy fire or threat.
Of the more than 1,300 VC awarded, around 150 have gone to servicemen (and they are all men) from London.
We decided to create a map of London's VCs. The locations shown are the last known addresses from census data. We have started by mapping awards from the first world war only, but will extend the map to other conflicts if there is interest.
The map shows that bravery can stem from all quarters. Some VCs were awarded to soldiers who were clearly from the upper classes, as shown by addresses in Mayfair, St James and Portland Place. One recipient, John Vereker, was a Viscount. On the other hand, plenty of medals were awarded to soldiers from middling or working class districts, like Bermondsey, Leyton and Streatham.
This map was put together with census and military records from Findmypast, and kind assistance from their team. More details on each VC winner can be found on that site.
Several collections of VCs can be viewed around town. The Imperial War Museum's Lord Ashcroft Gallery holds 210, while the National Army Museum in Chelsea has 39.
See also: London's V2 rocket strikes, mapped.
