Corporal Daniel Keighran of the 6th Battalion

Corporal Daniel Keighran of the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment was award the Sony VAIO VGN-AW92CJS Battery Victoria Cross for Australia on 1 November 2012 for actions in the Battle of Derapet (Oruzgan province, Afghanistan) in August 2010. Corporal Keighran deliberately exposed himself to enemy fire, drawing the fire away from an injured colleague and those who were attending to him. He is the third recipient, and the first non-Special Forces recipient, of the award. Sony VAIO VGN-AW92CYS Battery On 3 April 2001, Senator Chris Schacht, then a member of the Australian Senate, gave notice that on the next day of sitting he would introduce the Award of Victoria Cross for Australia Bill 2001 to award the Victoria Cross for Australia to certain persons. The next sitting day, 4 April 2001, Sony VAIO VGN-AW92DS Battery Senator Schacht introduced the bill for three members of the Australian forces to be awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia.^[42] The bill was read a first time and Senator Schacht gave his Second Reading Speech in which he said it could be argued that an Act conferring a Victoria Cross for Australia Sony VAIO VGN-AW92JS Battery may be beyond the legislative power of the Parliament but he believed that the "naval and military defence of the Commonwealth" power under section 51(vi) of the Constitution gave the Parliament authority to legislate with respect to honours and awards. In accordance with normal procedure the debate was then adjourned. On 1 June 2001, Sony VAIO VGN-AW92YS Battery Sid Sidebottom, the Member for Braddon introduced the Defence Act Amendment (Victoria Cross) Bill 2001. The Bill was similar to the Senate bill and Sidebottom also believed that the Parliament had power under section 51(vi) of the Constitution.^[43] Neither bill was again debated before the 2001 Australian federal election. Sony VAIO VGN-AW93FS Battery Both Senator Schacht and Mr Sidebottom were members of the Australian Labor Party, then in opposition and the issue was included by the then opposition leader Kim Beazley in his campaign in the following General Election.^[44] The awards were intended "to raise the profile and recognition of three ordinary Australians, who displayed outstanding bravery."^[43] Sony VAIO VGN-AW93GS Battery The awards were to be made posthumously to John Simpson Kirkpatrick ("Simpson"), Albert Cleary and Teddy Sheean for their actions in the First and Second World Wars. Simpson's story has become an Australian legend.^[45] He was a stretcher bearer with the 3rd Australian Field Ambulance, Australian Army Medical Corps atGallipoli during the First World War. Sony VAIO VGN-AW93HS Battery He landed at Anzac Cove on 25 April 1915 and, on that first night, took a donkey and began carrying wounded from the battle line to the beach for evacuation. He continued this work for three and a half weeks, often under fire, until he was killed. However, in 1919,King George V decreed that no more operational awards would be made for the recently concluded war.^[46] Sony VAIO VGN-AW93ZFS Battery In 1965, a campaign to award the Victoria Cross to Simpson resulted in his image with a donkey appearing on the obverse of the Anzac Commemorative Medallionthat was announced in 1966 and first issued in 1967. Following the 2007 Australian federal election the Labor party came to power and there was speculation that the 2001 bills may be reintroduced. Sony VAIO VGN-AW93ZGS Battery Historians such as Anthony Staunton, writing in the Australian Journal of Military History, have opined that the Victoria Cross for Australia should not be awarded retrospectively.^[47] It was announced on 13 April 2011 that 13 cases of valour would be examined posthumously by the Australian government's Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal. Sony VAIO VGN-AW93ZHS Battery It will first debate "the eligibility of the 13 to receive the Victoria Cross, the Victoria Cross for Australia or other forms of recognition." It will then move on to discuss the individual cases. The Victoria Cross for New Zealand (VC) is a military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the New Zealand Armed Forces. Sony VAIO VGN-BZ11EN Battery It may be awarded to a person of any rank in any service and civilians under military command, and is presented to the recipient by the Governor-General of New Zealand during an investiture held at Government House, Wellington. As the highest award for gallantry in New Zealand it takes precedence over all other postnominals and medals.^[2] Sony VAIO VGN-BZ11MN Battery The Victoria Cross for New Zealand was established in 1999 when New Zealand created a new award system that replaced several Commonwealth honours with New Zealand awards. It has been awarded once, on 2 July 2007 to Corporal Willie Apiata for actions in 2004. The original Victoria Cross was introduced in 1856 by Queen Victoria to reward acts of valour during the Crimean War. Sony VAIO VGN-BZ11XN Battery That medal had been awarded 25 times to 24 individual military personnel from New Zealand; Captain Charles Upham receiving a bar. Only 14 medals have been awarded since the end of the Second World War. The medal is made from the gunmetal of a weapon supposedly captured at the siege of Sevastopol, but several historians have since questioned the true origin of the gunmetal.^[3] Sony VAIO VGN-BZ12VN Battery Originally all Commonwealth recipients were issued with the same award, but over the last 50 years, Commonwealth countries have introduced separate award systems; three of these retain "Victoria Cross" as part of the name of the highest award for gallantry. The original Victoria Cross was created by Queen Victoria in 1856 to recognise incidents of gallantry that were unconnected with a man's lengthy or meritorious service. Sony VAIO VGN-BZ12XN Battery She signed a Royal Warrant on 29 January 1856 that officially instituted the VC.^[4] The order was retroactive to 1854 to recognise acts of valour during the Crimean War.^[5] The Australian and New Zealand Victoria Crosses are made from the same gunmetal as the originals.^[6] Sony VAIO VGN-BZ31VT Battery It was originally intended that the VCs would be cast from the bronze cascabels of two cannon that were captured from the Russians at the siege of Sevastopol.^[7][8][9] The historian John Glanfield has since shown that the metal used for VCs is in fact from Chinese cannon not Russian, and their origin is a mystery. Sony VAIO VGN-BZ31XT Battery The barrels of the cannon in question are stationed outside the Officers' Mess at the Royal Artillery Barracks at Woolwich. The remaining portion of the only remaining cascabel, weighing 10 kilograms (385 oz), is stored in a vault maintained by 15 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps at Donnington, Telford. It can only be removed under armed guard. Sony VAIO VGN-BZ560 Battery It is estimated that approximately 80 to 85 more VCs could be cast from this source. A single company of jewellers, Hancocks of London, has been responsible for the production of every VC. In the last 60 years several Commonwealth countries have introduced their own honours systems, separate from the British Honours System. Sony VAIO VGN-BZ560N24 Battery Australia, Canada and New Zealand^[6] have each introduced their own decorations for gallantry and bravery, replacing British decorations such as the Military Cross with their own awards. Most Commonwealth countries, however, still recognise some form of the VC as their highest decoration for valour.^[11] Sony VAIO VGN-BZ560N30 Battery Australia was the first Commonwealth nation to create its own VC, on 15 January 1991. Although it is a separate award, its appearance is identical to its British counterpart.^[12] Canada followed suit when in 1993 Queen Elizabeth signed Letters Patent creating the Canadian VC, which is also similar to the British version, Sony VAIO VGN-BZ560P Battery except that the legend has been changed from FOR VALOUR to the Latin PRO VALORE.^[13] The New Zealand and Australian^[12] awards are still made by the jewellers Hancocks from the gunmetal used for the originals. The Canadian Victoria Cross also includes metal from the same cannon, along with copper and other metals from all regions of Canada.^[14] Sony VAIO VGN-BZ560P20 Battery New Zealand was the third country to create the VC as part of its own honours system.^[6] On 21 September 1999, Prime Minister Jenny Shipley announced that the Queen had approved the formal institution of a new range of Royal awards to recognise acts of gallantry and bravery performed by New Zealanders. Sony VAIO VGN-BZ560P22 Battery The awards were designed to be the final major element in the development of a distinct New Zealand Royal honours system. I am confident that the new system will serve us well and enable New Zealand to recognise the various acts of heroism performed in our community. Sony VAIO VGN-BZ560P28 Battery The redevelopment of the awards for gallantry and bravery now means that we have a full range of awards and honours which are distinctly New Zealand. The start of the process came with proposals released in 1995 by the Honours Advisory Committee that reviewed the honours system. Sony VAIO VGN-BZ560P30 Battery Until May 1996, New Zealand made recommendations for various British awards for acts of gallantry performed during military operations and acts of bravery by civilians including theVictoria Cross and George Cross. However, the British Government's review and simplification of their awards system provided an ideal opportunity for New Zealand to also develop a unique and simplified system. Sony VAIO VGN-BZ560P34 Battery The Victoria Cross for New Zealand is identical to the original design. The decoration is a cross pattée, 41 millimetres high, 36 millimetres wide, bearing a crown surmounted by a lion, and the inscription FOR VALOUR.^[16] This was originally to have been FOR BRAVERY, until it was changed on the recommendation of Queen Victoria, Sony VAIO VGN-BZ561 Battery who thought some might erroneously consider that only the recipients of the VC were brave in battle.^[8] The decoration, suspension bar and link weigh about 27 grams (0.87 troy ounces).^[17] The cross is suspended by a ring from a seriffed "V" to a bar ornamented with laurel leaves, through which the ribbon passes. Sony VAIO VGN-BZ561N20 Battery The reverse of the suspension bar is engraved with the recipient's name, rank, number and unit. On the reverse of the medal is a circular panel on which the date of the act for which it was awarded is engraved in the centre.^[18] The ribbon is crimson, 38 millimetres (1.5 inches) wide. Although the warrants state the colour as being red it is described by most commentators as being crimson or "wine-red".Sony VAIO VGN-BZ561P20 Battery The power of awarding the medal officially resides with the Queen of New Zealand. The Royal Warrant states that the "Awards of a New Zealand Gallantry Award and of a Bar to an Award shall be made by Us, Our Heirs and Successors, only on a recommendation by Our Prime Minister of New Zealand or a Minister of the Crown acting for Our Prime Minister."^[21] Sony VAIO VGN-BZ562P Battery As with the original Victoria Cross any recommendations pass through the New Zealand Defence Force chain of command to theMinister of Defence.^[20] The original Victoria Cross had been awarded to 24 New Zealanders.^[22] Thirteen of these awards were for action in the First World War. The Victoria Cross for New Zealand has been awarded once. Sony VAIO VGN-BZ563P Battery It was officially announced on 2 July 2007^[23] that Corporal Willie Apiata of the NZ SAS was awarded the Victoria Cross for New Zealand for his actions in saving the life of a "comrade under heavy fire from opposing forces" during the Afghanistan conflict in 2004. Apiata received his medal from Governor-General Anand Satyanand at a ceremony held at Government House, Wellington on 26 July 2007. Sony VAIO VGN-BZAAFS Battery The Param Vir Chakra (PVC) is India's highest military decoration awarded for the highest degree of valour or self-sacrifice in the presence of the enemy. It can be, and often has been, awarded posthumously. The PVC was established on 26 January 1950 (the date of India becoming a republic), Sony VAIO VGN-BZAAHS Battery by the President of India, with effect from 15 August 1947 (the date of Indian independence). It can be awarded to officers or enlisted personnel from all branches of the Indian military. It is the second highest award of the government of Indiaafter Bharat Ratna (amendment in the statute on 26 January 1980 resulted in this order of wearing). Sony VAIO VGN-BZAANS Battery It replaced the former British colonial Victoria Cross (VC), (see List of Indian Victoria Cross recipients). Provision was made for the award of a bar for second (or subsequent) awards of the Param Vir Chakra. To date, there have been no such awards. Award of the decoration carries with it the right to use P.V.C. as a postnominal abbreviation. Sony VAIO VGN-BZAAPS Battery The Ashoka Chakra is the peace time equivalent of the Param Vir Chakra, and is awarded for the "most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-eminent valour or self-sacrifice" other than in the face of the enemy. The decoration may be awarded either to military or civilian personnel and may be awarded posthumously. Sony VAIO VGN-CS118E/Q Battery The award also carries a cash allowance for those under the rank of lieutenant (or the appropriate service equivalent) and, in some cases, a cash award. On the death of the recipient, the pension is transferred to the widow until her death or remarriage. The paltry amount of the pension has been a rather controversial issue throughout the life of the decoration. Sony VAIO VGN-CS118E/R Battery By March 1999, the stipend stood at Rs. 1500 per month. In addition, many states have established individual pension rewards that far exceeds the central government's stipend for the recipients of the decoration.Subedar Major Bana Singh of the Eighth Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry was the only serving personnel of the Indian defence establishment with a Param Vir Chakra till the Kargil operations. Sony VAIO VGN-CS118E/W Battery The medal was designed by Savitri Khanolkar (born Eva Yuonne Linda Maday-de-Maros to a Hungarian father andRussian mother) who was married to an Indian Army officer, Vikram Khanolkar. This was done following a request from the first Indian Adjutant General, Major General Hira Lal Atal, Sony VAIO VGN-CS11S/P Battery who in turn had been entrusted with the responsibility of coming up with an Indian equivalent of the Victoria Cross by Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of the Indian Union. Coincidentally, the first Param Vir Chakra was awarded to her son-in-law Lt Gen Surinder Nath Sharma's (ENC) elder brother, Sony VAIO VGN-CS11S/Q Battery Major Somnath Sharma for his bravery in the Kashmiroperations in November 1947. He died while evicting Pakistani infiltrators and raiders from the Srinagar Airport. This was when India and newly-formed Pakistan had the first war over the Kashmir issue. The medal is a circular bronze disc 1.375 inches (3.49 cm) in diameter. Sony VAIO VGN-CS11S/W Battery The state emblem appears in the center, on a raised circle. Surrounding this, four replicas of Indra's Vajra (the all-powerful mythic weapon of the ancient Vedic King of Gods). The decoration is suspended from a straight swiveling suspension bar. It is named on the edge. On the rear, around a plain center, are two legends separated by lotus flowers. The words Param Vir Chakra are written in Hindi and English.^[2] Sony VAIO VGN-CS11Z/R Battery A purple ribbon, 32 millimetres (1.3 in) long, holds the Param Vir Chakra. The medal symbolizes Rishi Dadhichi, who had donated his bones to the Gods for makingVajra. Some people claim that on back "It has an image of Shivaji's sword Bhavani on the other side", but that is a popular perpetuated myth. The Indian General Service Medal 1947 which contained the Bhavani sword was withdrawn later. Sony VAIO VGN-CS120J/P Battery Of the 21 awardees, 20 are from the Indian Army and one from the Indian Air Force. Grenadiers Regiment have received the most number of Param Vir Chakras, with 3 awards, one each for the Indo-Pakistan 1965 war, 1971 Indo-Pakistan war and the Kargil War. The Gorkha Rifles have also received three awards, with the 1st Gorkha Rifles Sony VAIO VGN-CS120J/Q Battery (The Malaun Regiment), 8th Gorkha Riflesand 11th Gorkha Rifles each receiving one. The Victoria Cross and George Cross Association is made up of holders of the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest military award for bravery in the field, and the George Cross, the equivalent award for civilians and military personnel who have displayed conspicuous bravery not in the face of the enemy. Sony VAIO VGN-CS120J/R Battery Holders of these awards receive a civil pension and attend reunions which receive much coverage in the national press. Membership is dwindling due to the increasing age of the VCs and GCs and the tendency until recently of the government to award these medals posthumously. The PDSA Dickin Medal was instituted in 1943 in the United Kingdom by Maria Dickin to honour the work of animals in war. Sony VAIO VGN-CS190JTB Battery It is a bronze medallion, bearing the words "For Gallantry" and "We Also Serve" within a laurel wreath, carried on a ribbon of striped green, dark brown and pale blue.^[1] It is awarded to animals that have displayed "conspicuous gallantry or devotion to duty while serving or associated with any branch of the Armed Forces or Civil Defence Units".Sony VAIO VGN-CS190JTP Battery The award is commonly referred to as "the animals' Victoria Cross".^[1][2][3] Maria Dickin was the founder of the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), a British veterinary charity. She established the award for any animal displaying conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty whilst serving with British Empire armed forces or civil emergency services. Sony VAIO VGN-CS190JTQ Battery The medal was awarded 54 times between 1943 and 1949 – to 32 pigeons, 18 dogs, three horses, and one cat – to acknowledge actions of gallantry or devotion during the Second World War, and subsequent conflicts. The awarding of the medal was revived in 2000 to honour Gander, a Newfoundland dog who saved infantrymen during theBattle of Lye Mun. Sony VAIO VGN-CS190JTR Battery In early 2002, the medal was given in honour of three dogs for their role responding to the September 11 attacks; it was also awarded to two dogs serving with Commonwealth forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iraq. In December 2007, 12 former recipients buried at the PDSA Animal Cemetery in Ilford, Sony VAIO VGN-CS190JTW Battery Essex, were afforded full military honours at the conclusion of a National Lottery-aided project to restore the cemetery.^[4][5] The first recipients of the award, in December 1943, were three pigeons, serving with the Royal Air Force, all of whom contributed to the recovery of air crew from ditched aircraft during the Second World War. Sony VAIO VGN-CS190NAB Battery The most recent animal to be honoured is Theo, a search dog serving in Afghanistan. As of October 2012, the Dickin Medal has been awarded 64 times. The same month will see the publication of a book detailing all recipient animals and their exploits. Sony VAIO VGN-CS190NAC Battery,Sony VAIO VGN-CS190NAD Battery,Sony VAIO VGN-CS190NBB Battery