Medal families: related recipients of the Victoria Cross
3-4 minute read
By The Findmypast Team | July 1, 2024
Was your ancestor one of the brave individuals awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry in the 19th or 20th centuries?
Paratrooper Lance Corporal Josh Leakey was awarded the Victoria Cross (VC) in 2015 for bravely coming to the aid of isolated and wounded comrades in the face of the enemy in Afghanistan. Although L/Cpl Leakey is the third British soldier to receive a VC for service in Afghanistan, he is the first recipient to have survived the conflict.
Until now Pte Johnson Beharry from 1st Battalion the Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment was the only non-posthumous British military recipient since 1965, for two separate acts of bravery in Iraq. Introduced to honor Crimean War veterans by Queen Victoria in 1856, the VC has been awarded 1,356 times, but L/Cpl Leakey’s award is only the 15th time since the end of World War 2.
It has since been discovered that gallantry may run in Leakey’s family, as his cousin, Sergeant Nigel Gray Leakey, was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross in November 1945 for heroism while fighting in Africa during the Second World War. You can find out more about Sergeant Leaky’s story in our military records, as well as the stories of others like him.
Did your 2x great-grandfather serve in the Anglo-Boer War? Perhaps your uncle or father was a World War 2 hero. If your ancestor served with the British Army, the Royal Navy or the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the 18th or 19th centuries, their name may appear within our extensive armed forces record collection.
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These beautifully illustrated documents not only reveal where brave men like Leaky were born, killed, and laid to rest. They also include official citations detailing the extraordinary actions in which they earned their awards as well as portraits, images of their final resting place and occasionally artistic representations of their gallant deeds.
Exploring Britain, Campaign, Gallantry & Long Service Medals & Awards has revealed that there have actually been a number of occasions when close relatives have won the prestigious award. Since the medal was first awarded, there have been four cases in which the VC has been bestowed upon brothers, and three in which it has been given to fathers and sons.
Brothers in arms
Major C.J.S. Gough,and his brother, Lieutenant H.H. Gough of the 1st Bengal European Light Cavalry were the first pair of brothers to win the award. Both brothers received their awards for acts of bravery during the Indian mutiny.
In 1874 the Sartorius brothers were both awarded the VC. Major R.W. Sartorius of the 6th Bengal Cavalry won his award at Abogu during the Ashanti war and his brother, Captain E.H. Sartorius, 59th Foot, won his in Afghanistan later that year.
2nd. Lieut. A.B. Turner, Berkshire Regt, was awarded the VC for gallantry on the Western Front in 1915. His brother Major V.B. Turner, Rifle Brigade, won his award in the next global conflict after fighting in the Western Desert in 1942.
Lieut. R.B. Bradford of the Durham Light Infantry earned his VC at Eaucourt l'Abbaye, France, on October 1st 1916.
His brother, Lieutenant-Commander G.N. Bradford of the Royal Navy won his award on board HMS Iris during an operation in Zeebrugge, Belgium on April 23rd, 1918.
Father and son
In 1858, during the Indian Mutiny, Lieutenant (later Field-Marshal) Earl Roberts of the Bengal Artillery was awarded the VC. His son, the Hon. F.H.S. Roberts of the King's Royal Rifle Corps earned his VC in the South African War at the battle of Colenso, Natal on December 15th, 1899.
In the same war and on the same day, Captain W.N. Congreve was awarded the VC and his son, W. la T. Congreve earned his for bravery in France between July 6th and 20th 1916.
Bravery certainly appears to have run in the Gough family, as Major C.J.S. Gough, who won the award along with his brother during the Indian Mutiny (mentioned earlier), was also the father of a Victoria Cross recipient. His son, Sir John Edmond Gough, was decorated for rescuing wounded comrades while serving as Brevet Major in The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own), during the Third Somaliland expedition.
What will you discover?
Delve into our extensive collection of military records to explore gallantry medals and so much more. With over 8 million documents spanning over 200 years and covering the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and beyond, there's no limit to what you might discover.
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