The Victoria Cross came into being when Queen Victoria signed the royal warrant on 29th June 1856. The first recipient being Charles Lucas who won his VC for bravery on the 21st June 1854.
Since then a total of 1359 medals have been issued including No 1151 to the Unknown American Soldier of WW1 and three winners who also won a bar to medal.
But how many VC winners had an involvement with Motor Racing? A difficult subject to research as although many books available on VC winners, including winners in particular wars or even books on winners who were born in a particular city. These books tend to describe how the winner got his medal, and miss out on his civilian life.
A few have come to light:
Winner No 606: Second Lieutenant William Bernard Rhodes-Moorhouse.Winner of the first air VC whilst in the Royal Flying Corp(1915). He raced a 90HP FIAT at the 3rd Easter Private Compettitors Senior Handicap race at Brooklands in 1909, finishing 3rd.
Winner No 699: Second Lieutenant Edward Felix Baxter. He competed in the 1910 IOM motorcylce race
Winner No 1153: Lieutenant Colonel Herbert ('H') Jones. He raced as a novice driver in a Lotus 7 at several British circuits in 1962, including Snetterton, Brands Hatch & Goodwood. At the 55th Members Meeting-Scratch race held at Goodwood on 6th October 1962, he finished 6th.
These are all I have found.
Of course the son of a VC medal winner Denny Hulme went on to win the 1967 Grand Prix Drivers Championship. His father Sergeant Alfred Clive Hulme (No 1187) won a VC in May 1941.
And on a lighter note, a VC winner who had a 'brush' with motorsport was winner No 616, Acting Corporal Charles Sharpe, who spent part of his later working life as a labourer at the BRM works in Bourne, Lincolnshire.
When it comes to the second highest gallantry medal the George Cross (total issued 161) including two to countries Malta & Northern Ireland, I can find no record of a winner being involved with a motor racing career.
But perhaps some are out there?
Edited by dgs, 27 January 2013 - 14:09.