Page 47 - All About History - Issue 18-14

Victoria Cross

MAJOR ROBERT HENRY CAIN
03 Taking out the tanks
Repositioning to a nearby shed, Cain fire back to the cover of a building, he
waits until the tank is less than 45m lies prone, reloads his PIAT and fires
(150ft) away, then fires his PIAT. The at the tank two more times. This time Paratroopers under artillery fire in
shot explodes underneath the tank, but his shots disable the metal beast by Arnhem in 1944
is ineffective and the German gunner blowing off one of its tracks. Though
turns his sights on the little shed. this prevents it from moving down the
Seeing the turret’s movement, Cain road, the turret still blasts the British
has just seconds to gather his weapon position with its fire. The tank’s crew
and flee the shed before it’s blown to bail out and attempt to attack on foot,
pieces. Sprinting through machine-gun but are gunned down by Cain’s men.

British paratroopers in Oosterbeek,
from the same squads Major Cain
was a part of

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The Victoria Cross
What is it?
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the
highest military honour awarded
to citizens in the Commonwealth
and previously the British Empire.
It is awarded for valour in the face
of the enemy and can be given to
anyone under military command.
05 The German attack falters Why and when was it
While being treated for his wounds Cain refuses introduced?
morphia, which is in short supply. After about 30 The award was introduced
minutes, with his sight returned, he decides to in 1856 by Queen Victoria to
discharge himself. Finding blood rushing down his recognise bravery during the
head, from burst eardrums as a result of the heavy Crimean War (1853-1856), as there
blasts, he stuffs makeshift bandages into his ears was no standardised system for
before heading back to his sector. He directs more recognising gallantry regardless of
counter-attacks against the Germans with another length of service or rank.
PIAT. Wherever a tank is spotted, Cain rushes there,
PIAT in hand, to disable it and his sector remains What does the medal look like?
secure at the end of the day. The German attacks The inscription on the VC is ‘for
eventually begin to concentrate elsewhere in the valour’ after Queen Victoria turned
perimeter. Eyewitnesses claim Cain disabled or down the initial suggestion of ‘For
destroyed three tanks by the end of the day, and as the brave’, stating that all of her
many as seven by the end of the operation. soldiers were brave.
How often has it been awarded?
Since its introduction the VC has © Corbis; Nicolle Fuller
been awarded 1,358 times, but only
14 times since the end of WWII.

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