The Victoria Cross was instituted in 1856 by Queen Victoria for valour in the face of the enemy. It is the highest award that can be made to any serving officer or man of the English or Commonwealth Armed Forces. There are no specific criteria for awarding of the VC, no one has actually defined "valour". In WWI several pilots (including Raymond Collishaw) flying with the RNAS should have been awarded the VC, as their exploits
equaled those of RFC pilots, but they were typically downgraded to DSO's. In WWII the awarding of VC's came much less often, especially to flyers, as the novelty and apparent daring of their profession had worn off.
In typical English understatement, the ribbon is plain red and the medal is made of dull bronze taken from Russian cannons captured during the Crimean War of 1854-56. It states simply "For Valour".
Since its inception, 1,350 have been awarded, frequently posthumously.
