Description

Immediate dispatch from Somerset. Nice book in great condition. Pages in excellent unused condition. No notes or highlighting. See images. Fantastic book.

About the book >.>.> In the one hundred and forty years since the institution of the Victoria Cross numerous publications have covered in a wealth of detail the deeds and lives behind individual awards to 1350 men who received the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy three of whom received Bars to their original Cross a further award being made to the First War American Unknown Warrior. Many of the earlier publications gave brief details of the date and place of death and location of the grave if known together with some of the memorials. However in many cases these details are incorrect which in turn has led to the errors being compounded in later publications. Monuments to Courage’ sets out to redress these errors and give accurate locations of all but a dozen of the 1322 deceased recipients final resting places including the seemingly impossible ‘lost 300′ who lie in un-marked paupers’ graves in overgrown Victorian graveyards and cemeteries from London to the north Indian plains. Following dedicated research detective work and travel over a thirty six year period David Harvey helped by numerous individuals in recent years has achieved a lifetime ambition and fulfilled a promise to the late Canon Lummis MC to produce an accurate record of every known grave and memorial. Two of the many mysteries solved are the cases of Royal Naval Stoker William Johnstone VC of whom nothing was known following his actual deed in the Baltic Sea during the Crimean War in August 1854. The author eventually traced him to the West Indies where he was serving on HMS Brunswick. On 20 August 1857 he attacked several of his ship mates before cutting his own throat and dying some hours later. He was buried at sea in the St. Vincent Passage within sight of St. Lucia. The second concerns General James Travis VC CB shown as dying in India in previous record books. A two year search established that he died in his room at L’Hotel Pallanza in 1884 overlooking Lake Maggiore in Northern Italy where his remains still lie in the village ossuary. (OS)