Victoria Cross & VC

medal and ribbon cross patté (described in the Royal Warrant as a 'Maltese cross of bronze') having at its centre a crown surmounted by 'lion gardant'; beneath the crown an ornamentally draped scroll bearing the motto: 'FOR VALOUR'. Raised borders outline the shape of the cross. The plain reverse bears a central circle (with raised edge) to enclose the date of the act of gallantry. The suspension bar comprises a straight laurelled bar with integral 'V' lug; the plain reverse of the suspension bar is engraved with details of the recipient. The 1½-inch wide ribbon is crimson. [Note: originally the ribbon was dark blue for Royal Navy recipients and crimson (described as 'red' in the Warrants) for the Army. After the formation of the Royal Air Force (1 April 1918) the crimson ribbon (sometimes described as 'claret', 'maroon' or 'dark red') was adopted for all recipients. When present, a straight laurelled Bar (in the same form as the suspension bar but without the 'V' lug) indicates a subsequent award.]

Victoria Cross awarded in 1915 to Lieutenant Philip Neame, Royal Engineers (12 Dec 1888-28 Apr 1978) On 19 December 1914, following a British attack near Neuve Chapelle, Neame and his section were ordered to consolidate captured trenches. Going forward to reconnoitre, Neame found that a British bombing party had suffered heavy casualties in a German counter-attack, with the few survivors unable to use their improvised 'jam-tin' bombs because of damp fuses. Trimming a fuse with a pocket knife and lighting it with a match, Neame thre a bomb at advancing German bombers. Braving German machine-gun fire on each occasion, he repeated the action several times over the next forty-five minutes, not only halting two German bombing parties but also evacuating British wounded.

Biographical note (recipient): Lieutenant General Sir Philip Neame VC KBE CB DSO late Royal Engineers (12 December 1888 - 28 April 1978). Born at Macknade, near Faversham, Kent, Philip Neame was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1908 and went to France soon after the outbreak of the First World War. On 19 December 1914, following a British attack near Neuve Chapelle, Neame and his section were ordered to consolidate captured trenches. Going forward to reconnoitre, Neame found that a British bombing party had suffered heavy casualties in a German counter-attack, with the few survivors unable to use their improvised 'jam-tin' bombs because of damp fuses. Trimming a fuse with a pocket knife and lighting it with a match, Neame threw a bomb at advancing German bombers. Braving German machine-gun fire on each occasion, he repeated the action several times over the next forty-five minutes, not only halting two German bombing parties but also evacuating British wounded. Awarded the Victoria Cross in February 1915 for this action, Neame also later received the DSO. During the Second World War he held senior staff posts and commands in France and the Middle East and was GOC and Military Governor of Cyrenaica when captured by German troops in April 1941. He spent two years as a POW in Italy before escaping by boat in 1943. Knighted in 1946, he retired in 1947 as a lieutenant general. The Museum holds Neame's other orders, decorations and medals (Ref: OMD 3976-OMD 3996). Also in the Museum's collections is the penknife used by Neame during the action for which he was awarded the VC.

LIEUT. P. NEAME. ROYAL ENGINEERS

19 DEC. 1914