Victoria Cross and Bar & VC and Bar

medal, ribbon and bar denoting second award (bar mounted in group) 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. The straight laurelled Bar (in the same form as the suspension bar but without the 'V' lug) denottes a second award of the VC. [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. ]

Biographical note (recipient): Charles Hazlitt Upham (1908 - 1994) 'displayed outstanding courage and leadership during the German attack on Crete in May 1941. Although wounded and suffering from dysentery, he refused to go to hospital, and remained with his platoon until the final evacuation. He won a bar to his VC in the Western Desert on 14/15 July 1942, when he was once again in the thick of the fighting; in spite of being wounded, he destroyed a tank and several guns and vehicles with hand grenades. He was captured when the German finally overran his position.' ('The Victoria Cross & George Cross', Imperial War Museum, 1970). Following capture his repeated attempts to escape induced the Germans to locate him, eventually, in Colditz (Offlag IV-C).