46 AWARDED FOR VALOUR
acquaint you in reply that his Lordship finds himself unable to receive
any application for this decoration except through the Commander of the
Forces in the Crimea.^8
Only submissions through the established chain of command within the
military would be considered:
I am directed by Lord Panmure to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of
the 16th ultimo, requesting to be informed whether, as representing your
late son, Lieutenant Godfrey, of the 1st Battalion of the Rifle Brigade, you
would be entitled to prefer a claim under the Royal Warrant instituting
the decoration of the Victoria Cross; and to acquaint in reply, that this
decoration will not be conferred upon the families of deceased officers,
and that it is more in the nature of an order like that of the Bath rather
than of a medal commemorative of a campaign or an expedition.
In the case of the Crimean medal her Majesty was pleased specially to
command that the medals of those who died should be given to their
representatives, but it is by survivors only that claims to the Victoria Cross
will be able to be established.^9
The Victoria Cross would not be awarded posthumously.
It took some time to organize a selection board in the Adjutant General’s
office and establish the basic criteria for selection, but by September 1856
the War Office was ready to entertain official submissions:
As the Army has now returned from the Crimea, and the officers in
command of Divisions and Brigades are within easy reference, I think
no time should be lost in ascertaining the names of the officers, non
commissioned officers, and privates whose conspicuous gallantry entitles
them to be recommended to the Queen for the Victoria Cross.
I enclose to your Royal Highness copies of her Majesty’s warrant insti-
tuting this decoration and request that you will call on the officers in
command of her Majesty’s forces, as well as those who have been in
command of Divisions and Brigades of the Army to furnish the names
of those under their command whom they may consider entitled to
this order.^10
A circular letter was dispatched 20 September 1856, notifying commanding
officers to submit the names of officers and men they deemed worthy of
consideration.^11 The exact parameters of the award were still under question
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