Address by the Director General at the Victoria Cross Plaque Unveiling and Wreath Laying

Your Excellency the High Commissioner of the United Kingdom,
Ms Judith Macgregor.
The Consul and Deputy Consul General of the United Kingdom,
Mr Chris Trott and Mr Ed Roman.
The Deputy Mayor of Cape Town,
Alderman Ian Neilson.
The Chairperson of the South African National Military Veterans Association,
Mr Lucky Magingxa,
The CEO of the Castle,
Mr Clavyn Gilfellan.
Management of the Department of Military Veterans.
Flag and General Officers of the SANDF.
Representatives of ARMSCOR.
Senior Officers and Warrant Officer of the SANDF.
Representatives of the Various Military Veterans Organisations.
Ladies and gentlemen,
All protocol observed.

The Victoria Cross (VC) was awarded 628 times to 627 recipients for action in the First World War (1914–1918).  The Victoria Cross is a military decoration awarded and is the highest award for gallantry.  It is awarded for an act of outstanding courage or devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy.  All ranks were, and still are, eligible when serving with the British and Commonwealth armed forces and previous British Empire territories.  The First World War, also known as the Great War was a global military conflict that embroiled most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance. 

More than 70 million military personnel were mobilised in one of the largest wars in history.  The main combatants descended into a state of total war, directing their entire scientific and industrial capabilities into the war effort. Over 15 million people were killed, making it one of the deadliest conflicts in history.  The proximate cause of war was the assassination on 28 June 1914 of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria.  Soon after, a system of alliances were activated that would see Europe at war.  The Western Front saw the largest concentration of Commonwealth troops with soldiers occupying sectors of the line from the North Sea to the Orne River.

On 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, the British Army endured the bloodiest day in its history, suffering 57,470 casualties and 19,240 dead; nine Victoria Crosses were awarded for action on that day.  The entire Somme offensive cost the British Army, which also encompassed a number South Africans, almost half a million men.  Most of the casualties occurred in the first hour of the attack.

Hostilities ended on 11 November 1918 with the signing of the Armistice Treaty in the Compiègne Forest, but the war was not officially over until the various peace treaties were signed in 1919.  By the war's end, four major imperial powers—Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire—had been militarily and politically defeated, and the latter two ceased to exist as autonomous entities.  Of the 60 million soldiers who were mobilised from 1914–1918, 8 million were killed, 7 million were permanently disabled, and 15 million were seriously injured.

During the war, Britain called on its dominions and colonies to provided invaluable military, financial and material support to the war effort.  The armies of the Dominions provided over 2.5 million men as well as many thousands of volunteers from the Crown colonies.

The 628 awards of the Victoria Cross given for action during the First World War account for almost half the 1356 Victoria Crosses awarded throughout its history; in comparison the Second World War saw 181 medals awarded.  Noel Godfrey Chavasse was awarded the Victoria Cross and Bar, for two separate actions in the First World War on the battlefields of Mametz and Passchendaele. He died from wounds received in the second action.

On the home front, our own Brigadier Percy Howard Hansen VC, DSO, MC, the first South African Victoria Cross Winner, was born into a wealthy and well-connected Danish family in Durban, South Africa. While he was being educated at Eton College, Hansen's father applied for British citizenship so that his son could join the British Army.  Following training at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Hansen was commissioned into the Lincolnshire Regiment in 1911.

Having been promoted to the rank of captain, he served as Adjutant in the 6th Battalion of the regiment during the Gallipoli Campaign.  On 9 August 1915 at Yilghin Bumu, Hansen's battalion was forced to pull back from their position while assaulting Scimitar Hill.  Scrub-land over which they had been advancing had been set on fire by the Ottoman forces attempting to prevent the British from moving forward.  Several wounded British soldiers were left behind in the action.  Captain Hansen, with three of four volunteers, dashed forward and back over the 300-400 yards of open scrub several times, successfully rescuing six men from capture or death by burning.  This was conducted under heavy small-arms fire from Ottoman soldiers.  As a result of his actions, Hansen was awarded the Victoria Cross.
A month later he was awarded the Military Cross for performing a reconnaissance mission at Suvla Bay.  On the night of 9 September 1915, he carried out a solo reconnaissance of the coast, carrying only a revolver and a blanket for disguise.  He successfully located an important Turkish firing position, and killed a Turkish guard while returning to the British lines.

Due to ill-health, Hansen was eventually transferred to France and appointed brigade major to the 170th (2/1st North Lancashire) Brigade.  He remained a staff officer for the rest of the war, during which he served with the second ANZAC Corps.  

He was made a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order for another daring reconnaissance mission during the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917.

Hansen served in Second World War, later achieving the rank of Brigadier.  He is one of only fourteen men not born as British or Commonwealth citizens to have received the Victoria Cross.  Brigadier Hansen died on 12 February 1951 and lays buried in Copenhagen Denmark.

To mark the centenary of the First World War the British Government is placing commemorative plaques, as the one that will soon be unveiled, in the countries of origin, of every Victoria Cross hero/winner.  They are laid so that people can pause and reflect on the incredible sacrifice made.  The Honour our Victoria Cross Heroes campaign will build during these centenary commemorations is that we should always remember the fallen - honoured in death as they were in life, now and for generations to come.

I thank you.