The following is a link to a site describing the background of the Victoria Cross. Note that Victoria Cross medals are made from metal taken from a Chinese-made cannon used by the Russians in the Crimean war (history repeats itself).

The Victoria Cross had its origins in the Crimean War. This was the first major war that was reported on by war correspondents in the field. In this case, William Howard Russell of “The Times” reported on the bravery of the common soldier and pushed for a bravery award that could be given to the common soldier in recognition of his bravery. At this time, only senior officers were awarded medals for bravery as it was deemed that it was their leadership that drove men on to victory.

Senior military figures were against such a medal. They believed that the strength of the British Army lay in its ability to fight in formations on the command of an officer. There was a concern that individuals might engage in acts of individual bravery (in an attempt to win the medal) and break the strength of a formation in doing so. However, the idea had one major supporter – Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria.

The Victoria Cross was meant to have a simple design though in an era when medals for bravery were anything but simple, the design won few friends in the media of the time. “The Times” called the medal "poor looking and mean in the extreme.” The first one was made to the specifications of Prince Albert who wanted a “simple cross”. It is said that Victoria was delighted by the final version – she added a V to link the medal ribbon to the medal itself.