| In 2005, Johnson Beharry became the first Victoria Cross (VC) recipient of the 21st century. | The VC is the UK's highest award for gallantry. It is awarded for acts of extreme bravery in the face of the enemy. While serving in Iraq with the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment, Beharry carried out two separate acts of great courage.
On 1 May 2004, Beharry drove his Warrior armoured vehicle onto the streets of Al Amarah in Iraq, with four other Warriors behind him. A rocket-propelled grenade hit his vehicle, setting it on fire and knocking out his commanding officer.
Beharry took over, driving through a barrier blocking the road and over a mine that failed to explode before accelerating away. He was shot in the head but still managed to lead his own Warrior and the four behind him to safety.
Under continuous fire, Beharry climbed out of his burning vehicle to rescue his commanding officer. He then rescued their badly burned gunner before leading two other soldiers to safety.
Still under fire, Beharry drove his Warrior where it would do no damage if it exploded, disabled the vehicle and its weapons and ran for cover. Once safe, he collapsed from exhaustion. He was sent to hospital but soon discharged himself and was back on duty within six weeks.
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 | | | The Holocaust:
An Unfinished History | IWM London, 31 January 2023
Join us for the launch of Dan Stone’s new book, a searing history that upends much of what we think about the Holocaust.
There will be an opportunity to ask questions and explore the Holocaust Galleries after hours. Dan Stone will be signing copies of his book which will be available to purchase. | |
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| Little more than a month later, during the early hours of 11 June, Beharry was again driving a Warrior through the streets of Al Amarah. His company were ambushed and Beharry’s vehicle was again hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, which exploded inches from his head.
Terribly wounded and barely conscious, he drove backwards at high speed to safety. Despite his injuries, including a fractured skull that would leave him in a coma for weeks, he saved the lives of all his fellow soldiers in the Warrior.
Beharry was presented with the VC on 18 March 2005, becoming the first living soldier since 1969 to be awarded the medal. He also became the first serving VC in the British Army since 1985.
Because Beharry’s VC is so valuable, he only ever wears copies of it. In October 2009, Beharry placed the first copy he had made into IWM’s keeping. In 2017, it was chosen as one of the objects to help us mark the centenary of IWM.
Beharry’s VC is on display in The Lord Ashcroft Gallery at IWM London, which houses the world's largest collection of Victoria and George Crosses. IWM is committed to covering stories of conflict right up to the present day.
Johnson Beharry’s is just one of many from modern conflicts waiting to be discovered in our galleries. Often focusing on acts of extreme bravery or poignant personal experience, these stories deserve to be told. |
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| For people who know why history matters. | IWM Duxford, 25 and 26 March 2023
Explore human experiences of war and conflict at the first IWM History Festival. Bringing together rarely seen before objects from IWM’s collections; the expertise of our curators; and book signings from leading historical authors.
Immerse yourself in real stories from the First World War, Second World War and contemporary conflict at the airfield that made history. Find out more. |
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| | | | Somewhere to Stay | Kirkcaldy Galleries, Fife
4 February to 14 May 2023, Free entry
This brand-new installation by artist Diana Forster tells the story of Anna, a young Polish refugee driven from her home during the Second World War.
Part of a wider project on how we visualise war and its legacy, Somewhere to Stay is an IWM 14-18 NOW Legacy Fund commission in partnership with University of St. Andrews. | |
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