The Victoria Cross: For Valour

The Victoria Cross: For Valour is a 2003 BBC television historical documentary presented by Jeremy Clarkson. Clarkson examines the history of the Victoria Cross, and follows the story of one of the 1,354 men who were awarded it - Major Robert Henry Cain. The main part of the programme was to describe how in September 1944, Major Cain won what was described as the "finest Victoria Cross of the whole war" by his commanding officer Lt Col Derek McNally. At the end of the programme it is revealed that Clarkson was married to Cain's daughter at the time of production (div 2014), who had no idea that her father was a VC recipient until after his death in 1974.

Clarkson also reveals the history of the medal itself and how it is, and always has been, manufactured by the small London jeweller Hancocks & Co. The bronze itself is from the melted down breeches of a Chinese made cannon captured from the Russians during the Siege of Sevastopol in the Crimean War. The remaining lump contains only enough metal to create around 80 additional VCs. It is locked away in a safe in a military storage depot in MoD Donnington near Telford.