Ninety-four Canadians, or people closely associated with Canada, have been awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest war honour of the British Empire and the Commonwealth of Nations, for extraordinary valour and devotion to duty while facing a hostile force. The first Canadian to be awarded the Victoria Cross was Alexander Roberts Dunn for his actions at the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War in 1854. Seventy-one Victoria Crosses were awarded to Canadians for their actions in the First World War and sixteen medals were awarded during the Second World War. William Hall (pictured), a Nova Scotian, was the first black recipient of the Victoria Cross. The last living Canadian recipient, "Smokey" Smith, died in August 2005. The Victoria Cross was last awarded to a Canadian in 1945. Canadians have not been eligible for the British Victoria Cross since 1993, when it was replaced by a new Canadian Victoria Cross, which has yet to be awarded. (Full list...)