Lucknow 1857: The Indians fought so hard, British officers and soldiers were awarded 24 Victoria Crosses in a day

A porcelain plate issued to commemorate a fight that the 32nd (Cornwall) Regiment of Foot will never forget.

While much has been written and debated about the 1857 uprising in India against the British, one simple fact is often missed: The fight was so intense in India that the maximum number of Victoria Crosses in a single day were won on 16 November 1857 in Lucknow. No other day, city or country in military history comes close (the next is 11 Victoria Crosses at Rorke's Drift in South Africa). Because few other fighting men will fight as hard as those Indians who rose in 1857.