The Order of the Garter was founded in 1348 and consists of 25 knights. In this article, we will explore its history (since it was created by Edward III in England to the present day, as it is still awarded to members and Companions), learn about some if its most notable characters, and review the meaning of its insignia in its different iteration through time.
When Was the Order of the Garter Founded (And Why)?
The Most Noble Order of the Garter was founded in 1348, when King Edward III claimed the French throne. It’s worth noting, however, that the Complete Peerage, a comprehensive work on the aristocracy of the British Isles first published in 1887, states the order had knighted some members in 1344.
The Victoria Cross Clasps
Although there have been a little less than 1,400 Victoria Crosses awarded, only three men in history have received more than one – enabling them to add a bar to the medal’s ribbon. These were:
Lt. Col. Arthur Martin-Leake
Lt. Col. Arthur Martin-Leake of the Imperial Yeomanry was the first person to ever receive two Victoria Crosses. The first one, he got during the Boer War in 1902 when he helped several wounded soldiers during a battle in Vlakfontein (he was shot three times and refused aid until everyone else was treated). The second, when he was 40 years old and signed up for the Royal Medical Corps in WW1. He again rescued several injured soldiers and received the bar for his actions.
Capt. Noel Godfrey Chavasse
Capt. Noel Godfrey Chavasse was also part of the Royal Army Medical Corps. He received his first Victoria Cross in 1916, for rescuing 20 wounded men in the line of fire in Guillemont, France. He carried several of them 500 yards, from No Man’s Land, under enemy fire. One year later, he continued to treat men and search for injured troops until he was exhausted from his own wounds and died in August 1917. Both his Victoria Cross awards were given to him for actions during WW1.
Captain Charles Upham
Captain Charles Upham was a man from New Zealand – and someone the Germans couldn’t seem to keep down! He got his first Victoria Cross in Crete, Greece, in 1941. His citation contained so many acts of gallantry that it’d be hard to pick just one. He was awarded his second Victoria Cross during the First Battle of El Alamein in 1942. Upham was wounded and captured by the Germans. During his time as a POW he made several attempts to escape – so many that he was finally interned at Colditz Castle for the rest of the war.
