THEY are the heroes who left Hampshire to fight and do their country proud.

No fewer than 17 of the county’s residents set sail from their towns and villages and eventually earned the Victoria Cross – the highest military decoration awarded for valour in the face of the enemy.

The young men said goodbye to friends and family in Southampton, Fawley, Lockerley, Longparish, Petersfield and others before writing their names in history.

One of the most notable was Daniel Marcus William Beak, who was born in Southampton and joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in February 1915.

Three months later he joined the Royal Naval Division and arrived in France in 1916 to fight on the western front.

During August and September 1918, Commander Beak defied heavy machine gun fire and captured four enemy positions after an attack.

The operation was a complete success and a few days later he reorganised an entire brigade under heavy gunfire and led a victorious attack despite being dazed by a shell fragment.

Not content with this, he later broke up a line of attacking machine guns and brought back nine or 10 prisoners.

Edward Unwin, born in Fawley, is another of the county’s huge success stories.

Captain Unwin joined the Merchant Navy at the age of 16 and served 15 years before joining the Royal Navy in 1895.

He served in South Africa and the South Pacific and was in command of the SS River Clyde and preparing to land on V Beach in Cape Hellas, Turkey, in the First World War.

A specially-made bridge was swept away, but Commander Unwin and Able Seaman William Charles Williams rushed into action and heroically dived into the water despite being under heavy fire from Turkish Troops.

The pair pulled the remaining boats together to form a makeshift bridge but Williams was killed.

Cdr Unwin tried to rescue him but collapsed from the cold and exhaustion. He leapt into action once more after a short rest against medical advice wounded men, until he was wounded himself and collapsed again.

For his efforts he was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1916, along with five of his comrades, before returning to live in Surrey.

Lockerley man Frederick Luke earned his distinction along with Captain Douglas Reynolds for his actions at La Cateau, France, on August 26, 1914.

He stepped forward as a volunteer to save two guns falling into enemy hands only 100 yards away and under heavy infantry and artillery fire, helped save one of the weapons.

Eventually making the rank of Sergeant, he went on to serve during the First World War as a ground gunner with the Royal Air Force.

Lanoe Hawker, from LongparishLockerley, was born to a military family and gained his aviator’s licence in 1913, transferring to the Royal Flying Corps when war broke out.

On July 25, 1915, Captain Hawker was flying along when he attacked three German planes, chasing down the first and damaging the second.

He then attacked the third at a heigh of 10,000 feet and forced it to crash-land in flames behind home lines.

He is remembered for his flying ability and his Victoria Cross medal is held at the Royal Air Force Museum in Hendon, north London.

Barton-on-Sea resident George Wheeler earned his cross after crossing the River Tigris in 1917 with a Gurkha officer.

On reaching the far bank he was immediately attacked by German bombers and despite receiving a severe bayonet wound to the head, managed to disperse the enemy and hold his position.

FULL VICTORIA CROSS LIST

Frederick Luke, Lockerley

Norman Holbrook, Southsea

Ernest Horlock, Alton

Cecil Noble, Bournemouth (the town was then part of Hampshire)

Lanoe Hawker, Longparish

Edward Unwin, Fawley

John Leak, Portsmouth

Loftus Jones, Petersfield

James Ockendon, Portsmouth

James Welch, Stratfield Saye

George Wheeler, Barton-on-Sea

Montague Moore, Springbourne

Robert Gorle, Southsea

Daniel Beak, Southampton

Manley James, Odiham

Alfred Toye, Aldershot

Frederick Riggs, Bournemouth