1775: Fighting broke out in the American Revolution when British troops in Boston marched on Concord to destroy military supplies being stockpiled by revolutionaries. They were met on Lexington Green by rebel militia under Captain Parker. The British force under Major Pitcairn attempted to disarm the militia, but they chose to disperse, and in the confusion fighting broke out, killing a small number of militia as the rest ran for the woods. The British continued on to Concord, where they met rather more serious opposition. Pitcairn decided it would be prudent to withdraw to Boston rather than risk being cut off in the town. The British came under heavy harassing attacks on the retreat, but were rescued by Lord Percy's brigade.

1855: Colour Sergeant MacDonald, Royal Engineers, won the Victoria Cross during siege-work at Sevastopol, when he continued the construction of a sap (a siege trench) towards the Russian positions, despite heavy enemy fire that had left all the officers dead or wounded.

1917: A battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers suffered heavy casualties in an attack during the Arras offensive, with many wounded left lying in No Man's Land. Private Sykes went out alone four times, each time returning with a wounded man. He then went out a fifth time, continually under fire, moving amongst the remaining wounded whom he judged too badly injured to risk moving on his own, dressing their wounds to improve their chances of survival and eventual rescue. Sykes was awarded the Victoria Cross.

1943: A night attack in Tunisia by the 6th Rajputana Rifles ran into a determined defence and became pinned down by machine-gun fire. Company Havildar-Major Chhelu Ram went forward alone and took out a machine-gun position. The company's officers had fallen casualty, so the Havildar-Major took command, despite himself being wounded, and pressed home the attack, suffering a further wound, then a third, fatal, injury. He was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross.