Victoria Cross

[Paul W.]

intresting story from the BBC you may of missed.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3637381.stm

[Phil_C]

I read about this in the paper the other day, a truly amazing story! It should be in a museum but I have a feeling Lord Ashcroft may be interested in it!

If it's true he buys them to stop them going abroad, then good luck to him!

Regards
Phil

[Tony Farrell]

The Jackson VC is not unique. James Allen Ward VC of the RNZAF 'won' his for a near identical caper. The only difference being that Ward managed to climb back in to the aircraft and return to Newmarket Heath in one piece. I often think of Ward whenever I see muppets claiming compensation for stress.

This group will top £200,000 easy.

[DAK Rommel]

Yes, reminded me of Ward too.

Since were on the subject, here is a little more info on Jimmy Ward 75 NZ Squadron:

Sergeant James Ward (RNZAF)
"On 7/8 July 1941, while returning from one of the attack's on Münster, Sergeant James Ward of No 75 (NZ) Squadron was Second Pilot in a Wellington Bomber that was attacked by an Me 110 over the Zuider Zee. The rear-gunner was wounded, much damage done, the starboard wing set ablaze. The crew were preparing to abandon the aircraft when Ward volunteered to go out on the wing and try to smother the flames with a cockpit cover which had served in the plane as a cushion. Attached to a rope and with the help of the navigator, he climbed through the narrow astro-hatch - far from easy in flying gear, even on the ground - put on his parachute, kicked holes in the Wellington's covering fabric to get foot and hand-holds on the geodetic lattices, and descended three foot to the wing. He then worked his way along to behind the engine, and, despite the fierce slipstream from the propeller, managed while lying down to smother the fire. Isolated from the leaking petrol pipe, this later burnt itself out. Ward, exhausted, regained the astro-hatch with great difficulty: "the hardest of the lot," he wrote, "was getting my right leg in. In the end the navigator reached out and pulled it in." Despite all the damage, the crew got home to a safe landing - perhaps the most remarkable thing, apart from Ward's exploit, being the fact that the pilot had no idea at the time what Ward was doing.
Sadly, Sergeant Ward was killed on a Hamburg raid only ten weeks later - before he received his Victoria Cross."

http://members.iinet.net.au/~tcosgrove/vcross.html : above/

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Ward died just two weeks before my Great Uncle joined the Squadron. My Great Uncle was also a 2nd pilot on a Wellington and was also KIA.

Rob

[Tony Farrell]

World Record

Told you so! £235,250

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3673277.stm

[Simon O.]

It was bought by a private collector and will stay in the country.

Was it Lord Ashcroft per chance?

[jimuk]

Was it Lord Ashcroft per chance?

Yet another for the cache!!

[Greeves]

Does anyone have a rough idea of how many he now (probably) owns?

[nellyp51]

Awsome gents .

Thanks for all this cool information, hopefully the award VC did stay in the UK, I also think that any history such as this should stay in the country of origion. The school I went to in NZ named all its houses after men awarded the VC and I happened to be in Ward. Thanks for all the information a very interesting read. I will now send the attachment to my uncle in NZ he was a Capt in the NZ Army and awarded the British Empire Medal, he will be into reading this as well.

Does anyone have a rough idea of how many he now (probably) owns?

[Tony Farrell]

Understandably, Ashcroft is very private about such matters. However, I understand he had well over one hundred VCs in his 'trust'. Apparently, he uses the same security measures as myself - a shoebox, under a beanbag, with an overtly protective spaniel on top!

[nellyp51]

Sounds like a good system for security