Victoria Cross sells for £220k

Kyt · Jun 1, 2008

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/s...victoria-cross-sells-for-220k-86908-20432871/

A VICTORIA CROSS awarded to a Scots-born soldier during World War I has been sold for more than £220,000.

Lieutenant George Ingram earned the medal - inscribed "For Valour" - while he served with the Australian army in France. It was the last VC awarded to an Aussie soldier in the Great War.

He was six when his family emigrated from Kelvinside, Glasgow, to Melbourne in 1888.

In 1918, he led a number of attacks on German machine gun nests and captured an enemy bunker single-handed at Montbrehain, near Peronne.

When his comrades caught up, George was sitting among 39 dead and dying Germans, holding his revolver and half a dozen machine guns. He said to his men: "Well, what the hell kept you?"

He died in 1961. His medal was reluctantly auctioned for financial reasons by his son Alex at Sotheby's, in Melbourne.

The anonymous buyer is letting the VC be displayed at the Australian war memorial.
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Photos:
victoria cross photos - Daylife

GEORGE INGRAM VC

Kyt · Jun 1, 2008

I have to say I agree with Mr Gower

Honour for sale: why we peddle our medals - National - smh.com.au

THE head of the Australian War Memorial has expressed dismay at the increasing number of war medals for sale, saying it is unfortunate a monetary value is being placed on bravery of the highest level.

The last Victoria Cross awarded to an Australian during World War I is going under the hammer on Tuesday - the second in as many weeks.

The Victoria Cross is among a collection of medals given to Lieutenant George Ingram and was awarded to him for his actions at Montbrehain, the last battle the Australian Imperial Force was involved in during the war.

Last week the South Australian Government and Channel Seven boss Kerry Stokes bought a Victoria Cross awarded to Adelaide-born Major Peter Badcoe for $488,000, along with his other medals, letters and photographs, for public display.

Another Victoria Cross, awarded to World War I Private William Jackson when he was 18, was passed in at auction last month.

It had an estimated asking price of about $700,000.

"I understand families wishing to realise on a family possession, but it's all become rather unfortunate that a monetary value is being placed on bravery of the highest level," said Steve Gower, the director of the AWM.

"That aside, the Australian War Memorial remains very grateful that there have been individuals in the community that have been prepared to purchase and donate significant medals, the most recent being Mr Kerry Stokes AO. This makes us even more appreciative of families who have chosen to donate their Victoria Crosses so that all Australians can view them here at the memorial and be inspired by these men's actions."

The Sotheby's auction on Tuesday will also feature shearing legend Jackie Howe's gold medal, awarded to commemorate his 1892 world record-breaking feat of shearing 321 sheep with blade shears in seven hours and 40 minutes.

His shearing medal, gold fob watch and original photographs have an estimated value of $25,000 to $35,000.

The collection of medals, including Lieutenant Ingram's Victoria Cross, has an estimated value of between $400,000 to $600,000.

Giles Moon, the national head of collectables for Bonhams & Goodman, which handled the auction of Major Badcoe's Victoria Cross last week, said the two sales reflected a growing trend in that sort of memorabilia going up for sale.

Mr Moon said the sale of a Victoria Cross for $1.2million through Bonhams & Goodman about two years ago alerted others holding on to the family heirlooms that there was a market for them.

He said there had always been a good market for sporting memorabilia such as medals and, in particular, cricket and horse-racing memorabilia.

Seven years ago, athletics legend Shirley Strickland sold her Olympic medals to pay for her grandchildren's education.

More recently, there has been speculation that AFL player Tony Liberatore would have to sell his collection of medals, including a coveted Brownlow.

Jennifer Gibson, the head of decorative arts at Sotheby's, said while it was hard to tell if there was a growing trend for war memorabilia, the fact that two Victoria Crosses were being sold within two weeks of each other, increased the public's interest.

"For most people who seem to be selling these pieces, it is that they are keen for them to go on public display ... public institutions are very keen to get their hands on these things and I think it's nice the Australian public can go and see these things in the appropriate place," she said.

Barry Muir, Jackie Howe's biographer (who is married to the youngest of the shearing legend's grandchildren who are selling the medals) said the family were hoping the collection would be bought by a museum so they can be shown to the public.

Mr Muir said previous examples of family rifts over such keepsakes also prompted the sale.
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Pathfinder · Jun 1, 2008

Yeah, I think it's sad when those kind of medals are sold. Some people who buy them don't have any idea on the history behind what the person did to get them.

rlaughton · Jun 1, 2008

And years from now they will be facing the same issues (and perhaps the same type of court case) we now have before us here in Canada over the Jon McCrae medals. And that fight is between family members and his museum, people who supposedly care.

But we have to remember, if your out of a job, the family is hungry and you have a commodity to sell - what do you do?

Antipodean Andy · Jun 1, 2008

I was hoping Kerry Stokes was the telephone bidder behind the purchase of the first VC when it was on the news last week. No idea who the second VC was bought by but it is immensely pleasing that both medals will go on public display along with the recipient's story.

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Victoria Cross sells for £220k

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