Lord Ashcroft Gallery - Imperial War Museum - Victoria Cross & George Cross

Francis Maxwell VC

 

John Smyth VC

 

Christopher Teesdale VC

 

John Chard VC..................of Zulu Fame.

 

Do they now allow photographs of the medals in this collection? When I visited the Armstrong collection it stated photographs were not allowed to be taken (as with the exhibition about the Holocaust at the I.W.M.).

Filming and photography
You are welcome to take photos and films as part of your visit. Please feel free to use these for your personal, non-commercial use. Please can you:

• avoid the use of flash and tripods
• avoid taking photos or filming people without permission
• avoid taking photos of children without permission from their parent or guardian
• look out for signs telling you where photography or filming is not allowed
• ask at the Information Desk if you wish to take photographs or film for commercial use

 

The Chard VC has a story all of it's own, as it (and his campaign medal) was once owned by Sir Stanley Baker, who played JRMC in "Zulu". He bought it as a "cast copy" at an auction in 1972 but both medals were sold by his family after his death in 1976. However, in 1996 the Victoria Cross was discovered to be the original rather than a copy after its metallic characteristics were compared with the bronze ingot from which all Victoria Crosses are cast. The medal was subsequently acquired by Lord Ashcroft.

 

I never knew that!

The mystery of Sir Stanley and a ‘fake’ VC medal

 

An update for Post 6 and Flying Officer Lloyd Trigg, VC, DFC. A short YouTube film by Lord Ashcroft:

 

The VC and GC collection will no longer be viewable at the IWM from Tuesday 30/9/25

Lord Ashcroft states “In time I will find a suitable alternative venue for the VC and GC collection that I am the proud custodian of but,as of this week,it will disappear from public view for the foreseeable future”

 

Good that he is fairly certain he wants to re-house the collection somewhere else.

 

The Lord Ashcroft take on things.

Closing my medals gallery relegates ‘bravest of the brave’ - Lord Ashcroft

Not a happy chap.

Kind regards, a move with the changing Times? Maybe.

Jim.

 

Wow, Imperial Woke Museum.....quite a strong article Jim, thanks for the link.

 

Yeah, nothing says 'honour our brave men and women' more than (checks notes) being upset that the gallery you funded is now being used for purposes you have no control over and is presumably (hopefully) losing its name.

Cry me a river.

All the best

Andreas