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DateOriginal Topic
3rd March 2001Campaign Medals awarded to Rorke's Drift defenders
By Lee Stevenson
I would be interested to know the current locations of the South African Campaign Medals 1877-8-9, awarded to the Rorke's Drift men. Ideally in the following categories;-
1/. Museum Collection,
2/. Private Collection,i.e., medal collector etc,
3/. Still retained by Family/Descendants
4/. Other location, or if appeared at auction
DateReplies
4th March 2001Lee Stevenson
I'm going to start off my own question from my own files!!! These are ones I know of,

1/. Medals currently in Museum collections
Lt G Bromhead VC, C/Sgt FE Bourne OBE, DCM, Cpl WW Allen VC, Pte AH Hook VC, Pte F Hitch VC, Pte J Williams Fielding VC, Pte W Jones VC, Pte G Edwards (Orchard), Pte W Tasker, Pte J Lyons, Pte P Kears, LSgt J Taylor, C/Sgt. GW Mabin, AACom JL Dalton VC, ACom WA Dunne, Tpr H Lugg, Cpl FC Schiess (VC only)

2/.Private Collection, i.e. medal collector
Lt JRM Chard VC, Pte E Jones, Pte R Jones VC, Cpl J Key, Gnr A Howard RA, Pte T Moffatt, Pte S Pitt

3/. Retained by family/descendants
Tpr RS Green, Surg. JH Reynolds VC, (on loan RAMC Museum), Dvr. CJ Robson, (on loan RE Museum)

4/. Other Locations, Auctions
T Buckley, Christies 1988
H Gallagher, c1990'2
A Morris, Christies 1988
J Wall Christies 1989
A Whitton Glendinings 1994
FA Millne Sothebys 1990
4th March 2001Peter Critchley
Lee,

That's certainly pretty exhaustive, and I am afraid I can't add anything to it - From your point 4, I take it that some were auctioned, but their purchaser is unknown?

Peter

Peter
22nd March 2001Richard Howes
Theres a really great article about Chard at http://www.weavo.co.uk/hatch/
(See the links from this site)- and it states the following about his South Africa medal and his VC:

"It has been ascertained that, a named cast copy Victoria Cross to "Lieut.J.R.Chard Royal Engrs,22/23 January, 1879" and a South Africa Medal,l877-l879,with clasp '1879',to "Lieut.J.R.N.Chard VC.RE." were auctioned by Glendinings of London,on l7th.May,1972 and sold for �2,700, to Sir Stanley Baker"

So what happened to his original medals if these were copies? And were they reissued duriong Chards lifetime? �2700 seems a pretty hefty sum to pay for copies, even in 1973...
23rd March 2001Lee Stevenson
The Chard family did indeed auction the 'cast' copy VC and what is regarded as the original campaign medal in 1972. At the time it was said that they had no idea what had become of the original VC, although countless stories did the rounds. The Royal Engineers also followed up several reported sightings of the missing medal but to no avail. The 'cast' copy VC and campaign medal passed to a private collector in Canada after Sir Stanley Baker's death. Some years ago the metal of the VC was tested by experts and the results now suggest that it is in fact a real Victoria Cross.