Australian VC up for auction.

[Tim]

Bravery for sale

Lance Corporal Bernard Sidney Gordon

By LEONIE JOHNSON

28nov06

TOWNSVILLE granddaughters of a Victoria Cross medal winner are disgusted their extended family members are auctioning off the war hero's irreplaceable battle honour.

The two sisters, Margaret Schofield and Judy Burrows, found out only days ago that their grandfather Lance Corporal Bernard Sidney Gordon's medal was to be sold to strangers by a granddaughter from his second marriage.

It will be auctioned today in Sydney and is expected to fetch between $150,000 and $300,000.

Now too late to attempt to stop the sale, the women are pleading for the highest bidder to donate the medal to the Australian War Memorial.

"We're on the complete other side (of the family) and want the medal put in a museum for everyone to see," Ms Schofield said.

"My Mum, who was his eldest child, had both his medals in a photo frame on top of our piano.

"His second wife then asked could she have them and my Mum gave them to her, but I always said they would end up selling them.

"I was 12 and I said to my Mum, don't send them away or they will never be seen again, and that's what's going to happen."

The medal remained in the sisters' household up until the 1950s at their Tully farm. Their mother Evelyn Catherine Lonergan, who had six children with Mr Gordon, died of cancer in 1935 and he later remarried and had another three children.

The award, along with a Military Medal, was passed to his new wife, Caroline Edith Manley, and the sisters haven't seen or heard of them since.

Mr Gordon died in 1963 and the VC remained in his second wife's family.

Ms Burrows said after hearing of the record sale in July of a Victoria Cross for $1.2 million she wondered when her grandfather's medals would reappear.

"It is depriving our children and the public the right to view an important part of Australia's history," she said.

"Whoever purchases it, I hope they have it in their hearts to give everyone the chance see it.

"Even if we had owned them we would have wanted it to be put together with his Military Medal in a museum.

"When I heard of that Victoria Cross medal selling for so much this year, I knew his would turn up."

A Victoria Cross is awarded for 'most conspicuous' acts of bravery and Lance Corporal Gordon's courageous efforts were certainly worthy of the honour.

He moved to Townsville and enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on September 27, 1915 and served in the 41st Battalion during World War I.

On August 26-27, 1918 east of Bray, France he led his section through heavy shellfire before single-handedly attacking an enemy machine-gun, killing the gunner and capturing an officer and 10 men.

He then took over several more trenches and captured a further 51 prisoners, including one officer, and six machine-guns.

One of those machine guns is now on display at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

Ms Burrows said this would be the perfect place for her grandfather's medal to be displayed.

Ms Schofield had the chance to meet her grandfather on only one occasion but it left a lasting impression on her.

"He was a tough old guy who said what he wanted to say straight out," she said.

"He was not a weakling, but was a real hard man.

"I always used to watch him march in the Anzac Day parades every year on TV." Ms Schofield said another of the Gordon family had received a prestigious Victoria Cross. Her cousin, Private James Heather Gordon, was recognised for facing heavy enemy machine-gun fire and charging a post where he killed four gunners with his bayonet near Jezzine, Lebanon during WWII.

North Queensland Military Heritage Association president Neil Weekes said it was 'disappointing' the medal was being sold.

"I'm a firm believer that all the Victoria Cross medals should stay in Australia," he said.

"It is a national treasure and needs to be kept in the country for people to see."

Mr Weekes said although it would be an honour to have the medal displayed at the North Queensland Military Museum, it would be better off in the Australian War Museum where everyone could view it.

Townsville Mayor Tony Mooney said the Townsville soldier's medal should remain in the twin cities.

"It would be great if a North Queenslander Victoria Cross was kept in a museum," he said.

"To be able to have it at the Kissing Point Jezzine precinct once it's upgraded would be a wonderful tribute to him and a great reminder to the people of Townsville the sacrifices made by our fore fathers."

[Auimfo]

Thanks for the info Tim.

I still don't quite understand how families can sell off their ancestors medals like this but then again I suppose I don't know their situation.

If I owned a VC belonging to a relative, I couldn't bring myself to do it and would wish to retain ownership however I believe I would give it to the AWM on permanent loan.

Ultimately, if this VC does manage to find it's way to the AWM then at least a proper outcome has been reached.

Tim L.

[alliekiwi]

How can that half of the family live with themselves, especially when they know they were handed the medals from the other side of the family out of the goodness of someone's heart?

Allie

[Andrew P]

A knock on effect after Shout's medals went for so much.

[alliekiwi]

I looked at a few other news sites about it, and they think this one will maybe only bring as 'little' as $150,000 - or up to $300,000. Nothing like the $1.2 million of the other. Not a heck of a lot to split up, considering the "grand-daughter is reluctantly selling his medal to help provide for her extended family." (According to the abc news site.) I wonder if the two granddaughters in the initial news item posted (from the 1st marriage) are going to be amongst those benefitting from the sale by the granddaughter from the second marriage?

Allie

[AIF]

No doubt the auctioning of the Shout VC MC group last summer brought the Gordon VC out of the woodwork. It will bring a much lower price because it's not a Gallipoli VC and it's a broken group. Even though Gordon's 1937 and 1953 Coronation medals will be sold with the VC; his MM and Pair are missing. With that said, Cpl. Gordon's VC citation is outstanding.

Rumor has it the same person who bought the Shout VC MC group (which was donated to the AWM) will most likely win the Gordon VC group in order to donate it to the AWM.

[Ozzie]

One can only hope so, LP.

Kim

[Tim]

The abovementioned VC has just been sold for $400,000 AUD (161,525 GBP), with commission and taxes, the total price was $486,500 AUD (196,455 GBP).

The buyer was a women who refused to say who she was buying for or whether the VC would be part of a private or public collection. She was involved in a bidding war with a phone buyer.

Alas, I don't think Mr Kerry Stoakes, who bought the Shout VC, managed to buy this one. We can only hope that the buyer is as generous as Mr Stoakes was.

Tim

[DaveMurphy]

The news report on the sale:

TWO granddaughters of a WWI Victoria Cross winner expressed relief after the buyer of his medal was revealed as an Australian citizen.

The VC belonging to Lance Corporal Bernard Sidney Gordon of the 41st Battalion Australian Imperial Forces (AIF) was sold to an anonymous Australian buyer at auction in Sydney for $480,000 tonight.

Mr Gordon was awarded the VC for bravery in the trenches of France, where between August 26 and 27, 1918, he single-handedly captured 63 soldiers including two officers, and six machine guns.

A woman who attended tonight's auction purchased the medal on behalf of the buyer.

The medal sold at the hammer price of $400,000, with an extra 19 per cent added as a buyer's premium to cover taxes and commissions, taking the final figure up to $480,000.

Mr Gordon's granddaughter, Judy Burrows, was delighted the medal would remain in Australia and hoped the buyer was willing to donate it to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

"Let's hope he's a generous person," she said.

Ms Burrow's sister, Margaret Schofield, said her grandfather would want the medal to be displayed in the war memorial.

"It's part of Australia's history and I really feel that he'd want it in the museum," she said.

The sisters, who both live in Townsville, only found out about the auction last Friday but said they hold no grudges against the relatives who decided it was time to sell the prestigious honour.

"They needed the money desperately, from what I understand, but you can't sell someone's courage and bravery," Ms Schofield said.

In July, businessman Kerry Stokes paid a record $1.2 million for a VC and collection of other medals won by Captain Alfred Shout, which he then donated to the Australian War Memorial.

[ceebee]

Here is the link to the post auction report from the auction house Bonhams and Goodman located in Double Bay, Sydney. Note the comments from auctioneer Tim Goodman.

Chris

[Andrew P]

Glad to hear that the medal will be donated to the Australian War Memorial.