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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Victoria Cross


easily_confused

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Hi

I wonder if anyone can help,

The story has it that either my grandfather or great grandfather won the Victoria Cross how would I begin to find out which. I have looked up the medal card of my great grandfather and it isn't listed but neither is his military medal which he also won.

GG/ Garrett Ryan 5917 Royal Irish Regt

G/ Patrick Gerald Ryan ch/x113839 Royal Marine

Thanks for any help given it's much appreciated

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Oh yeah sorry about that didn't think about it being WW2

Could not find full list at Victoriacross.org only full list in museums etc

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There have been 4 Ryans who have received the VC

John Ryan — 1857; Lucknow, India

John Ryan — 1863; Cameron Town, New Zealand

John Ryan — 1918; Hindenberg Defences, France

Miles Ryan — 1857; Delhi, India

None of them fit the names you give.................the family "story" as you put it is probably just that.

Andy

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Andy

Apologies for inadveretently misleading you, I should have mentioned that it was for a DCM - and now I can't retrieve the reference :angry:

regards

Mel

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grr........ :( tried to look on london gazette but couldn't find citation.

It's so frustrating as I have the Victoria Cross medal but it's in a cabinet which has been firmly shut forever with about another 10 medals some of which belong to my grandad and the rest to my great grandad. I just didn't want to have to smash it open to find out who it belonged to if I could help it I was also hoping to be able to find out what he was awarded it for.

If anyone does have any other idea's where to look I would be most grateful.

Thanks again to everyone for replying

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Easily

If you take a photograph of the medals and post on here then the experts can identify them.

Regards

Mel

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It's so frustrating as I have the Victoria Cross medal but it's in a cabinet which has been firmly shut forever ........didn't want to have to smash it open to find out who it belonged to if I could help it ........

Er, I think I'd be getting the hammer and chisel out if it was me and I thought there was even the slightest chance that it was a genuine VC.

The highest price paid is over £400K. Now, of course, you'd never want to sell it, but you'd want to make sue it was properly insured wouldnt you? And make sure it was kept locke dup in the bank's vault and not on the front room wall where any blagger could just walk off with it.

But then again, as we can be pretty sure that's not one of your relatives who won it, then I guess you might prefer the £400K. Perhaps it's one of the famous missing ones. I wonder how grandad came by it? Poker game? Found it in a field? Theft?

John

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But then again, as we can be pretty sure that's not one of your relatives who won it, then I guess you might prefer the £400K. Perhaps it's one of the famous missing ones. I wonder how grandad came by it? Poker game? Found it in a field? Theft?

John

Steady on John! :P

Regards

Mel

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Am I alone in hearing, soft on the evening air, the ghostly sound of fairy hammers and the faint echo of a hollow laugh from under the humpbacked bridge?

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I see, from past posts, that "easily confused" comes from stout stock. Great Uncle Jary was a DCM winner and now bravery on the Ryan side of the family. As far as I know, none of my three relatives who served did anything particularly brave (or if they did, they never got a medal for it).

John

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If you have not seen the inscription, it might have been awarded to a previous generation and the family story has just skipped the correct attribution; the only way to know is to read it. Then you have to find if it is the genuine original, I think you will need to go to Hancocks for that as I would not trust any of the other alternatives that's the point when you can start finding out what to insure it for.

Is it a completely sealed cabinet, no way in through the back?

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Hi all

Sorry i've not replied sooner, Thanks again for replying to my post.

I've had a good chat to the family and it's been decided that the box has to be opened, there are quite a few other medals in there so we can also check whether these are part of the family or just part of a collection someone was putting together.

I am guessing that reproduction medals have been available for a long time? as this box has been sealed like this since, well my dad says since he was a kid.

I have only been spurred on by this since when I starting researching my family history I found out my grandad was on the HMS Prince of Wales when it sunk and was made POW, my nanna then said oooo I've got some medals somewhere that u might like to see and voila, half are supposed to be my grandads from WW2 and the other half my great grandads from WW1.

Regarding Sydney Jary hes actually my Great Great Uncle as i'm using my aunts computer, it was her finding out so much about him (she followed Steve Fullers advice and spoke to Nigel Lutt who helped her loads) thats given me the encouragement to find out more about my grandad and great grandad.

I'm sorry if you think I have wasted your time with a fake request but it was a genuine question for genuine reasons.

If it's ok I will keep you posted as to what we find

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It's not only o.k. but I think most here will be biting their fingernails in anticipation waiting for the results!!

Any chance of a photo of the entire group?

Cheers,

Tim L.

(And if it's genuine, can I be your new best friend :lol: )

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