THE VICTORIA CROSS AND WWI CAMPAIGN MEDALS AWARDED TO LANCE CORPORAL THOMAS BRYAN, NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS, HAVE BEEN SOLD AT AUCTION BY DIX NOONAN WEBB |
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28 June 2000 |
The Victoria Cross and campaign medals awarded to Lance Corporal Thomas Bryan, 25th Bn, Northumberland Fusiliers, have been sold at auction by Dix Noonan Webb. The sale realised a hammer price of £60,000. The Thomas Bryan Victoria Cross group was purchased by the Michael Ashcroft Trust, the holding institution for the Lord Ashcroft VC Collection and is on display in the Imperial War Museum's Lord Ashcroft Gallery.
For the award of the Victoria Cross [ London Gazette, 8 June 1917 ], Near Arras, France, 9 April 1917, Lance Corporal Thomas Bryan, 25th Bn ( Tyneside Irish ), Northumberland Fusiliers
For most conspicuous bravery during an attack ( near Arras, France ). Although wounded, this Non-commissioned Officer went forward alone, with a view to silencing a machine gun which was inflicting much damage. He worked up most skilfully along a communication trench, approached the gun from behind, disabled it, and killed two of the team as they were abandoning the gun. As this machine gun had been a serious obstacle in the advance to the second objective, the results obtained by Lance-Corporal Bryan’s gallant action were very far-reaching.
Thomas Bryan was invested with his Victoria Cross by King George V at Newcastle United's football stadium, St James Park, on the 17th June 1917
Thomas Bryan died on the 13th October 1945 in Doncaster and was buried in the city's Arksey Cemetery.
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Iain Stewart, 12 May 2012