THE VICTORIA CROSS AWARDED TO COLONEL WILLIAM ST LUCIEN CHASE, 28TH REGIMENT, BOMBAY NATIVE INFANTRY, INDIAN ARMY, HAS BEEN DONATED TO THE ARMY MUSEUM OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, FREMANTLE.
23 November 2003


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The Australian Cultural Gifts Programme Committee have formally approved the donation of the William St Lucien Chase Victoria Cross and campaign medals to the Army Museum of Western Australia, Fremantle. The family of William Chase handed over the VC medal group to the museum on Sunday, 23rd November 2003. This takes the museum's Victoria Cross collection to four.



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Medal entitlement of Colonel William Chase,
28th Regiment, Bombay Native Infantry

  • Victoria Cross
  • Companion, Order of the Bath ( CB )
  • Afghanistan Medal ( 1878-80 )
    • 1 clasp:
    • "Kandahar"
  • India General Service Medal ( 1854-95 )
    • 1 clasp:
    • "Chin Lushai"
  • India Medal ( 1895-1902 )
    • 2 clasps:
    • "Punjab Frontier 1897-98" - "Tirah 1897-98


For the award of the Victoria Cross:

[ London Gazette, 7 October 1881 ]. Deh Khoja, Afghanistan, 16 August 1880, Lieutenant William St Lucien Chase, Bombay Staff Corps, Indian Army.

"For conspicuous gallantry on the occasion of the sortie from Kandahar, on the 16th August 1880, against the village of Deh Khoja, in having rescued and carried for a distance of over 200 yards, under the fire of the enemy, a wounded soldier, Private Massey, of the Royal Fusiliers, who had taken shelter in a block-house. Several times they were compelled to rest, but they persevered in bringing him to a place of safety. Private Ashford rendered Lieutenant Chase every assistance and remained with him throughout."

( Private Thomas Ashford, Royal Fusiliers, was also awarded the Victoria Cross for this action ).
William Chase was invested with his Victoria Cross by the GOC Bombay at Poona, India, on 23rd January 1882.


Colonel William Chase died, aged 51, on 24 June 1908 at Quetta, Baluchistan, India ( now North West Pakistan ) and is buried in The English Cemetery, Quetta Cemetery. Headstone believed still intact.

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Iain Stewart, 23 November 2003