THE VICTORIA CROSS AND BAR AWARDED TO CAPTAIN NOEL GODFREY CHAVASSE, RAMC AND LIVERPOOL SCOTTISH HAS BEEN ACQUIRED BY LORD ASHCROFT. |
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November 2009 |
It has been announced that the Victoria Cross and Bar, Military Cross, and WWI campaign medals awarded to Captain Noel Godfrey Chavasse, Royal Army Medical Corps, attached King's ( Liverpool ) Regiment ( Liverpool Scottish ), have been acquired by the Michael Ashcroft Trust, the holding institution for Lord Ashcroft's VC Collection. The Trust has reputedly paid around £1.5 million pounds for the group. The Victoria Cross & Bar group of medals were initially held for a number of years by St. Peter's College, Oxford. However, in February 1990 it was decided by the Chavasse family and the college to send the group to the Imperial War Museum in London where it has been on a long loan. This decision was made purely for security reasons. |
For the award of the Victoria Cross. [ London Gazette, 26 October 1916 ], Guillemont, France, 9 August 1916, Captain Noel Godfrey Chavasse, MC. Royal Army Medical Corps, att'd King's ( Liverpool ) Regiment ( Liverpool Scottish ).
For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty ( Guillemont, France ).
For the award of a Bar to the Victoria Cross.
[ London Gazette, 14 September 1917 ], Wieltje, Belgium, 31 July - 2 August 1917, Captain Noel Godfrey Chavasse VC, MC. Royal Army Medical Corps, att'd King's ( Liverpool ) Regiment ( Liverpool Scottish ).
Though severely wounded early in the action whilst carrying a wounded soldier to the Dressing Station, Captain Chavasse refused to leave his post, and for two days not only continued to perform his duties, but in addition went out repeatedly under heavy fire to search for and attend to the wounded who were lying out. During these searches, although practically without food during this period, worn with fatigue and faint with his wound, he assisted to carry in a number of badly wounded men, over heavy and difficult ground. By his extraordinary energy and inspiring example, he was instrumental in rescuing many wounded who would have otherwise undoubtedly succumbed under the bad weather conditions. This devoted and gallant officer subsequently died of his wounds.
For the award of a Military Cross.
[ London Gazette, 14 January 1916 ], Battle of Hooge, Belgium, 10 June 1915, Lieutenant Noel Chavasse, Royal Army Medical Corps, att'd King's ( Liverpool ) Regiment ( Liverpool Scottish ).
Noel Chavasse died of wounds two days after his VC Bar action on the 4th August 1917 at the Brandhoek Road Casualty Clearing Station, Ypres, Belgium. He is buried at the Brandhoek New Military Cemetery, Vlamertinghe, Belgium, with two Victoria Crosses carved into his Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone.
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Iain Stewart, 24 November 2009