Saved for nation he served so heroically
Great-nephew of war hero Gordon pays world record £840,000 for VC medal set
THE great-nephew of a war hero has bought his ancestor’s Victoria Cross and other bravery medals for £840,000 to share them with the public.
Lorne Thyssen-Bornemisza bought the collection at auction 100 years after the VC was awarded to Vice Admiral Gordon Campbell. Gordon was captain of the “Q-Ship” Farnborough that destroyed German submarine U-83 on February 17, 1917.
His group of 11 medals also includes the Distinguished Service Order with two bars and France’s Croix de Guerre.
The collection, which set a world auction record for a VC and any group of British medals, will now stay in the UK on public display. Lorne said: “These medals have enormous historic value for the UK, as well as personal value to my family.
“I hope as many people as possible will have the opportunity to learn about Gordon and his incredible story.”
The medals were sold by The Fellowship of St John (UK) Trust in London on Thursday.
Q-ships were heavily armed merchant ships with concealed weaponry, designed to lure submarines into making attacks on the surface.
Gordon won his VC by allowing the Farnborough to be hit by a torpedo fired by U-83 off the coast of southern Ireland.
As the sub moved in to finish off the ship, Gordon ordered his guns to be opened up, destroying the U-83.