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

According to the full list at victoriacross.org, neither a Garrett nor Patrick Ryan has won a VC.

The Royal Marine listed is a short service man enlisted for WW2 not the Great War.

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

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

There is a citation for a Pte. G. Ryan here:
http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/archiveVi...PageDuplicate=n &issueNumber=30879&pageNumber=0&SearchFor=Pte.G.Ryan&selMedalType=&selHonourType=

Did he have an eye shot out?

Hello MelP

Can you re-post the link as it appears to be malformed. Is it for a VC...I ask because I have checked the register and supplimentary list on the NA website and the only Ryans are the ones shown in my post above. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...ctoriacross.asp

Andy

Andy

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

regards
Mel

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

Easily

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

Regards
Mel

Here is a list of every VC winner there has ever been.

Courtesy of an illustrious Forum member....

http://www.victoria-cross.co.uk/

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

Steady on John!

Regards

Mel

Could be Sam Harveys

Or Duncan Home's.

Just want to say I'm really enjoying this thread !

How exciting !!

I knew his brother Barrett

Andy, I knew his cousin.

Donuts

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?

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

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?

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

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 )

This begins to remind me of a long-ago thread on the discovery of a box full of medals ...

Could you fill me in on the story as I don't know it

Thanks

Chris

That is spooky. About two posts above yours a certain name popped into my head

Andy

Ooohh --- Let's not go there again.

It definately is a case of best left soonest mended.

easily confused, we experienced a deception/ scam over a thread that resembled yours, some years ago. Older members of this forum will remember it well. Don't worry about it.

Well get on with it then!! And make with the photo..!!

And the amazing saga of family medals lost in Stockport, then found and handed in to the army, only to be rediscovered in the cavity walls of the house. Last heard chap was on his way over from Ireland to pick them up. Don't think he's logged on since.

That one kept me on my seat edge for weeks.

John

I remember that one! I didn't know it was a scam?!

Bernard

You can borrow my large hammer to open the box, it won't let you down!! I was using it to break up some concrete yesterday. The suspense is killing me!

Lyndon

Lyndon

I suspect that this will be a long delicate operation...in other words, don't hold your breath for too long.

Andy

Max

I take it then I won't be asked to open the box?

Lyndon

MAy take until early April to get the box open

Might we expect that the results will be posted on April 1st?

Bruce

Far be it for me to leave my good friend Chris Baker open to litigation for defamation.

I would never dream of suggesting it was a scam.

You may recall that it was an incredible (word used advisedly) story. I suggested the original poster should contact the Stockport Express to share the story more widely. Don't recall anything appearing ( )

John

easily_confused

As John said in post 12, I'd be getting the hammer and chisel out if it was me.

You'll understand Pals' reluctance to be taken in - you've been on Forum through some of the most blatant ... errm, incredible tales - so you'll know what Pals are talking about. A photo or two and some more details would go a long way to setting Pal minds at ease. Hammer, chisel, camera - job's a good un.

Regards

Jim

And please, Pals, let's not forget that "easily confused" is not an expert here. Nor do I actually see anything in her/his posts that seeks to deceive.

The family may, in all conscience, think that the medal in the case was genuine. Perhaps it's a repro VC. Perhaps it is one of the missing ones. Perhaps it's a different medal altogether.

Let's not judge folk till we have something to judge on.

Chisel/hammer/camera.

John

He honest pals if anyone here thought they had a VC (genuine or otherwise) in safe let alone a box , would not have "cracked " it about 1 micro second after seeing said box ? . The owners of this one must have the patience of a saint.

First of all let me apologize for not replying sooner but my first concern was to comfort my nan having just broken one of her treasured possesions as you can appreiciate this was very hard for her.

Second I had no intentions to SCAM anyone as you put it I came on here to ask a question about something I had no knowledge on and thought this would be a good place to start in my learning. I can understand you being somewhat sceptical, but surely rudeness isn't called for. I am just a 29 year old girl trying to learn a bit more of what my grandad and great grandad did in the world wars, I would of thought this would be something to be encouraged.

I enclose a picture of the said medal as requested, and for all of you waiting for it there was no inscription.

I am very sorry to all of you that have been troubled by this posting.

P.s for anyone interested we did find a MM for Garrett Ryan something we are very proud of.

Certainly looks like a VC to me....


Were the other medals named ? (along with the MM). The WW2 medals on the far right won't be named.



Steve.

P.S. Let's be a little less sceptical, folks. We aren't forced to devote our time to helping here.

easily_confused, no one is accusing you of a scam. There is a natural scepticism over such finds, especially as we have experienced one or two threads that were deliberately deceptive, on exactly that subject. I shall be very interested to see how this turns out. As Steve says, there should be an incription round the rim of the MM.

What does it say on the back of the VC?

Medals are in fantastic condition no tarnishing on the BWM and the victory is still guilded.

Stebie, any tricks how to find WW2 MM's in the LG?

Hi again

There was no inscription on the back of the vc medal or bar

the mm was engraved 5719 Sergt G Ryan Royal Irish Regt

There was also Kings South Africa medal engraved 3431 PTE T Knight Hampshire Regt not sure why he'd got this not one of the family I think

I believe that the VC should have the named recipient engraved on the reverse of the suspender.

Easily confused

Let's assume for now that this is a genuine VC, whoever it was awarded to.

You now have an extremely valuable item in your family's possession. So let me offer some very strong and serious advice:-

1. Make sure that you do not disclose here or elsewhere anything at all that might identify who you are or where the medal lives. You have no idea who is reading the Forum.

2. Contact the makers, Hancocks. They are the only people who can be relied on to confirm if it is genuine. Their website is here. Telephone them TODAY. They will be able to ask you questions over the phone which will allow them to confirm things one way or another.

3. Depending on what they say, make IMMEDIATE arrangements to store the medal in a secure facility. Ring your bank for advaice or contact one of the various "strongroom" companies.


John