The world’s largest collection of Britain’s highest gallantry medals will soon return to public display after finding a new home at the National Army Museum, marking a new chapter for one of the most remarkable collections of military heroism ever assembled.
The collection, built over four decades by Lord Michael Ashcroft, includes nearly 250 Victoria Cross medals and a smaller number of George Cross awards. Together they represent the largest private collection of these decorations anywhere in the world.
For 15 years the medals were displayed at the Imperial War Museum in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery. However, the museum decided to close the gallery permanently in 2025 as part of plans to redevelop its upper floors and create new exhibition spaces focusing on more recent conflicts.
With the gallery’s closure, and the collection returned to Lord Ashcroft, a new partnership has now been forged with the National Army Museum in Chelsea, ensuring the medals and the stories behind them will once again be accessible to the public.
A unique record of courage
Announcing the move, Lord Ashcroft said he was delighted that the decorations would once again be displayed for the nation.
“I am thrilled to have found such a superb location for this unique collection of gallantry medals. I am so pleased that these VCs and GCs, spanning many major wars and conflicts of the past two centuries, will now be enjoyed by the public once again.
“The National Army Museum shares my passion for the decorations themselves and also to tell the incredible stories of bravery that go with them. I look forward to a long and happy partnership with the Museum for many years to come.”
The collection’s new home will place these medals at the heart of the story of Britain’s soldiers. The museum’s director, Justin Maciejewski, said the institution was honoured to be entrusted with them.
“We are honoured to be entrusted with these VCs and GCs from the Lord Ashcroft Medal Collection. We are grateful to Lord Ashcroft for his continued generosity and commitment in championing these stories of extraordinary courage.
“The National Army Museum shares the history and heritage of our soldiers across the globe and down the centuries. Within that wider narrative, these medals, and the individual acts of extraordinary bravery and valour they represent, form a powerful part of the Army’s story.”
Stories of sacrifice across two centuries
The medals span nearly 170 years of British history. Instituted by Queen Victoria in 1856 during the Crimean War, the Victoria Cross remains Britain and the Commonwealth’s highest award for valour in the presence of the enemy.
The George Cross, created in 1940 by George VI during the Second World War, is awarded for acts of the greatest heroism not in the presence of the enemy, and has also been bestowed on civilians for extraordinary bravery.
Among the most extraordinary pieces in the collection is the medal group awarded to Noel Chavasse, one of only three men in history to receive a Victoria Cross and Bar, the equivalent of two Victoria Crosses. A medical officer during the First World War, Captain Chavasse repeatedly risked his life rescuing wounded soldiers before being killed in action.
Lord Ashcroft’s wider medal collection also includes decorations awarded for gallantry in Special Forces operations and for acts of courage in the air and at sea.
His passion for collecting gallantry awards was inspired in part by his late father, Eric Ashcroft, who as a young officer took part in the D-Day Landings.
Inspiring future generations
The medals will be loaned long-term to the National Army Museum, where they will be displayed alongside artefacts, archives and artworks that chart the history of Britain’s Army and its soldiers around the world.
Chris Finney, a trustee of the museum and chair of the VC and GC Association, said the opportunity to display the collection would help keep the legacy of courage alive.
“This rare and expansive collection spans centuries of military service, sacrifice, and extraordinary bravery across the Armed Forces.
“We are privileged to be given the opportunity to share these medals — and the inspiring personal stories they represent — with visitors, and online for the wider public, where they can continue to inspire people of all ages for generations to come.”
Return to public display
The Victoria Cross and George Cross collection will go on full display at the National Army Museum within the next two years.
In the meantime, visitors will be able to see some of the medals sooner: from July, selected pieces will appear in temporary exhibitions and pop-up displays at the museum.
Alongside the display, the museum is planning a programme of exhibitions, talks, tours, educational resources and digital content exploring the remarkable stories behind the decorations.
For Lord Ashcroft, whose first Victoria Cross was purchased at auction in 1986, the new partnership ensures that the bravery of Britain’s servicemen and women will remain firmly in the public eye.
After the closure of the previous gallery left the medals without a home, the decision means the “bravest of the brave” will once again be honoured before the nation, where their stories belong.
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