The Flowerdew VC is handed over to Lord Strathcona’s Horse for safe keeping

At the beginning of 2025 the Imperial War Museum decided to disband the Lord Ashcroft Gallery displaying the 3 Framlingham VCs.  At the same time and to mark 125th anniversary of Flowerdew’s regiment, Lord Strathcona’s Horse approached the Society about lending the Flowerdew VC (in our ownership) to their museum.

The Society was extremely grateful to the Regiment for ensuring that the Flowerdew VC would remain on public display and agreed a loan arrangement with them.  As part of this process, the Flowerdew family were rightly consulted and this led to the family also deciding that the miniature VC and Death Penny in their ownership, should also be lent to the Regiment on the same terms.

The handover of all these items took place at a special lunch held at the Canadian High Commission, just off Trafalgar Square. The venue itself was inspirational, with views from the third floor looking out on to Nelson’s Column, The National Gallery and St Martins in the Fields.

The group included Brigadier General Dwayne Parsons and Col Chris Quinlan,  (representing the Regiment), Joanne Sommerville, (organiser of the event)  Will Herschel-Shorland (Representing the Flowerdew family), Jenni Fewery (Representing the Imperial War Museum) and Chris Essex (K69-75) and Norman Porter (K50-57), representing the SOF.

After introductions, the group gathered round a screen with a video link to the Colonel of the Regiment, Colonel Jamie Cade (Ret’d) back in western Canada at 4am local time. He expressed the huge pride, still felt by the Regiment, in the gallantry of one of their number at the Battle of Moreuil Wood. To have the keeping of Gordon Flowerdew’s VC for display in the regimental museum, was an honour to be cherished and treasured.

A fine three course meal followed, with conversational topics which seemed to very much enhance Anglo-Canadian friendship. At the conclusion of the meal, the guests gathered around the VC display for official photographs, and for one last lingering handling of the medal before it finds its way across the Atlantic Ocean to Calgary.

Pictured from left to right below : Col Chris Quinlan (representing the Regiment), Will Herschel-Shorland (representing the Flowerdew family), Brigadier General Dwayne Parsons (representing the Regiment), Chris Essex (K69-75) (Chair of SOF Trustees), Jenni Fewery (representing the Imperial War Museum) and Norman Porter (K50-57) (representing the SOF).

Below are various other photos taken at the event, including one showing the Colonel of the Regiment, Colonel Jamie Cade (Ret’d) back in western Canada on video link at 4am local time.

Footnote :  The Agar VC, being the property of the IWM, will remain there, to become part of another in-house display. The Hewitt VC will revert to the College, to where it was gifted by his widow