Victoria Cross at Bonhams and Goodman
Published March 31st, 2008
A highly valuable Victoria Cross group of Vietnam War medals will be offered at a Sydney Auction conducted by Bonhams & Goodman on Tuesday 20 May at 6.00pm.
The widow of the “Galloping Major” Peter Badcoe, VC has also consigned an extraordinary collection of archival material including 37 personal letters from her late husband containing an unprecedented insight into life at the front during the height of the Vietnam War. Most of the letters will be available at the viewing preceding the auction however the family has asked that a small group of sensitive letters be withheld from the public and only handed over to the eventual buyer. An Australian Museum once contacted the family in an attempt to secure the archival material for the national collection.
Major Badcoe, VC was one of the most highly decorated soldiers in Australian history. The Badcoe Victoria Cross was only one of four awarded to Australians fighting in the Vietnam War and is the last one still held in private ownership as the others are now all in the possession of museums.
