VC & Canadian forces

bobg · Joined: 12 Apr 2007 Posts: 92 Location: Canada

It appears that is what happened.

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bobg
Canada

ray green · Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 9:59 pm Post subject:

I suspect Arthur Richardson wasn't very famous at all in England as he was living in Canada and in the Canadian army when he won the VC. I wonder how famous George Masters VC was in the town? Was he ever invited to open the Flower Show or judge the "bathing belle" competion at the Open air baths? Probably not.

Dotty · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:33 am Post subject: Funny you should ask...

I know nowt about much but I bet that these heroes were the kind of men who wouldn't want to have attention drawn to themselves. That was prolly why the imposter was able to get away with it because tuther fella was keeping his head down...albeit in another country!

Still, it was a good story and thanks for sharing it and promoting a dialogue on the forum...cos that's what it's for.

Dotty (feeling full of spring...) blob2

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Family History is moo-sic to my ears!

Jane · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 3:52 pm Post subject:

I wonder if there is anything in the local papers - but the trouble is when to look?

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Mad on Genealogy or just plain mad? :)

bobg · Joined: 12 Apr 2007 Posts: 92 Location: Canada

My guess is that the local papers would not have reported the award of the VC since Arthur Richardson was serving in the Canadian Army and were not aware of the local connection. It also appears that he kept a low profile after his return to the UK and living in Liverpool. However it is possible that after the article in the Dec 16 1932 Liverpool Post & Mercury on his death the Southport papers may have picked up on the story.

This thread started as a casual question on ray green's avatar but now has a life of its own. Has the time come to take it out from the Bearman/Shilling heading and make it a separate topic? Just a thought.

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bobg
Canada

admin · Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 7:15 am Post subject:

Hope I've done this right. I moved it into want to chat but left a shadow in the original place. I shall try and do a copy and paste later when I have the time and sort out which posts should be where.

bobg · Joined: 12 Apr 2007 Posts: 92 Location: Canada

It has ended up where you wanted it to Very Happy

The presentation of the VC is another possibility for a newspaper account. Arthur Richardson's regiment was Lord Strathcona's Horse and the following quote is from their website www.strathconas.ca:

quote
Strathcona's Horse embarked at Cape Town on 20 January 1901 and on 14 February arrived in London where they were met for the first time by their patron, Lord Strathcona. They were accorded a Royal welcome and were presented their medals by King Edward VII personally. The sovereign also presented the Regiment with a King's Colour, an unique honour for mounted units of the British Empire.
unquote

The same source also gives the citation for the award of the VC

On 5 July, 1900 at Wolver Spruit about fifteen miles north of Standerton, a party of Lord Strathcona's Horse, only 38 in number, came into contact and was engaged at close quarters, with a force of 80 of the enemy. When the order to retire was given, Sergeant Richardson rode back under heavy crossfire and picked up Cpl McArthur whose horse had been shot and who was wounded in two places and rode with him out of fire. At the time that this act of gallantry was performed, Sergeant Richardson was within 300 yards of the enemy, and was himself riding a wounded horse.

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bobg
Canada

Jane · Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 7:03 pm Post subject:

The only problem is if some of the posts are deleted on the original they get deleted on this one to. So sorry but they will have to stay for now. I might be able to sort it over the weekend when I have more time.

As for the local papers - something for me to investigate when I next go into the library

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Mad on Genealogy or just plain mad? :)

ray green · Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 11:29 pm Post subject: Was I right?

When I used Arthur Richardson's photo as my avitar I did have concerns that I was being disrespectful to his memory but because he was so handsome in his "mounties" hat I brushed them aside. I feel, on balance, it has turned out rather well as local knowledge of this Southport VC has probably increased tenfold. It is also a reminder of how the Dominions came to our aid in the Boer war (or the second war of independence as the Afrikaners call it). 277 Canadian troops died in the war the majority from disease.

Jane · Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 6:30 pm Post subject:

I was making notes for the library tomorrow - have to decide what to look for. Anyway I tried Googling George Masters VC and got quite a few references for Richard George Masters - is this the same man or someone else?

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SeaCopRimmer · Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 7:43 pm Post subject:

I would think it is the same man, Jane; he only died relatively recently and his family visit his grave on a very regular basis. Next time we're at St Cuthbert's I'll take you to see it Wink

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I may be a shrimp but I'm BIG on family history

bobg · Joined: 12 Apr 2007 Posts: 92 Location: Canada

In an earlier post on this topic baxtersp had a picture of George Master's gravestone which gives his full name Richard George Masters.

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bobg
Canada

Jane · Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 8:38 pm Post subject:

Ooops

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