Online Collection

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Allied Victory Medal 1914-19 awarded to Lieutenant Frank Alexander de Pass VC, 34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse

Circular, bronze medal designed by William McMillan with a figure of Winged Victory holding a palm branch on the obverse. On the reverse, the inscription, 'The Great War for Civilisation 1914-1919', within a laurel wreath. The medal is suspended from a double rainbow coloured medal ribbon with an oak leaf, denoting the recipient was 'Mentioned in Despatches'.

Frank de Pass (1887-1914) was commissioned into the Royal Horse Artillery in 1906 and transferred to the Poona Horse in 1909. In 1913 he was appointed Orderly Officer to Lieutenant-General Sir Percy Lake, Chief of the General Staff in India.

On the outbreak of war in 1914 he embarked with his regiment for France, where he became the first Jewish recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC) and also the first Indian Army officer to win the award in World War One (1914-1918).

Lieutenant de Pass was awarded the VC on 18 February 1915, for an action near Festubert, on 24 November 1914, where he cleared an enemy trench and rescued, under heavy fire, a wounded man. He was killed on 25 November 1914 in a second attempt to capture the trench which had been re-occupied by German troops.

From a medal group including the Victoria Cross, 1914 Star and British War Medal 1914-20.

NAM Accession Number

NAM. 1995-04-2-4

Copyright/Ownership

National Army Museum Copyright

Location

National Army Museum, Formation gallery

Object URL

https://collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.php?acc=1995-04-2-4

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