228 Pte. T. Westwood, 80th Foot

Posts : 3362 Join date : 2009-03-03 Location : Devon

His Medals are up for sale

http://www.the-saleroom.com/catalogues/Item.aspx?itemId=9138741

Posts : 1603 Join date : 2009-09-21

Rolf Harris” song Two Little Boys. Was based on Wassal saving Westwood . Now i didn't know that !!!!

Subject: Re: 228 Pte. T. Westwood, 80th Foot Thu Jun 17, 2010 9:39 pm

If I had the money that would be a definite purchase. Lets just hope they go to a good home. Your be lucky to see theses on sale again in our lifetime.
I guess it’s the story behind the Westwood medal that makes it that much more desirable. With a bit of luck they might be place in a museum collection that’s on view to the public. Nice find Graves. Idea

I wonder what they would fetch if they went on sale with Wassal V.C.

Subject: Re: 228 Pte. T. Westwood, 80th Foot Thu Jun 17, 2010 9:47 pm

Just out of interest !!! Did Westwood leave an account of his rescue by Wassal. As I can only find the Wassal account.

Subject: Pvt . T. Westwood Fri Jun 18, 2010 12:53 am

Hi littlehand.
Once again courtesy of that wonderful work by Julian Whybra.

19 / 228 Private . Thomas . Westwood , 80th Regt , attached to the 1st Sqdn Imperial Mounted Infantry.

His statement of the 12th Feb 1879 and his further statement of 11th April 1879 , are both in the National Archives
WO 32 / 7387 / 55603 . RELATING TO A SUBMISSION FOR A V.C , for Pvt . Wassall 80th IMI. Escaped via Fugitives Drft
to Helpmekaar .
I have had only a quick look , but I dont think I have his account , Will try and have a better search later .
cheers 90th.

Subject: westwood medal and wassall's VC. Fri Jun 18, 2010 1:00 am

hi littlehand .
Forgot to put my pennies worth in with a stab at your medal question , I dont think you would get much change out of
600,000 pounds !. it may even cost a lot more , but seeing as it will never happen ( in our lifetimes ) we will never know.
There is talk the Westwood Medals may run into 25 ,000 pd according to some knowledgable lads on RDVC Forum and
they may most likely be a tad short !!!. Would be a great buy , count me in if I am lucky enough to win the lottery before
hammer time . :) .
cheers 90th.

Subject: westwood 80th regt. Fri Jun 18, 2010 10:45 am

Hi Littlehand.
As promised I had a very good search in my collection of " stuff " and sadly no account by Westwood , may be worth
a shot contacting the Staffordshire regimental Museum , they may have an account or possibly a transcript of the accounts
left by Westwood which are in the National Archive .
I can tell you that while Westwood was recouperating in the Hospital at Helpmekaar , he overheard a group of officers
talking about an unknown man who had rescued someone from the river at Fugitives Drift , Westwood got their attention
and then he proceeded to tell them of his story. So , luckily he overheard the conversation otherwise Wassall more than likely wouldn't have been awarded his V.C.
cheers 90th.

Posts : 747 Join date : 2009-10-18

£28,000 hammer. With commission and VAT £34,580.

Source: Peter Weedon. Medal Expert

Posts : 2 Join date : 2011-11-25

Good morning all,
I am an ancestor of Thomas Westwood & without your information I wouldn't be able to state to the rest of the family that this brave man was rescued by another very brave Pte Wassell. We were aware that a family member had served but no idea rescued & was part of history in the frame of Rolf Harris' song!
I'm wondering if anyone knows where the medals went after being sold in 2010? Are they in a museum as we thought they were still in the family, would now be nice to see the medals & take photos to pass along

Cheers

Subject: Pte. T. Westwood , 80th foot. Fri Nov 25, 2011 2:09 pm

Hi Dave / Scaryb.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I was watching a Doco / Story last week about Rolf Harris and sorry to say the
two little boys is about his Father and uncle during WW1 . From what I saw I think his father was wounded and died
in a hospital in France and his brother was lying wounded in the same hospital , neither apparantly knew of the others
presence there at the same time . I may have it wrong possibly the uncle died and his father didnt know he was there .
But there is certainly no connection to Wassal & Westwood & the zulu war .
cheers 90th. Idea

Subject: Re: 228 Pte. T. Westwood, 80th Foot Fri Nov 25, 2011 5:00 pm

By the way.... how old are you to be his ancestor?

Subject: Re: 228 Pte. T. Westwood, 80th Foot Fri Nov 25, 2011 6:37 pm

scaryb wrote:: Good morning all,
I am an ancestor of Thomas Westwood & without your information I wouldn't be able to state to the rest of the family that this brave man was rescued by another very brave Pte Wassell. We were aware that a family member had served but no idea rescued & was part of history in the frame of Rolf Harris' song!
I'm wondering if anyone knows where the medals went after being sold in 2010? Are they in a museum as we thought they were still in the family, would now be nice to see the medals & take photos to pass along

Cheers

Hi Scaryb, welcome to the forum.
if you can't find the location of your ancestor's medals using a quick internet search, they are likely to be in a private collection not a museum. museums don't have that kind of money and rarely pay for medals. most have a policy not to pay for medals, artefacts or anything else. they tend to rely on donations, either directly - see the recent post re Lt Edgar Antey's family donating his campaign medal to the SWB museum in Brecon - or groups of members essentially having a whip round and buying an artefact to donate to the museum.

Posts : 420 Join date : 2011-05-14

I thought I'd post this engraving from 'The Penny Illustrated Paper' of 26th July 1879 that features Privates Wassall & Westwood as its centrepiece and depicts four other VC actions.

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kwaJimu1879 Collection

(Tasker, I like the Violette Szabo poem tagline by-the-way.)

kwaJimu1879

Subject: Re: 228 Pte. T. Westwood, 80th Foot Fri Nov 25, 2011 7:09 pm

Beautiful engraving Kwajimu. I admire bravery in all of its forms, but I am moved most by bravery which saves lives.
Noel Chavasse: 2 VCs won and he killed no one, but saved countless lives.
If ever a man deserved to be made a saint...

Subject: 228 Pte, T. Westwood, 80th Foot Fri Nov 25, 2011 7:20 pm

Well said Tasker

Noel Chavasse was dedicated to saving life, his double V.C. was well deserved, a wonderful human being.

Regards

Martin.

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