July 10th 2024.
The prestigious Noonans Mayfair auction house has announced that they will be selling the first Naval V.C. of the Great War. This highly coveted medal was awarded to the brave Captain Henry Peel Ritchie from the Royal Navy, who hailed from Edinburgh. He was recognized for his courageous leadership on H.M.S. Goliath's steam pinnace during the conflict and was honored with the Senior Service's first V.C. for his valiant actions in Dar-es-Salaam, East Africa on 28 November 1914.
According to Noonans, the medal is estimated to sell for an impressive £260,000 at the upcoming auction on 23 July, where Naval medals from the late Jason Pilalas' collection will be up for grabs. The first part of this extraordinary collection consists of 250 medals and is expected to fetch a staggering £2 million.
Nimrod Dix, a representative from Noonans, shared some details about Ritchie's heroic feat, saying, "When the pinnace came under intense fire, the 38-year-old Ritchie bravely took over the wheel from his injured coxswain and navigated towards the harbor's entrance. However, it took a grueling 20 minutes to finally escape, during which time he was wounded a total of eight times – on his forehead, left hand, left arm (twice), right arm, hip, and two bullets through his right leg."
Credit: Noonans
Ritchie, who was later promoted to Captain on the Retired List in January 1924, resided at Craig Royston House in Edinburgh and passed away there in 1958 at the age of 83. His remarkable story and incredible bravery will forever be remembered and honored.
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