Australia Top Dog Aussie

[Chris Boonzaier]

Wow....

[Chris Boonzaier]

Can an Aussie identify some of the goodies?

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/victoria-cross-recipient-keith-paynes-medals-to-go-on-display-at-australian-war-memorial-20140618-zsd9s.html

Hats off to a Hero....

[Mervyn Mitton]

What an incredible group - 24 with the VC. I think I can see the ribbon for the MM - but, it may be for another award.

Australia has very strict laws on it's VC's - I am sorry to see that they have managed to get their hands on a large majority

of those awarded and to have them in an out of the way Museum. Canberra is the Capital - but other Cities are much

larger in numbers.

They say he is 2nd or 3rd in Award numbers in the Commonwealth. I presume they are including Britain - we are also in

the Commonwealth. Who then are 1st and 2nd in Awards ? Interesting link Chris. Mervyn

[daveml]

Hi,

This distiguished Gentleman is Keith Payne VC (Australian Army), and pic shows Him donating his Medals to Australian War Memorial.

He won the VC in Vietnam in 1969 (was awarded Medal onboard Royal Yacht Britannia by the Queen in 1970), but if you look him up on Wikipedia, you will see that he had an outstanding career in other theatres as well.

Daveml.

[gavinmedals]

Hi Chris, Keith Payne's group is described at the following website:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Payne#Honours_and_awards

Mervyn, from the above he did not receive the MM

cheers

[Mervyn Mitton]

Similar Ribbon though. Gavin , I seem to remember he came to London for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee or,

it might have been for Her Golden one. He rode in an open car and received a wonderful reception from the crowd.

How could anyone not admire such a record - and such Gallantry. Mervyn

[gavinmedals]

Absolutely agree.

[bushchook]

These are owned by the Maryborough Military Museum - seems they did a deal with the AWM to display them in Canberra.

[Mervyn Mitton]

That's interesting bushchook (chook is Aussie for a chicken.....) - I wonder if that means he sold them to raise money,

with the proviso they be shown in the Aust. War Museum ? Mind you - he may have just donated them with that intention. Mervyn

[IrishGunner]

I believe this is one of only 3 US Distinguished Service Crosses awarded to foreigners in Vietnam (the other 2 being Vietnamese). Not to take away from the incredible nature of the bar and Payne's legacy, however, the US Silver Star in the bar may be in error. I believe the Silver Star was recommended for the action in which he won the VC, but that award was later upgraded to the DSC.

[bushchook]

That's interesting bushchook (chook is Aussie for a chicken.....) - I wonder if that means he sold them to raise money,

with the proviso they be shown in the Aust. War Museum ? Mind you - he may have just donated them with that intention. Mervyn

They were sold to the Maryborough Museum a good number of years ago.

I think he's only shown handing the medals to the AWM as a PR exercise.

[TacHel]

How on Earth can you wear such a set? As far as I know, all Commonwealth countries allow medals to be worn in a single row only... Would he pin one corner to his jacket and the other on his wife?

Edited August 11, 2014 by TacHel

[peter monahan]

Maybe he had a m,an who carried them behind, like the Drum Major of Napoleon's Guards, whose triple plume was so large that he had a drummer boy to carry his hat when he walked.

[Craig Cocks]

Hi TacHel,

 

I believe Keith has a leather belt under his suit jacket which the medal group is secured to, as the weight of the set would tear the jacket or at least pull it crooked.  That set of medals is for display only - not for wearing.  When Keith wears a set of medals the ribbons are much more overlapped, and the set is not as wide.  It is still a huge group, but not as bad as that.