The Scots Make Natural Heroes

War medals belonging to a Scottish sailor have sold for a record price at auction.
George MacKenzie Samson from Carnoustie in Angus was awarded medals including a Victoria Cross, for his bravery during World War One.

In 1915, during the Gallipoli landings, he helped (under fire) to rescue wounded men.

The medals were expected to go for £180,000 but were bought by Lord Ashcroft for £247,000. breaking the price record for a British sale.

Samson was shot about 19 times during the landing ,the leading the surgeon treating him didn't know whether he would pull through. However the doctor did know that whether he lived or died he had earned the VC.

The sailor died in 1923 after falling ill with double pneumonia during a voyage with the Merchant Navy, and was buried with full military honours on Bermuda. What a way for a hero to die.

Michael Naxton, who is the curator of Lord Ashcroft's Victoria Cross collection said:

"Lord Ashcroft is passionately interested in the Victoria Cross and the men who won it, and he regards the landings at Gallipoli in April 1915 has one of the most iconic events in modern British military history. "

"He has been determined for some years to try to gather as many of the Victoria Crosses that were won on that fateful day as he possibly can."

"He was really thrilled to hear the news that Samson's was coming up for sale."

"He is now able to put Samson's group of medals with five other Victoria Crosses all won on that same day."

Lord Ashcroft has plans to put his entire collection on public display in a custom built home, probably in London.
He hopes to have the museum open by 2010.

40 VC's were given for the Dardanelles Campaign or Gallipoli .

The Gallipoli landings were a fiasco, the Royal navy made a half hearted effort to shell Turkish forts and were even stingy about the amount of shells used, what started as just a naval campaign became an army one when the navy decided they didn't want to risk their ships on enemy mines.

Most of the supplies and ammo for the troops went to the bottom of the sea as they were under heavy fire from the Turks.

Also at that time the various branches of the British military used different weapons with different caliber rounds so if soldiers on the beach got some ammo they might not even be able to use it in their weapons as the wrong kind had been delivered.

Then there was British arrogance from the likes of Churchill and Kitchener that the Turks would run as soon as they saw a British Union Jack being waved.

Dysentery , extreme weather conditions and the solid defense from the Turks meant that nothing was gained.

100000 British, Australian and New Zealand troops had died before they decided to retreat.

To fool the Turks into thinking they were not leaving the Australian and New Zealand troops the anzacs would stay quiet for about an hour. Then the Turks would come out to see if they were still there and the troops would open fire on them.

They also came up with a system for self firing rifles that had water dripping into a pan with a string attached to the trigger.

The Turks got wind of a pull out and attacked but were driven back, the last British troops left in 1916.