Victoria Crosses worth up to £600k go missing from museum in Essex
Two Victoria Crosses which are thought to be worth up to £300,000 each have gone missing from a museum in Essex.
Chelmsford City Museum said it identified the losses while conducting a "routine inspection of items" in September 2023.
It said it had reported the loss to Essex Police and remains in contact over the status of the missing items.
The Victoria Cross (VC) is Britain's highest military decoration, awarded specifically for valour in the presence of the enemy.
The missing VCs were awarded to Sergeant William McWheeney and Lieutenant Francis Parsons in 1857 and 1900 respectively.
More recently, they formed part of the Essex Regiment Museum collection, which is housed at Chelmsford City Museum.
The museum said in a statement published on its website that on noticing the loss of the medals in September 2023, it "immediately informed Essex Police" while also initiating a search for the items.
However, the museum only made information about the loss public at the end of February, five months after realising they had gone missing.
It said it was doing so having completed a "fingertip search" of the collection store.
Sgt McWheeney won his Victoria Cross for multiple actions during the Siege of Sevastopol during the Crimean War in 1854 and 1885.
He had saved the lives of his injured comrades, in some instances while under enemy fire, and also protected others by digging a small cover with just his bayonet.
Sgt McWheeney was awarded his VC by Queen Victoria herself at a special investiture in Hyde Park, during which several honours were handed out to service personnel who had returned to England from war.
Lt Parsons, who was awarded his Victoria Cross posthumously in November 1900, was credited for his "conspicuous bravery during the engagement at Paardeberg" during the Second Boer War.
His citation reveals that Lt Parsons provided medical support to an injured private while under heavy fire on the bank of a river.
Less than a month later, on 10 March 1900, the 24-year-old officer was killed while fighting at Driefontein in South Africa. He also received a Mention in Dispatches.
Both men served in the 44th (East Essex) Regiment, which today traces a direct link to the 1st Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment, nicknamed The Vikings.
The museum said the loss may have happened between 2012 and September 2023, which is when it noticed the Victoria Crosses were missing, and that there are currently no other unlocated objects in the Essex Regiment collection.
Marc De'ath, Chelmsford City Culture Services Manager, said: "We are determined to do everything in our power to recover the crosses.
"Our curatorial staff have been working hard to search for them and this work will continue for as long as it takes.
"Although there will inevitably be some speculation about this news, I would urge people not to jump to conclusions.
"At this stage, we are keeping an open mind about what has happened. There is currently no evidence to suggest that these medals have been stolen and staff at the museum are not under suspicion.
"Work to improve management of the museum's collections is a key priority. It is slow, painstaking work that we want to make sure we do properly, and this will take some time for our small team to complete. We would urge anyone with information that may be relevant to get in touch with the police."
An Essex Police spokesperson told BBC News that it was working to "determine whether a theft had occurred".
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