by Woodbloke » 12 May 2021, 12:01
Some years ago I went to a military 'doo' at Larkhill Camp and apart from the active demos (howitzers firing across Salisbury Plain, short take off and landing by a Hercules, tanks rumbling around shooting off live rounds etc; the usual stuff), there was also a static display.
On one forlorn looking table there were a couple of very bored looking chaps from DES Donnington, Telford who were doing very little 'business' as all the squadies and assembled 'brass' were far more interested in the displays of weaponry on show. On their stand was a rather obscure looking lump of dull metal, a couple of handouts of info and a display case, securely bolted that contained a blank VC.
I was a little intrigued and strolled over to have a natter with them. It transpires that the rather dull and obscure lump of metal was the only remaining cascobel captured from a Russian gun during the Crimean War and from it ALL the VC's are cast by a jeweller in London (with some difficulty, as the metal is full of imperfections). The VC's in stock (around 20) are kept in a secure vault at DES Donnington and have, believe or not, relatively little value.
However, once a medal is won and the recipients details are engraved on it, the value increases exponentially.
I asked the chaps what would happen when the cascobel was all used and they just grinned. I then asked if I could pick it up for SWIMBO to take a pic to which they replied....'yeah mate, no problem; just don't drop the bloody thing'
Somewhere upstairs, buried in a box file, I still have the pic - Rob
I no longer work for Axminster Tools & Machinery.