Upham daughters quiet on fate of war medals

Auctioneer assistant Anouska Phizacklea holds the Victoria Cross (left) and Military Cross. Picture / Reuters

The record price paid for a Victoria Cross at an Australian auction has come as no surprise to the daughter of double VC winner Charles Upham.

Amanda Upham said the record A$1.2 million ($1.44 million) paid for the Victoria Cross awarded to New Zealand-born Captain Alfred Shout, who fought with the Australians at Gallipoli, was inflated because it was the only VC awarded to an Australian not housed at the National War Memorial in Canberra. Kerry Stokes, the owner of the Sydney-based Seven Network, bought the medal and plans to have it on display at the war memorial.

The daughters of the late Captain Upham caused controversy in April when it was revealed they were considering selling his VC and bar. The news attracted an offer of $1.1 million from an English collector.

Ms Upham said the auction would not influence any decision by the daughters on the future of their father's medals and they would not comment for at least three months.

"The Upham family has decided not to talk medals at the moment.

"That gives us a rest for three months. We may ask for another three months at the end of that time."

She said the three-month period was arbitrary and nothing was planned at the end of that term.

The family, she said, was now focused on assisting in the production of a movie to bring the story of Charles Upham to the big screen.

The life of the country's most celebrated war hero could be ready for release in 2008 after the rights to his story were secured by Fat & Thin Productions.

The company secured the movie rights for the book, Mark of the Lion, from Roger Sandford, the son of author Kenneth Sandford, and entered a separate agreement with Upham's daughters. Ms Upham said the family had little involvement in the movie other than to ensure it was accurate.

Captain Upham died in 1994.

Last month, Amanda Upham and her twin sister Virginia Mackenzie attended a ceremony in London's Westminster Abbey to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Victoria Cross.

Captain Shout won the Victoria Cross posthumously for his part in a charge on Turkish forces at Lone Pine in 1915.

His elderly grandson decided to sell it to provide money for his family.