The Frank Jefferson VC Cup
Ulverston Victoria High School First presented to Victoria Secondary Modern School in 1948 by Frank a former pupil at the school See photos of the event below |
In 1948 a group of Lancashire Fusilier Officers
and Francis ( Frank )Jefferson VC went to Jefferson's old school in
Ulverston Cumbria and presented a silver cup suitably engraved with
his details,etc.
I contacted the school , now known as the UVHS and discovered that although the cup was still presented annually, it was badly in need of refurbishment. A fund raising appeal was launched and due to the generosity of the LF web site supporters and members of the extended Jefferson family, the target was quickly reached. The cup was refurbished and on the 11th of March 2009, Joe Eastwood, Dennis Laverick and Geoff Pycroft , together with a large number of the Jefferson family attended the presentation of The Jefferson VC trophy to this years winner, a fine young man named Simon Collins. An Aunt of Frank Jefferson who used to baby sit him recalled how one day she tipped him out of his pram by accident into the local canal, so we almost did not have our only WW2 VC winner ! As a bonus to the special day,the school had been given a pic of the very first presentation in 1948, (see pic 5A below) which clearly showed that the cup once had a lid. The school initiated a search in the archives and found it ! On photos row number 7 Freda Eldon, one of the 1948 winners is helping a senior member of the Jefferson Family to present the trophy. Photo number 5A is of the original 1948 photo, Freda is the girl on the right. Alastair Greenway, one of the masters, has expressed an interest in continuing the link between the LF web site and the school, which can only be good for the Regiment. Joe Eastwood. Omnia Audax XXth. |