Gallery closure at IWM sparks clash over gallantry medals and the museum's shift toward broader war narratives

Officials at the Imperial War Museum in London announced on Tuesday that the Lord Ashcroft Gallery, which houses the world's largest collection of Victoria Crosses and a George Cross collection, will close at the end of September to make way for displays on more recent conflicts and other themes the museum says will appeal to a broader audience. The gallery opened in 2010 and has served as a centerpiece for the museum's portrayal of individual bravery, with the 'Extraordinary Heroes' exhibition chronicling the stories behind the medals.

About 200 Victoria Crosses, plus a smaller collection of George Crosses, are currently on display and will be moved behind the scenes as the IWM reallocates space for new exhibits drawn from its 33 million items. The museum says the shift is part of a broader aim to embed diversity into its displays, arguing that a wider set of war stories will connect with visitors who view conflicts through new lenses.

Lord Ashcroft, the collector who built the gallery and valued the collection at about £70 million, has described the decision as deeply disappointing. He says he offered to loan the medals to the IWM but that the museum insisted the owner pay for the gallery space. In interviews and statement materials, he described the closure of 'the gallery bearing my name' as plain wrong and suggested the new direction reflects a move toward diversity rather than gallantry.

Critics have accused the IWM of downplaying courage, while supporters say the museum should broaden its narrative to reflect broader experiences of conflict. The site has also raised questions about governance after the appointment of three additional trustees by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer earlier this year. Dame Janet Beer, among the new trustees, was selected for services to higher education and equality and diversity. The four-year terms run through 2029, and none of the new trustees has a military background.

Two of the stories widely cited in connection with the Ashcroft collection illustrate the medal's history. Sergeant Norman Jackson earned the Victoria Cross during a 1944 bombing raid over Germany after his Lancaster was hit and a fire broke out on the wing; despite being wounded and nearly losing his life, he crawled back to safety, guided others, and later endured ten months as a prisoner of war. Captain Noel Chavasse, VC and Bar, was a regimental medical officer on the Western Front who attended to wounded under fire, saved about 20 men, and died of his wounds in 1917. The gallery's displays have drawn tens of thousands of visitors since its opening.

As the IWM reconfigures its spaces, Ashcroft says he will seek a suitable alternative venue for his Victoria Cross and George Cross collection. He maintains the medals belong in public view and that he remains open to sharing their stories elsewhere. The IWM, for its part, emphasizes that its broader program will continue to tell a wide range of wartime experiences, including newer conflicts and the role of diversity in modern memory. The move has prompted debate about how museums balance reverence for individual acts of gallantry with a contemporary mandate to tell broader, more inclusive narratives, a debate that will continue in the days ahead.