AN EXCEPTIONAL GREAT WAR VICTORIA CROSS THAT WAS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED TO “THE PIRATE OF BASRA” TO BE OFFERED AT NOONANS

An exceptional posthumous Victoria Cross from the Great War that was presented to 44-year-old Lieutenant-Commander Charles Henry Cowley of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, who was known as the “Pirate of Basra” will be offered by Noonans Mayfair on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at 2pm. It is estimated to fetch £180,000-220,000.

Nimrod Dix, Deputy Chairman of Noonans and Director of the Medal Department commented: “Cowley, had been born in Baghdad, and served on steamships up and down the Tigris and Euphrates rivers pre-hostilities, like his Irish-born father who did a similar job. Cowley Jnr mastered Arabic and made many local friends, so was ideally suited to serve as a river-pilot, interpreter, and intelligence agent for the British. Therefore, it was a small wonder then that his Turkish captors murdered him after he was taken prisoner in a suicidal attempt to reinforce the Kut garrison in the Julnar, that had been carrying 270 tons of supplies, in April 1916.”

He continued: “18 months before he was murdered, Cowley was in command of the Mejidieh, and ordered from Basra to Baghdad to evacuate all British nationals who wished to leave. His command having then been formally requisitioned by the Royal Navy, he went on to play a critical role in carrying troops back and forth on the Euphrates and Tigris. His work came to the attention of the Turks, who sentenced him to death in absentia at a military court hearing held in Baghdad - and even sent him a message declaring him to be a ‘pirate’. Such accusations appealed to Cowley’s sense of humour and, far from being perturbed, he took to flying the ‘skull and cross-bones’ flag whenever he returned to Basra.”

The medal is from the second part of the Collection of Naval Medals amassed by the Late Jason Pilalas.