Portsmouth, April 2005
In April 2005, three months before he died, Alf made a last research trip — to the Royal Marines Museum at Eastney Barracks, Portsmouth, with his grandsons Rhys and Jack, Rhys's ex-partner Samantha and his great-grandson Charlie. He photographed the museum's Victoria Cross gallery: the portrait and the medal group of every Royal Marine holder of the Cross, each with its typed museum label.
These photographs were lost from the website archive and survived only as captions until the original files were recovered by the family in November 2026. They are reproduced here for the first time since Alf's death. Photographs © the Askin family.
The visit
Alf arriving at the Royal Marines Museum, Eastney, on a grey April morning — one of the last photographs of him 
The Yomper — the Falklands memorial statue outside the museum, flags flying in the sea mist 
The parade ground of the old Eastney Barracks from the museum balcony 
Relics of HMS Vindictive from the Zeebrugge raid of St George's Day 1918 
The HMS Vindictive nameboard, a Lewis gun and shell cases 
Alf's grandson Jack exploring the galleries 
Rhys with his son Charlie in the barracks gateway
The Royal Marines' Victoria Crosses
Each holder is linked to his page in Alf's register, where the same photographs appear alongside his entry.
Corporal Thomas Peck Hunter VC, 43 (Royal Marine) Commando — Royal Marines Museum, Eastney
Thomas Peck Hunter VC — Corporal, 43rd Royal Marine Commando · 1945
Corporal Thomas Peck Hunter VC — portrait in the Royal Marines Museum, Eastney 
The medals of Thomas Peck Hunter displayed at the Royal Marines Museum
The medal group
The museum's label reads: Victoria Cross; 1939–45 Star; Italy Star; Defence Medal; 1939–45 War Medal.
Images and text reproduced by courtesy of the Askin family — photographs taken by Alf Askin and family at the Royal Marines Museum, Eastney, Portsmouth, April 2005. Added 2026.
Sergeant Norman Finch VC, Royal Marine Artillery — Royal Marines Museum, Eastney
Norman Augustus Finch VC — Sergeant (later Lieutenant and Quartermaster.), Royal Marine Artillery · 1918
Sergeant Norman Finch VC — portrait in the Royal Marines Museum, Eastney 
The medals of Norman Finch displayed at the Royal Marines Museum
The medal group
The museum's label reads: Victoria Cross (awarded by ballot under clause 13 of the VC statutes, Zeebrugge 1918); 1914–15 Star; 1914–20 War Medal; Victory Medal with Mention in Despatches; Defence Medal; 1939–45 War Medal; Royal Victorian Medal; KG V Silver Jubilee Medal 1935; KG VI Coronation Medal 1937; QE II Coronation Medal 1953; LS & GC Medal; Meritorious Service Medal.
Images and text reproduced by courtesy of the Askin family — photographs taken by Alf Askin and family at the Royal Marines Museum, Eastney, Portsmouth, April 2005. Added 2026.
Captain Edward Bamford VC DSO, Royal Marine Light Infantry — Royal Marines Museum, Eastney
Edward Bamford VC — Captain, Royal Marine Light Infantry · 1918
Captain Edward Bamford VC DSO — portrait in the Royal Marines Museum, Eastney 
The medals of Edward Bamford displayed at the Royal Marines Museum
The medal group
The museum's label reads: Victoria Cross (awarded by ballot, Zeebrugge 1918); Distinguished Service Order (Battle of Jutland, HMS Chester, 31 May 1916); 1914–15 Star; 1914–20 War Medal; Victory Medal; Officer of the French Legion d'Honneur; Russian Order of St Anne with Swords, third class; Japanese Order of the Rising Sun.
Images and text reproduced by courtesy of the Askin family — photographs taken by Alf Askin and family at the Royal Marines Museum, Eastney, Portsmouth, April 2005. Added 2026.
Brigadier-General Frederick Lumsden VC CB DSO***, Royal Marine Artillery — Royal Marines Museum, Eastney
Frederick William Lumsden VC — Major, Royal Marine Artillery · 1917
Brigadier-General Frederick Lumsden VC CB DSO*** — portrait in the Royal Marines Museum, Eastney 
The medals of Frederick Lumsden displayed at the Royal Marines Museum
The medal group
The museum's label reads: Victoria Cross; Companion of the Order of the Bath (as Lt Col commanding 14th Brigade, 32nd Division, June 1918); Distinguished Service Order with three bars (1 Jan 1917, 11 May 1917 (two bars), 22 April 1918); 1914 Star; 1914–20 War Medal; Victory Medal with Mention in Despatches; Belgian Croix de Guerre.
Images and text reproduced by courtesy of the Askin family — photographs taken by Alf Askin and family at the Royal Marines Museum, Eastney, Portsmouth, April 2005. Added 2026.
Major Francis Harvey VC, Royal Marine Light Infantry (HMS Lion, Jutland) — Royal Marines Museum, Eastney
Francis John William Harvey VC — Major, Royal Marine Light Infantry · 1916
Major Francis Harvey VC — portrait in the Royal Marines Museum, Eastney 
The medals of Francis Harvey displayed at the Royal Marines Museum
The medal group
The museum's label reads: Victoria Cross; 1914–15 Star; 1914–20 War Medal; Victory Medal with Mention in Despatches.
Images and text reproduced by courtesy of the Askin family — photographs taken by Alf Askin and family at the Royal Marines Museum, Eastney, Portsmouth, April 2005. Added 2026.
Lance Corporal Walter Parker VC, Royal Marine Light Infantry (Gallipoli) — Royal Marines Museum, Eastney
Walter Richard Parker VC — Lance Corporal, Royal Marine Light Infantry · 1915
Lance Corporal Walter Parker VC — portrait in the Royal Marines Museum, Eastney 
The medals of Corporal Walter Parker displayed at the Royal Marines Museum
The medal group
The museum's label reads: Victoria Cross (for 28 April 1915; not gazetted until 22 June 1917 because of the difficulty of corresponding with eye-witnesses); 1914–15 Star; 1914–20 War Medal; Victory Medal.
Images and text reproduced by courtesy of the Askin family — photographs taken by Alf Askin and family at the Royal Marines Museum, Eastney, Portsmouth, April 2005. Added 2026.
Captain (later General Sir) Lewis Halliday VC KCB, Royal Marine Light Infantry (Peking 1900) — Royal Marines Museum, Eastney
Lewis Stratford Tollemache Halliday VC — Captain, Royal Marine Light Infantry · 1900
Captain (later General Sir) Lewis Halliday VC KCB — portrait in the Royal Marines Museum, Eastney 
The medals of (later General Sir) Lewis Halliday displayed at the Royal Marines Museum
The medal group
The museum's label reads: Victoria Cross; Neck Badge and Star of a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (1930); China Medal 1900 with bar Defence of Legations; 1914–15 Star; 1914–20 War Medal; Victory Medal; Silver Jubilee Medal 1935; Coronation Medals 1937 and 1953.
Images and text reproduced by courtesy of the Askin family — photographs taken by Alf Askin and family at the Royal Marines Museum, Eastney, Portsmouth, April 2005. Added 2026.
Lieutenant George Dare Dowell VC, Royal Marine Artillery (Baltic 1855) — Royal Marines Museum, Eastney
George Dare Dowell VC — Lieutenant (later Lieutenant Colonel), Royal Marine Artillery · 1855
Lieutenant George Dare Dowell VC — portrait in the Royal Marines Museum, Eastney 
The medals of George Dare Dowell displayed at the Royal Marines Museum
The medal group
The museum's label reads: Victoria Cross; Baltic Medal 1854–55.
Images and text reproduced by courtesy of the Askin family — photographs taken by Alf Askin and family at the Royal Marines Museum, Eastney, Portsmouth, April 2005. Added 2026.
Corporal John Prettyjohns VC, Royal Marine Light Infantry (Inkerman 1854) — Royal Marines Museum, Eastney
John Prettyjohn VC — Corporal, Royal Marine Light Infantry · 1854
Corporal John Prettyjohns VC — portrait in the Royal Marines Museum, Eastney 
The medals of John Prettyjohns displayed at the Royal Marines Museum
The medal group
The museum's label reads: Victoria Cross; Crimea Medal with bars Inkermann, Balaklava and Sebastopol; Chevalier of the Legion d'Honneur (France); Turkish Crimea Medal.
Images and text reproduced by courtesy of the Askin family — photographs taken by Alf Askin and family at the Royal Marines Museum, Eastney, Portsmouth, April 2005. Added 2026.
Bombardier Thomas Wilkinson VC, Royal Marine Artillery (Sebastopol 1855) — Royal Marines Museum, Eastney
Thomas Wilkinson VC — Bombardier, Royal Marine Artillery · 1855
Bombardier Thomas Wilkinson VC — portrait in the Royal Marines Museum, Eastney 
The medals of Thomas Wilkinson displayed at the Royal Marines Museum
The medal group
The museum's label reads: Victoria Cross; LS & GC Medal (awarded as a Corporal for gallantry in the Crimea, under the warrant of 4 December 1854); Crimea Medal with bars Balaklava, Inkermann and Sebastopol; China Medal 1857–60 with bar Canton 1857; LS & GC Medal (as Colour Sergeant, 21 years); Sardinian Medal for Valour for the Crimea; Turkish Crimea Medal — the only group with two LS & GC medals.
Images and text reproduced by courtesy of the Askin family — photographs taken by Alf Askin and family at the Royal Marines Museum, Eastney, Portsmouth, April 2005. Added 2026.
Lance Corporal Henry Eric Harden VC, RAMC attached 45 (Royal Marine) Commando — Royal Marines Museum, Eastney
Henry Eric Harden VC — Lance-Corporal, Royal Army Medical Corps and attached to 45 Royal Marine Commando · 1945
The Marine Bren Gunner statuette and replica Victoria Cross donated by the 45 RM Commando (1943/5 Veterans) Association, with the museum's account of Eric Harden's action
About this display
Eric Harden, a medical orderly of the Royal Army Medical Corps attached to A Troop, 45 Royal Marine Commando, was awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously for going out under heavy fire near Brachterbeek, Holland, on 23 January 1945 to bring in wounded Marines. He was killed by a shot to the head while carrying the third man back.
Images and text reproduced by courtesy of the Askin family — photographs taken by Alf Askin and family at the Royal Marines Museum, Eastney, Portsmouth, April 2005. Added 2026.
The Royal Marines Museum closed at Eastney in 2017; its collections are moving to the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. See Places to visit.