What were Fighter Ace Lord Flashheart's 7 Medals?

The legendary Lord Flashheart was a fictional character and WW1 fighter ace from the hit series Blackadder Goes Forth.

In this video, in a lighthearted fashion, we uncover the military medals awarded to Lord Flashheart who we can imagine flying over the trenches alongside other great fighter pilots such as Albert Ball and Edward Mannock dueling with the Red Baron.

We discover that not only was he awarded for gallentry with medals including the Military Cross and Distinguished Service Order but he also campaigned in the Anglo-Somali War and fought on the Northwest Frontier of India.

[nusbacher]

The blood… the noise… the endless poetry.

[GARDENER]

Well done to whoever sorted out the uniforms for Flasheart, ensuring the medal ribbons were correct for the period.

[ClosedGame]

It seems likely that they did not put a VC on on Flasheart for two reasons.

First, there is the very real and very understandable reverence surrounding that particular distinction. While Brits, bless them, are capable of taking the piss on just about anything, there IS a special aura to the VC, which means making it a part of a joke may be seen as unsavoury by some.

Secondly, and more likely, if Flasheart had received a VC, he would've almost certainly introduced himself AS "Lord Flasheart, VC", and since not everyone outside the United Kingdom would know what that meant, it may simply have been avoided so as to not confuse viewers. Lord Flasheart, for all his undoubtedly SPLENDID qualities, is not a complicated man, after all.

Lovely idea for an episode, though.

Blackadder Goes Forth is still, in my absolutely personal opinion, the funniest comedy England has ever produced, and the most poignant, gutwrenchingly beautiful tribute to those who died in that awful war ever shown on TV.

The last three minutes of the series has never ... and probably will never ... be surpassed.

[lib]

Impressive accuracy. Makes me love the show even more.

[yetanotherbloke]

What a tremendous asset to His Majesty's forces! Such a dashing cavalryman in Africa, India and probably in the BEF as well! Enlists in the Royal Flying Corps and distinguishes himself yet again! And preserved the honour and dignity of the Queen's lady-in-waiting too no doubt! Never a finer example of dashing manhood did ever roam the battlefields or banquet halls! Woof!

[TeamBonkersConkers]

Thank you for this.
I wish Rik could have seen it.

[TomFynn]

So from the African Service Medal we can deduce that Flashheart knew they don't like it up 'em.

[IntrospectorGeneral]

It will always be a mystery that this heroic man failed to get the Military Very Cross. "Am I pleased to see you or did I just put a canoe in my pocket? Down, boy, down."

[navelriver]

I consider the Military Cross one of the most attractive medals.

[docdeth]

Period correct medals in a comedy show, even if it of the level of this masterpiece, impresses me. In the US, most costume designers and writers as well as pretty much any person on the crew would just make the fruit salad look good regardless of whether the awards are period correct, placed correctly or even a real medal. Thus we get officers with NCO awards, foreign awards from a country that is a belligerent (Imagine Patton with a 3rd class Knight's Cross of The Iron Cross with oak leaves swords and diamonds above his Viet Nam service ribbon)
I love this level of detail, and send them a hearty "WOOF!" even if they don't read this.

[davidhorsley]

Re the medals awarded to the Blackadder officers, another notable fact is the Captain Darling had actually won the Military Cross!

[mjspice]

All of the officers in this series with the exception of Lt George were actually regular career officers.

Lt George and Private Baldrick were volunteers who joined up during the war as part of the pals units.

[joewalker]

As someone who started to collect medals when I was given my Grandfathers Great War medals at 14yo, including his MM as a stretcher bearer, I stoped when girls got in the way not long after and regreted it ever since. I find these tv and film investagations of the characters ribbons facinating as that is exactly what I look for and try to figure out my self. Keep up the good work.

[shanelyon]

Flash lives on! Thank you for the fascinating history lesson.

[SeattleJeffin]

Productions with far greater budgets and supposedly more historical in nature than "Black Adder goes forth" did a much sloppier job. Well done indeed BBC costume department.

[bikkiikun]

The accuracy is not surprising. Looking at the cast of Blackadder we can expect nothing less than outstanding attention to detail by the producers / props department.
And the awars themselves are very fitting for this colourful character who "gets around" in more ways than just location.

[gsigs]

I was a volunteer curator at a small American WWII museum. One of my jobs was cataloging the mess of ribbons and medals in storage. So rather against my will I became pretty expert on US ribbons, and always pause a show to check the ribbons on any uniforms I might see. I also have an abiding interest in British military history, so this video is right in my wheelhouse, as it were. I also love Blackadder Goes Forth! Anyway, I have this to offer. Is not the ribbon for the Order of the Bath wider than the VC? That would be a way to tell them apart. Also, could not the Africa General Service been awarded for the Senussi Campaign? I doubt there was a clasp but I believe the medal could be awarded without one. Or maybe Flash was at Umboto Gorge? Viciously sharp slices of mango, you know.

[dlxmarks]

One of the rare times the wardrobe people went for full authenticity. Well done.
If you are open to examining another TV comedy character, how about Colonel Blair Toast from _The Toast of London_ who, in addition to wearing mess dress at all times and a chivalric breast star that switches between obsolete versions of the Order of the Thistle and of the Bath, also has a varying pair of medals, some of which don't appear to be British.

[ikarus_incarnate]

Really enjoyed this, and others in your channel! I am quite certain the late great Rik Mayall would be sniggering and some of your one liners... Get in! Snort! Well done 👏🏻 and thanks 😂

[politenessman]

I think you are right that Flash didn't have the VC, whilst it is not a formal requirement that VC bearers be saluted by their superiors, it is traditional, and at no stage in the series does anyone senior to him (or of the same rank) salute him.