155 A 1924 Olympic Games diploma for Victor Lay a British participant in the light-heavyweight freestyle wrestling competition, designed by Bernard Naudin in hues of brown & grey with central winged Goddess of Victory, bearing the signatures of the IOC President Pierre de Coubertin, and the French Olympic Committee President, mounted, framed & glazed, overall 79 by 63.5cm., 31 by 25in.; sold together with an official 6 by 8in. photograph of the 1924 British Olympic wrestling team featuring Victor Lay and the freestyle heavyweight bronze medallist Andrew McDonald, printed title and legend, in original frame, overall 30.5 by 37.5cm., 12 by 14 3/4in. (2)
154 A 1924 Paris Olympic Games diploma awarded to the British boxing judge Harry Fowler, designed by Bernard Naudin with Winged Victory holding laurel, colour lithograph, signed by Graf Justinien de Lary and Pierre de Coubertin, Presidents of the Organising Committee and the IOC,65 by 49.5cm., 25 1/2 by 19 1/2in. £650 - 850
A total of 10,700 diplomas were produced and circulated to each Olympic Committee for presentation to their respective participants & officials.
Victor Claude Lay was born at Eye, Suffolk, 26th August 1897. He was ranked tied for 11th place at the 1924 Olympic Games. He was the British amateur heavyweight champion between 1923 and 1927, and had also won the British Olympic Trials in 1924.
During the First World War in 1915 Victor Lay was involved with the Gallipoli landings. He and a another soldier were carrying an ammunition case ashore when his assistant was shot. The weight of the case then pulled Lay under water, probably saving his life. Later, when shaving and the sun caught on his mirror alerting an enemy marksman of his whereabouts, and Victor Lay was wounded by a ricocheting bullet. He is also known to have taken part in nigh time operations laying tracks across the desert for troops to pass over the following day.
Professionally, Victor Lay was a policeman for many years, and latterly worked with the Courts. He was awarded the King George VI Medal for Exemplary Police Service.
Victor Lay died at Barnet, Hertfordshire, 1st March 1979. £400 - 600
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