Staffordshire soldier's medal for bravery in WW1 trenches sells at auction

A military Medal won by a Midlands soldier for his bravery in the trenches at Ypres during the First World War has been sold at auction.

The lot included a card hailing Pte Nixon’s ‘gallant and meritorious conduct’ signed by his commanding officer in 1915.

Walter Nixon was born in 1894 in Baxterley, Warwickshire and later lived in Wilnecote near Tamworth.

Private Walter Nixon’s medals archive sold at £540.

He won his Military Medal for bravery in the trenches at Ypres on December 6 1915 and the ‘gallant and meritorious conduct’ was hailed by his commanding officer on a card signed on December 24 1915.

The card, bravery medal correctly named to R6454 Private W Nixon 7/KRRC, and his World War One 1914-1915 trio of medals sold for £540 with Richard Winterton Auctioneers.

Auctioneer Ben Winterton said: “We had lots of interest in this lot relating to a brave soldier who lived just a few miles away from the saleroom and the archive was eventually won by a bidder in the room.”

The lot also included Pte Nixon’s European War 1914-1918 Wilnecote tribute medal named to W Nixon, a Second World War 1939-1945 medal and a photograph.

Mr Nixon had three brothers who served in the First World War. It is unclear whether the photograph included in the lot features Mr Nixon or any of his brothers.

“The Wilnecote tribute medal was issued to residents of that area by the inhabitants of Wilnecote and Mr Nixon is recorded as living there on the 1921 census,” said military specialist Jeff Clark.

Elsewhere in the sale’s military section, a Crimea medal with two clasps for Inkermann and Alma, named to S Denning of the 50th Regiment, sold at £400.

The Wilnecote tribute medal was issued to residents of that area by its inhabitants. The 1921 census records Mr Nixon as living in Wilnecote.

“The 50th Regiment Of Foot was raised in 1787 and served in various campaigns until 1881 when it merged with the Duke of Cambridge’s own Middlesex Regiment,” added Mr Clark.

The auction also featured vintage toys, with two lots of 1980s Sindy dolls, clothing and accessories totalling £500 and a kit-built model of a Bugatti 50T selling at £240.