Medals of Lieutenant Colonel who joined in Christmas Day truce sell for £15,000 at auction

Lieutenant Colonel Frank Naden wears his 5 bravery medals

He took half in a soccer sport in the course of the Christmas Day Truce after which fought courageously all through the remainder of the First World Conflict.

Lieutenant Colonel Frank Naden gained the Distinguished Service Order thrice and the Navy Cross twice.

Now the medals he was awarded for his bravery have offered for greater than £15,000.

Lt Col Naden was one of many first troopers to depart the trenches on Christmas Day 1914 to mingle with their German counterparts in No Man's Land on the Western Entrance and alternate meals and cigarettes.

In a letter he wrote residence, the then sergeant mentioned that males from each side spoke about how they wished the conflict can be over quickly.

His account, which is within the Imperial Conflict Museum, reads: 'The Scotsmen began the bagpipes and we had a uncommon outdated jollification, which concerned soccer, wherein the Germans took half. The Germans expressed themselves as being uninterested in the conflict and wished it was over.

'Subsequent day we obtained an order that each one communication and socialising with the enemy should stop, however we didn't hearth in any respect that day, and the Germans didn't hearth at us.'

Lieutenant Colonel Frank Naden (proper of group of officers) was one of many first to enter No Man's Land on Christmas Day 1914 to alternate cigarettes with the German troopers

Portraits of conflict hero Lt Col Naden, who rose via the ranks in the direction of the tip of the First World Conflict

Lt Col Naden then rose via the ranks, turning into a battalion commander, however he didn't begin profitable his gallantry medals till later within the conflict when he was preventing in Belgium.

His medals have been offered by his household and have been snapped up by a non-public collector at an public sale run by Spink and Son in London. They offered for a hammer worth of £15,500 however with charges added on the overall worth paid was £18,600.

When the DSO or MC is awarded greater than as soon as that is marked by a bar on the medal relatively than one other medal being handed over. As a part of the public sale lot, the collector additionally purchased different service medals he was awarded.

His medals have been put up for public sale by his household. Left to proper above: Distinguished Service Order, Navy Cross, East and West Africa Medal, Ashanti Star 1896, Queen's South Africa 1899-1902, 1914 Star, British Conflict and Victory Medals, France Legion of Honour, Belgium Order of Leopold, Belgium Croix de Guerre, Effectivity Ornament

Lt Col Naden remained within the Military after the conflict however was badly injured in a automotive crash in 1925. He later offered fruit and was president of the Stockport Previous Comrades Affiliation, dying aged 79 in 1954. 

Marcus Budgen, of Spink and Son, mentioned: 'He was a really courageous man who led from the entrance. He discovered himself in some very sticky conditions. To be awarded 5 gallantry medals may be very uncommon.'

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