The medals, owned by the daughter of war hero Violette Szabó, will now go on display at the Lord Ashcroft Gallery of the Imperial War Museum in London after they were bought at auction by UK businessman and politician Lord Ashcroft for £260,000.
Violette’s daughter Tania, who ran a language school in St Helier before moving to the UK, said that she was pleased that the medals would stay in Britain.
‘It is fantastic that they will go on display in the Imperial War Museum, where people will be able to see them and be reminded of my mother’s bravery,’ she said. ‘This is the result that I was hoping for.’
The medals, which were estimated to fetch between £250,000 and £300,000, were awarded to Lieutenant Szabó for her role during the Second World War as a special operations executive. She was one of only four women to be awarded the George Cross, which according to auctioneers made up a significant part of the sale value.
David Erskine-Hill, medal specialist at auctioneers Dix Noonan Webb, said: ‘We are delighted for Ms Szabó. This is a fully justified world-record price for a George Cross which fully reflects the story and legacy of Violette Szabó.’
In total, inclusive of auctioneer fees, Lord Ashcroft will pay £312,000 for the collection made up of the George Cross, three Second World War campaign medals and La Croix de Guerre.
Lord Ashcroft said: ‘I am thrilled to have acquired
such an iconic medal group, awarded to a remarkable woman.’
