Winner gives museum lots to be thankful for

Nov 16 2009 by Tony Henderson, The Journal

A MUSEUM bidding for North East medals pulled out of an auction when the competition became too hot.

But now their “rival” – 80-year-old John Close who bid almost £2,000 for the medals – has donated them to the Durham Light Infantry Museum.

Mr Close, who lives in Aycliffe village in County Durham, noticed that the medals won by DLI Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel Cohen were up auction at Leyburn in North Yorkshire.

He did not want the medals to leave the North East and decided to bid by telephone.

Also keen to retain the medals, the Friends of the Durham Light Infantry Museum also bid but quickly got the impression the telephone bidder was determined and withdrew.

John Heron, secretary of the Friends of the DLI, knew Lt Col Cohen personally and was delighted when, a few days after the sale, Mr Close donated the medals to the Durham County Council run museum.

Mr Heron, a retired lieutenant colonel himself, said: “It is an astonishingly generous donation from a man who is not related to Lt Col Cohen.

“He is a concerned member of the community who thought part of its commemorative history would be lost.”

Mr Close said: “I saw the medals were up for sale and I thought it was such a shame. I have never bid for goods in my life and Leyburn was too far away for me to attend. I had seen people bid over the telephone on the television so I registered. I didn’t know I was making a bid against the museum but when I found out I thought that was a good home for the medals.”

Lt Col Cohen was born in Stockton in 1908 and was commissioned into the 5th Battalion The Durham Light Infantry Territorial Army. He was called up at the outbreak of the Second World War.