A HEROIC soldier who became the most junior serviceman ever to win the Military Cross is to put his medal up for sale.

Liam Armstrong, a Royal Marine serving with Arbroath-based 45 Commando, made history more than three years ago when he was presented with the Military Cross, one of Britain’s highest awards for gallantry, aged just 23.

The commando was decorated by the Queen in July 2003, at an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace for his outstanding bravery. He had captured nine terrorists and a cache of mortar bombs, rockets and bullets in a raid on a suspected al-Qaeda stronghold in Afghanistan. The young Marine broke into the terrorist compound, near the Pakistan border, and took the men prisoner without firing a single shot.

But it was revealed yesterday that Mr Armstrong, now working as a tracklayer for a railway company, has decided to put his award for bravery up for sale to help guarantee a financial future for his long-term partner, Charlene, and two-year-old daughter, Lydia.

His Military Cross, expected to fetch up to £30,000, is one of a number of medals which are going under the hammer at a sale of militaria in London on 15 December.

Posted: 12|5|06 at 8:00 am. Filed under: Auction News.