Rare George Cross found at Yorkshire boot sale for £20 could fetch £2m at auction

The medal was awarded to Michael Paul Benner for sacrificing his life in an attempt to save his companion.

The Second Lieutenant had been in command of a party of men training in the mountains in Austria.

He had led six men across a 12,400 traverse to the summit of Grossglockner.

On their decent, the steps had become slippery and icy due to a storm.

When one of his men, Snapper Phillips, missed a foothold and started falling Benner didn't hesitate to try and grab hold of the him.

Sadly they both fell to their death down the steep face of the mountain.

Benner was given the highest award for his courage.

Benner's award was found at a boot sale in East Yorkshire in a box of militaria for £20.

It goes up for auction at Heckmondwike Auctions on April 1, 2025.

The vendor has put down a reserve of £60k to £80k but a previous George Cross sold for £2.1m, according to the auction house.