Nazi piece of work... (Or, Operation Market Garden and Nazi medal and badge souvenirs)

Many people are fascinated, nay obsessed, with relics from the Third Reich. I am not one of them. So why I am I posting about a set of Nazi war medals and Badges? Well, Ill tell you. It would hardly be fair otherwise... First, as is traditional and only sensible, let's take a look:

Ok, fair enough, they do look pretty cool. What are they? Firstly, let's talk about what they are not. They are not about neo-nazism or the modern right or any of that nonsense. They are pieces of history. On the left is an Order of the Iron Class, 2nd class. It's probably the most instantly recognisable foreign historic medal ever issued. The date at the is 1939, but it was first issued in 1813 for service against Napoleon's French army. If you have one of those you can pretty much name your price. It was re-issued for the Franco-Prussian war in 1871, again for WW1 and a final time for WW2 when it was raised to the honour of an 'order' by hitler. The WW2 issues are the most common, they were issued out like biscuits towards the end of the war to try and boost morale. Biscuits may have been more useful... How do we know it's a 2nd class and not a 1st class? The ribbon. i.e. it has one; the 1st class awards had pins. To its right is a 25 year faithful service medal, similar to the British Long Service and Good Conduct, LSGC (or, Long Service and didn't Get Caught!). It is what is it, fairly unusual though. Right again and were back to the early Reich with a 1934 Bremen assembly march badge, quite a scarce little thing. That's Hitler's ugly mug, its fairly self explanatory. Right again, and rarer still, a Kreigsmarine (German Navy) officer's breast eagle. Ignore the coins... Yes, the labels are wrong, we've had a re-assessment and corrections have been made before you ask!

Question is, what are they doing in the museum, and what had Market Garden got to do with it?

Oddly enough, these items belonged to a British soldier. But they hadn't always... In 1944 1st army was advancing into Holland. It was part of the Ground element of the offensive (the 'Garden' bit). Within its ranks was 72 Regt RA, a Light Anti-Aircraft Artillery regiment. Troops from one its batteries, 262, would see heavy fighting at Son bridge. During the fight, a number of German POWs were taken, including men drafted in from the Kreigsmarine manning coastal defences. These items were swapped for cigarettes by the war-weary troops. And that is why they have a place here. This set of items is not about the Third Reich, or Market Garden, its about that moment in 1944 when two opposing soldiers made an exchange of items as two ordinary men. The items may be rare, but the story is priceless.