War hero’s family are reunited with medals
THE family of a Korean War hero from Loughborough are finally in possession of his medals - 65 years after he was killed in battle.
Last month, the Echo brought you the story of Private David Nix who was killed while on patrol in Majon-Ni, Kangwon-do, North Korea, on November 7, 1952, aged 22.
Another soldier had trodden on a mine and a piece of shrapnel hit David on the head, killing him instantly.
Volunteers from the Loughborough Carillon Tower and War Memorial Museum are currently on a mission to get David’s name put on the Carillon in Queen’s Park after the omission was discovered earlier this year.
Now, David’s niece Diane Ayres has spoken to the Echo about her memories of her uncle and how she is now the proud custodian of his treasured medals.
She said: “I did a lot of research once I got a computer and I remembered my mum (David’s sister) saying there was a photo of his grave.
“So I contacted the Commonwealth War Graves Commission who sent over the photo and it all led from there.
“I then decided to write to the office in Canberra to see if his medals had been claimed and they hadn’t so they sent them to us.”
David Nix was born on November 9, 1929, in Loughborough, the youngest child of John William Nix and his wife Mary Emma.
The Nix family lived at 12 Thomas Street and David had four brothers and six sisters.
Diane added: “I was only a child - I was six-years-old when he passed away - but I remember him playing with me and I also remember him cleaning his boots outside with a big grin on his face.
“He was quite a good artist. He used to go to art classes in the evenings and he would draw me cartoons like Mickey Mouse and things like that. “He was a great sportsman too. “He belonged to a boxing club and was a keen cyclist.
“I think he had a go at anything to be honest.
“David was the youngest of all the siblings and the family photo I have was taken at my mum’s wedding.
“She said ‘let’s have a photo all together because we might not all be together again’ - and they weren’t.
“That was the last photograph taken of them all together before he passed away.”
Charnwood Borough Council are currently investigating how David “can be commemorated and the process for achieving this”.
Diane said: “I really hope we can get his name on the Carillon.
“It would be a lovely way to remember him.”