CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY CROSS OFFERED

An Afghan veteran and former Royal Marine is set to sell a medal he earned for bravery in London later this month in a bid to help fund a retreat for soldiers in the Scottish Highlands.

The Conspicuous Gallantry Cross (CGC) was presented to Brad ‘Bugsy' Malone when he was part of the elite 45 Commando Royal Marines. Only 60 soldiers have ever received the rare honour.

Bugsy earned the medal for his fighting prowess and gallantry shown during three separate incidents in Helmand Province in 2008. The first, when his troop was ambushed by insurgents, he ordered his comrades to bayonet-charge the enemy who fled in terror.

On a second occasion, he scrambled from the cover of a ditch and dodged a hail of Taliban bullets as he ran to help his Sergeant, who had been isolated from his troop whilst firing mortars on the enemy. Fighting together, the pair managed to hold off the insurgents and reach safety.

In the third act of bravery, on December 31, 2008, Malone fired more than 900 rounds from his machine gun as he kept the enemy at bay for an hour, whilst casualties from an explosion which killed his section commander were evacuated.

It is estimated the medal will fetch between £100,000 and £140,000 at auction in London later this month.

When he was invested with the C.G.C at Buckingham Palace in 2009, Malone chose the auspicious day to successfully propose to his girlfriend.

The 37-year-old left the Royal Marines after 16 years in 2018 and now wants to build a retreat in the Scottish Highlands for like-minded soldiers to use and experience a new way of life.

To read the complete article, see:
Veteran selling gallantry medal at London auction to fund soldiers' retreat in Highlands (https://www.mylondon.news/news/uk-world-news/veteran-selling-gallantry-medal-london-27256025)

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