A former Royal Marines commando from the North East is to sell his gallantry medal to launch his bid to create a retreat which will use the power of nature to help armed forces veterans.
Brad Malone, whose nickname was Bugsy, was born and bred in Seaton Delaval in Northumberland. He was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross – the second highest British military honour - for his bravery during a tour of duty in Afghanistan.
Now the medal, which was introduced in 1993 as part of a drive to remove distinctions of rank in bravery awards, will be sold on July 26 by London auctioneers Noonans, with an estimate of £100,000-£140,000. Brad, 37, who left the Royal Marines in 2018 after 16 years, hopes the sale will be the first step towards his aim of buying land near his current home close to Loch Lomond in Scotland, where he wants to set up an eco-retreat called Sacred Laoch, which would benefit service personnel and other groups.
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The site would combine permaculture – the system of companion planting of vegetables and flowers – some farming activities and wilding areas. Participants could either join in working on the site or simply unwind in green surroundings.
“It is vital that those who have experienced trauma can feel a connection to nature. I have been on a healing journey myself, “ said Brad, who helps at community gardens in the Loch Lomond area. “Sacred Laoch will be based on the idea of community healing – a project embedded in nature. I have thought about selling my medal for the last two years, and I hope it kicks things off.”
Brad joined the marines at the age of 16 and served in Iraq and with Zulu Company, 45 Commando Royal Marines in Helmand Province in Afghanistan, where his medal was awarded for his “fighting prowess and gallantry”. His company operated out of the British-manned Forward Operating Base Gibraltar in Helmand near the town of Sangin, which was used to monitor and intercept enemy forces between Gereshk and Sangin.
He distinguished himself on three occasions while on patrols, including leading a bayonet charge to repel an ambush, rescuing his pinned down troop sergeant from an area of ‘killing ground’ and taking control after an IED-initiated ambush. During the last episode, his patrol was caught in an explosion which killed the leading section commander while the point marine was blown across a ditch into an open field, seriously wounded.
The third man was Cpl Malone who, still clutching his gun, was hurled backwards. Shaken and bruised, he grabbed a radio set to call for support and organised the evacuation of casualties, all under heavy enemy fire.
Excerpts from the original recommendation for his award and his citation, say: “On three separate occasions, Corporal Malone has excelled in the heat of battle and demonstrated gallantry, leadership and courage far beyond that reasonably expected of a junior rank. In the first incident, after his company was caught in an ambush, Corporal Malone fearlessly led his section with calm authority, ordering his men to bayonet charge the enemy who broke and fled in the face of his determined onslaught.”
In the second action “when his section was pinned down by heavy and accurate fire, he displayed a complete disregard for his own safety, scrambling from the cover of a ditch he advanced across open ground dodging a hail of bullets in order to collect Troop Sergeant Tompkins who had become isolated in the killing area whilst firing mortars at the enemy “
In the third incident Cpl Malone “immediately took control of the situation and by firing more than 900 rounds, managed to keep the insurgents at bay while providing covering fire for the evacuation of the dead man. Corporal Malone’s prowess and nerve turned the tide of the battle and led directly to the successful extraction of 10 Troop from a deadly ambush.”
* Contributions to Mr Malone’s project can be made at https://www.gofundme.com/f/sacred-laoch.
