Soldier to sell medals to buy family home
A former soldier is raising money to buy a family home by selling a bravery medal he won for storming an enemy gun position in Iraq.
Shaun Garry Jardine, 39, served as a corporal in the King's Own Scottish Borderers and later the Royal Regiment of Scotland, rising to the rank of warrant officer class 2.
On august 9,2003, whiles ervin gaspar to fa Quick Reaction Force in May san Province duringthe iraq war, his team found themselves under attack from two positions near a security base.
Facing heavy machinegun fire, the then-21-year-old ordered his team to provide coveringfire and then assaulted the enemy positions in succession, allowing his men to move forward and forcing the enemy to withdraw.
Mr jar dine, who is from dumfries, was awarded the conspicuous Gallantry Cross(CGC) for his actions - a medal second only to the Victoria Cross in honouring combat gallantry.
He was praised for his quickthinking, courage and inspirational leadership.
Auctioneers Dix Noonan Webb, which will sell the medal on July 21, said it is the only CGC to have been awarded to a Scottish regiment and it is expected to fetch £120,000-£140,000.
Mr Jardine, who has recently left the army having joined aged 16, said he is selling the CGC along with six other medals as he would like to buy a house for his family.
Describing his actions in Iraq, he said :" is tar ted running across the bridge and they had seen me immediately. They were lying down, prone position, and firing at me as iran; is a wt heir fingers on the triggers, then the muzzle flashes and the ni could heart he rounds zipping past.
"I remember thinking, why are they not hitting me? I got to within 15 or 20 metres of them and just thought, I'm going no further here."
The soldier killed two of his attackers before calling his team forward and attacking a third enemy position.
Christopher me ll or-hill, head of client liaison at Dix Noonan Webb, said to date only60cg cs have been awarded, of which 15 were for the Iraq War.
"The award to Jardine is unique to the King's Own Scottish Borderers and is the only CGC to have been awarded to any Scottish regiment," he added.
The medals are being auctioned alongside a print of david Row land' s painting of the recipient winning hi sC G Ca nd a file containing 15 letters of congratulation.
The CGC was instituted in the aftermath of the 1993 review of the honours system. As part of the drive to remove distinctionso frank in awards for bra very, th eCG C replaced both the Distinguished Conduct Medal (army) and the Conspicuous Gallantry medal( naval and air) as second level awards to other ranks and ratings.
The CGC also replaced the Distinguished Service Order (DSO), in its role as an award to officers for gallantry. The DSO was retained as an award for outstanding leadership. The CGC now serves as the second level award for gallantry for all ranks across the whole armed forces. It was designed and sculpted by Michael Rizzello, OBE (1926-2004) for the Royal Mint.
The CGC, which may be awarded posthumously, is awarded "in recognition of an act or acts of conspicuous gallantry during active operations against the enemy".