A heroic Royal Marine hailed for his bravery is to auction off his medals to raise funds for a Highland retreat for fellow veterans.
Brad ‘Bugsy’ Malone, 37, left the Royal Marines after 16 years in 2018 and now wants to build a homestead in the Scottish Highlands for like-minded soldiers to use and experience a new way of life.
Originally from Newcastle, Brad now lives with wife Sacha in Drymen.
He was awarded the Operation Herrick IX Afghanistan Conspicuous Gallantry Cross for showing inspiration and leadership while under heavy fire.
He is thought to be one of around just 30 people, along with one regiment, to receive the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross, which is one level away from the Victoria Cross.
Brad joined the Marines at the age of 16 and has been on tours of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Malone, as part of Zulu Company, operated out of a British base in Helmand Province next to the Helmand River, near the town of Sangin, which was used to monitor and intercept enemy forces between Gereshk and Sangin.
The base was described by the Taliban as the ‘mouth of hell’, or the ‘devil’s place.’
He distinguished himself on no less than three occasions while on patrols, including leading a bayonet charge to repel an ambush; rescuing his pinned down troop sergeant from the ground and when on the receiving end of an IED-initiated ambush.
The final time was on December 31, 2008, when 10 troops were moving north of the base along a narrow but deep waterway.
They knew the Taliban were in the area.
Shortly after midday, the patrol was caught in an immense explosion. The leading section commander was killed instantly, while in front of him, the point marine was blown across a ditch into an open field, very seriously wounded.
The third man was Brad who, still clutching his general-purpose machine gun, was hurled backwards off his feet.
Shaken and bruised but otherwise okay, he shouted for two men to come forward to help and then grabbed a radio set to call for support.
Malone organised the evacuation of casualties and called down artillery and air support while affecting the timely withdrawal of his section, all under the heaviest of fire from enemy fighters.
He recalled: “We were surrounded and were taking fire. I realised the Sergeant was stuck in the middle and was pinned down. I just went to engage the enemy so he could get back.
“You don’t think about anything at the time, no emotions. You just get on with it.”
Brad is now selling his medals to help fund a retreat in the Highlands for veterans – with auctioneers Noonans estimating they could sell for more than £100,000.
Mark Quayle, Medal Specialist at Noonans, commented: “The Conspicuous Gallantry Cross was instituted in 1993 following the review of the British Honours System and is awarded ‘in recognition of an act or acts of conspicuous gallantry during active operations against the enemy and his gallantry award ranks second only to the Victoria Cross for gallantry in the face of the enemy.
“To date 60 have been awarded and we estimate a sale price of between £100,000 and £140,000.”
