Pair: Lance-Bombardier M. A. Blackburn, Royal Artillery

General Service 1962, 1 clasp, Northern Ireland (25108828 Gnr., R.A.); Iraq 2003, no clasp (25108828 Gnr., R.A.), both in card boxes of issue, nearly extremely fine (2) £200-240

Mark Anthony Blackburn enlisted into the Royal Artillery at South Shields on 14 December 1999 and started his training in the Army Training Regiment at Perbright, passing then to 14 Regiment, R.A., at the Royal School of Artillery. His first operational regiment was 39 Regiment, R.A., in which he served with 57 (Bhurtpore) Battery, this being the first battery in the R.A. to be equipped with the Phoenix unmanned aerial vehicle (U.A.V.). These were always in demand in the forward areas and border country where they operated under the protection of elite troops. He remained with that battery when it was transferred to 32 Regiment, R.A. 32 Regiment, R.A., now holds all the U.A.V. elements in the British Army. Blackburn served a tour in Northern Ireland from October 2002 with 57 Battery, and was with them when they were sent to Iraq in a single battery deployment for Operation Telic, October 2003-April 2004. He left the Army on 15 December 2005 having attained the rank of Lance-Bombardier. Sold with copied Certificate of Service and a summary of service (above) derived from recipient.