A well-documented Northern Ireland and Falklands campaign group of three awarded to Sergeant P. K. Worrall, Royal Marines, who served with 40 Commando on two tours of Northern Ireland, and as a Medic with the Commando Logistics Regiment during the Falklands

General Service 1962-2007, 1 clasp, Northern Ireland (LCPL P K Worral [sic] RM); South Atlantic 1982, with rosette (Cpl P K Worrall PO36066V RM); U.N. Medal, for Cyprus, mounted as originally worn, with Commando School Royal Marines prize medal, white metal, reverse engraved ‘PO 36066V RCT Worrall P K’ and Shooting Medal, bronze, reverse engraved ‘GPMG Worrall P K PO36066V’, generally very fine (3) £800-1200

Paul Kevin Worrall was born in Nantwich, Cheshire, in February 1956. He was educated at Grange Lane Comprehensive, Winsford, and was initially employed on a farm prior to enlistment. Worrall joined 96 Troop at Commando Training Centre Royal Marines, Lympstone, ‘after the first week all hell broke loose, training had begun, it was long and hard, mud runs, 6 milers, a lot of shouting and physical exercise. Over the next few months many people left our troop, I even considered it. By half way through training, I had lost nearly two stones in weight. By the fifth month so many had left the troop that there was not enough recruits left to pass out of training so we had to mark time for 98 troop to pass out with our troop....

I joined A Company, 40 CDO RM, who were based at Seaton Barracks Crownhill Plymouth in early 1977, they had not long returned from a tour in South Armagh.... My first roles in a fighting troop were in the HQ element, I went through a number of roles, Troop radio Operator, 2 inch Mortar, Carl Gustav 84 mm anti-tank launcher. Then my first role in a section was a GPMG Gunner.... Then later that year I had my first overseas deployment to the Mediterranean. Gibraltar, Italy, Greece, Sardinia, Cyprus and then back to Gibraltar and home.

In 1977 40 CDO was chosen to represent the Marines for the Queen’s Jubilee, The Guard at the Cenotaph, The Lord Mayor’s Show and the festival of remembrance. Me I was chosen as one of the marines to march down the steps at the festival of remembrance and then across the floor. I remember it as a very moving occasion...’ (typed biography included in the lot refers)

Worrall advanced to Lance-Corporal in December 1978, ‘in 1979 40 CDO was deployed to Bally Kelly Northern Ireland for a 12 month tour... During the tour, I served in Belleek County Fermanagh, Dungiven and Maghera County Londonderry and The Creggan, Derry City.

Things that stand out in my mind:

1) A Company was deployed to Londonderry City to cover the Apprentice Boys March and I drove a pig from Ballykelly to Londonderry not a pleasant experience.
2) Being shot at by the sign “You are now entering free Derry.”
3) Deployed to Londonderry in the aftermath of the assassination of Lord Mountbatten.
4) Being one of the first sections on the scene of a shooting of a UDR female reservist who was seriously injured.’ (Ibid)

Worrall was promoted to Corporal in June 1980, and completed an Assault Engineers Course. He was posted to 41 CDO at Deal, Kent, in October of the same year. Worrall was posted to the Commando Logistics Regiment in May 1981, and joined the Medical Squadron. After returning from a deployment to Norway, the unit was posted to join the Falklands task force:

‘On the early morning of the landings at San Carlos we sailed in under escort from naval fighting vessels, two gazelle helicopters took off never to return. Once in San Carlos water we remained on board for the first day through countless air raids.

Once ashore we started to set up the field hospital at San Carlos, casualties had started to arrive by helicopter and we swung into action, helping treat and carry the casualties from the helicopters, also assist the surgeons in theatre and after care before the injured were flown to the hospital ship.

As marines, we had after a few days set up several machine gun positions to protect the field hospital, firing at the aircraft as they turned from attacking the ships in the bay, the planes were so low you could see the pilots.

We were now receiving the dead from several engagements; these bodies were processed and buried behind the hospital. I clearly remember the burial of Col Jones 2 Para, along with others that had fallen and at the end of the ceremony; an air raid warning was called.

On the day the hospital was bombed I was standing in the door which had the wording ‘red and green life machine’ over it. Two jets I think roared over, there was a blast at the rear of the building and something flew through the wall above my head, I ran to my trench, but we heard people shouting for help so we ran to the bombed part of the building.

There were small explosions still going off, dead and injured marines scattered around, we went to help them and if I remember right that night we were given a tot of rum.

The night the Antelope went up was a horrible night, she burned most of it.

2 Troop was later despatched to Teal inlet to set up an alternative dressing station, whilst there I took my turn in the morgue, dealing with the dead from Mount Longdon.

Whilst there I was with a good friend who died on the landing pad, we could not save him but we were with him till the end.’ (Ibid)

Having advanced to Corporal, Worrall transferred back to 40 CDO in February 1984. He was promoted Sergeant, and carried out a final tour of Northern Ireland:

‘I was with B Company... and my role was that of Company Intelligence Officer for Forkhill.

Most of the information is covered by the official secrets act but during that tour:

1) Near to Silverbridge a Lynx Helicopter was shot down by an IRA ASU.
2) Brendon Burns and Brendon Moley were killed by their own bomb and the following funerals were a bit chaotic.
3) A dog handler and his dog were killed by a bomb in a wall.’ (Ibid)

Worrall’s final posting was as Movement SNCO before his discharge in January 1990. After a period of suffering from PTSD in the early 1990s, Worrall was employed as an Intelligence Analyst working for the Greater Manchester Police. He was subsequently employed with the Cumbria Constabulary, and served for 4 years as a Senior Analyst within the Cumbria Counter Terrorist Unit.

Sold with the following original related documents: Royal Marines Company Record Book; parchment Certificate of Service; Certificate of Discharge; Testimonial given by Commanding Officer; Certificate of Qualifications; a number of named and dated course certificates; a number of annotated photographs from various stages of recipient’s career; a typed five sided biography signed by recipient and other ephemera.