Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare Second World War Italy operations M.M. group of six awarded to Company Sergeant-Major G. Malcolm, 2nd Special Service Brigade, 40 Commando, Royal Marines, a veteran of the Bismarck action who won an immediate award for his gallantry behind enemy lines in support of the crossing of the Garigliano on 22 January 1944: he single-handedly took out an enemy gun emplacement with grenades, killing two and wounding one of the occupants but was himself mortally wounded the following day

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (PLY.X.639 G. Malcolm, A./T./C.S. Mjr., R.M.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; War Medal 1939-45, with M.I.D. oak leaf, nearly extremely fine (6) £5000-6000

M.M. London Gazette 18 April 1944:

‘For courage, leadership and resource in operations which led to the crossing of the Garigliano River in the face of determined opposition from the enemy.’

The original recommendation - for an immediate award - states:

‘22.1.44 - Crossing of the Garigliano: During the patrol to Rotondo the party was held up by an enemy machine-gun post. Company Sergeant-Major Malcolm made his way forward under heavy Spandau automatic fire from the enemy and reached a flank of the position. He threw grenades into the emplacement killing two of the occupants and wounding one. Due to this action the machine-gun post was silenced and the main body was able to advance without loss through casualties.

Company Sergeant-Major Malcolm showed extreme courage and coolness and was an inspiration to the men under his command.’

George Malcolm was born in Newcastle in July 1912 and enlisted in the Royal Marines in November 1930. A keen footballer, he acquired two or three certificates for Hurts & Wounds over the coming decade, including a fractured right fibula after being kicked by an opponent in a match against the R.N. at Plymouth in October 1936.

The outbreak of hostilities found him serving as a P.T. Instructor but in April-May 1940 he participated in Operation “Valentine”, the British occupation of the Faroe Islands, a task undertaken by a force of 250 Marines under Colonel T. B. W. Sandall - a.k.a. “Sandall Force” - the whole landed from the cruiser Suffolk and two destroyers. A peaceful settlement having been negotiated with the Danish authorities, relations remained cordial for the remainder of the war and approximately 170 marriages took place between British soldiers and Faroese women.

For his own part, Malcolm joined H.M.S. Rodney in August 1940, in which battleship he remained actively employed until coming ashore in March 1942, not least during the Bismarck episode. Early on the morning of 27 May 1941, along with the battleship King George V and the cruisers Norfolk and Dorsetshire, Rodney engaged Bismarck, which had damaged rudder machinery due to a torpedo launched by Ark Royal’s swordfish. Unable to manoeuvre and listing to port, Bismarck scored no hits before her forward guns were knocked out, after which Rodney closed with Bismarck until she was firing on a virtually flat trajectory, and spotters could actually follow the shells to the target. One 16-inch shell was tracked from the gun to where it hit the face of Bismarck's No. 2 turret and exploded, blowing out the back of the turret, with the resulting splinters killing most of the crew on the bridge. Rodney fired 340 16-inch shells, some in 9-gun broadsides, and 716 6-inch shells during the battle, scoring many hits from a range of under 3,000 yards and inflicting most of the damage suffered by Bismarck, whose stern was blown off. During the battle, Rodney also fired twelve 24.5-inch torpedoes whilst zig-zagging across Bismarck’s bow; most of the torpedoes missed, but one hit Bismarck and exploded amidships on the starboard side, thereby making Rodney the only battleship in history to have torpedoed another battleship. Rodney and King George V having finally broken off their action, Dorsetshire was ordered to finish Bismarck off with torpedoes.

Coming ashore in March 1942, Malcolm joined the R.M. Commandos and, his training in Inverness-shire and elsewhere over, he was embarked for Sicily in 40 Commando (R.M.) in June 1943.

The Commando landed at Cape Passaro on 10 July and subsequently spearheaded 231 Brigade’s landing at St. Venere. Having then landed at Termoli in October 1943, it supported 56 (London) Division in crossing of the Garigliano on 21-22 January 1944. Malcolm, who had been advanced to Company Sergeant-Major was - as cited above - to win his M.M. in the latter operations. Sadly, however, his gallant service was cruelly curtailed very shortly afterwards: he died of wounds at 140 Field Ambulance on the 23rd, aged 31 years.

Also the recipient of a mention in despatches (London Gazette 29 August 1944, refers), Malcolm was buried in Minturno War Cemetery. He was the son of George and Margaret Malcolm and the husband of Betty Malcolm.

The part played by the Mount Rotondo patrol is described in The Green Beret, by Hilary St. George Saunders:

‘Twelve days after Operation ‘Partridge,’ No. 40 (Royal Marine) Commando was called upon to support the main crossing of the Garigliano River to be made by the 56th (London) Division. Monte Rotondo was to be assaulted frontally by the 169th Brigade and Captain L. G. B. Marshall, M.C., with ‘X’ Troop and half ‘P’ Troop, was ordered to slip through the front and create confusion behind the lines of the enemy by interrupting traffic on the roads. Marshall fulfilled his part very successfully, leading his men through the dark over broken and precipitous country, across a valley in which the German front line ran, and on towards Monte Rotondo. When dawn came, however, the expected attack on the position did not materialise, and since his force was too small to hold the mountain, Marshall very sensibly decided to employ it in guerilla warfare. Acting on information supplied by two Italians, they moved to a road running north-west from Castelforte, cut the telegraph and telephone lines, and shot a number of German despatch riders as they went by on motor-bicycles. They next destroyed two German guns, of which the presence was betrayed by the chatter of their crews. They then entered a wagon-line, and after a short fight knocked out an armoured car with a grenade. A Red Cross lorry next to it made off, covering its retreat by a burst of machine-gun fire from its back, to which the Commando force refrained from replying.

The Germans were now aroused and four tanks appeared. The leading tank was damaged, but Marshall’s men had almost exhausted their ammunition. They therefore withdrew to the 5th Army lines. These five weeks fighting cost No. 40 (Royal Marine) Commando a quarter of its strength.’

Sold with the recipient’s original Buckingham Palace illuminated memorial scroll, together with extensive copied service record.