Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Fine ‘Northern Ireland’ M.I.D. and Q.C.V.S. Replacement group of three awarded to Warrant Officer First Class A. R. Gray, Coldstream Guards, who was Mentioned in Despatches on his first Operational Tour of Northern Ireland for having engaged with two armed Nationalists in West Belfast in 1988

General Service 1962-2007, 1 clasp, Northern Ireland, with M.I.D. oak leaf and Q.C.V.S. silver oak leaves (24673705 LCpl A R Gray Coldm Gds R); Gulf 1990-91, 1 clasp, 16 Jan to 28 Feb 1991 (24673705 Cpl A R Gray Coldm Gds R); Jubilee 2002, mounted court-style as worn, both campaign medals stamped ‘R’ for ‘Replacement’, minor edge bruising, good very fine (3) £400-500

M.I.D. London Gazette 31 October 1989.

The recipient’s own account of his M.I.D. winning exploits states: ‘In late 1988 I was a junior N.C.O. in charge of a 4 man team within a 16 man multiple in the reconnaissance platoon, 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards. We were located at the New Barnsley Police Station in the Bally Murphy District, nicknamed Fort Apache by the infantry, as it was one of the most attacked stations in the area. One evening one of our tasks was to provide support and protection for the R.U.C. changeover. This was an easy task and we usually rotated one team on stand down using just 3 teams for this task. This particular night was my team’s turn to stand down. As the multiple had been getting bricked constantly that week with one of my team receiving several stitches due to injuries received from the bricking, I asked if my team could be added to the tasking to try and catch some of the individuals responsible. Whilst the remainder of the multiple deployed on task, my team left via the rear gate and proceeded separately. Suddenly, a continuous burst of high velocity semi-automatic fire erupted at close range. Not knowing who or what was the contact point, training at this time dictated the immediate action was to cock weapons and head straight towards and beyond the believed firing point. I gave an initial contact report over the radio together with a steer of where I believed the contact point to be so that any teams on the ground could head towards that point as well.
We cocked weapons and headed down the road in hot pursuit to try and get ahead of the Terrorist in order to cut off any escape routes if possible. Once we had proceeded approximately 100 metres, two Terrorists emerged from waste ground carrying two long barrelled weapons. Once I had identified that they were carrying weapons, I gave the challenge, “Army. Stop or I will fire.” The two Terrorists turned to fire. At this point I opened fire and my second in command opened fire as well. One of the Terrorists was hit and he dropped to the ground. At this point a large number of people came out of a nearby church covering the two Terrorists so that they could escape to a main road where a vehicle was waiting for their getaway. With the Terrorists gone, we cordoned off the area for forensic evidence and secured one of the two weapons that one of the Terrorists had dropped as he was hit. The weapon was double magged with 7.62mm armour piercing rounds.’

Q.C.V.S. London Gazette 3 November 2000.

Andrew Robert Gray was born on 18 August 1965 and joined the Army on his 18th Birthday. After training at Purbright, Gray joined the Corps of Drums of the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards in March 1984, and in October of that year was posted to the Falkland Islands for a 4 month tour. Returning to the U.K. in February 1985, he continued in Public (Ceremony) Duties, and took part in his first Queen’s Birthday Parade in June 1985. In January 1986 he embarked upon a two-year tour of Hong Kong, during which time he travelled extensively with the Corps of Drums, to Japan, Australia, and South Korea. Returning to London in February 1988, he carried out his first tour of Northern Ireland, based in West Belfast.

Following that successful first tour, in which he was Mentioned in Despatches, Gray was promoted Corporal and Lance-Sergeant in 1989, and went to Kenya for a six weeks Battalion exercise, before serving in the first Gulf War. Following a five year posting in Germany, a spell as Platoon Sergeant with the Infantry Training Battalion (Guards and Parachute Regiments) in Catterick, and a Ceremonial Duties posting in Windsor, in 1999 he proceeded to Northern Ireland for a six month operational tour of South Armagh as Drum Major with the Corps of Drums (Machine Gun Platoon), attached to No. 2 Company, Coldstream Guards. The Company was tasked to take control of two SF Bases. Gray was offered the command of one of the bases, Newtown Hamilton, a significant honour as that base had never before been commanded by anyone lower in rank than a Captain. Promoted to Company Sergeant Major he completed the operational tour in what he considered to be an exemplary manner. Upon handing over to the Company commander of the incoming battalion, a Captain from the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, and having delivered the Operational brief, Gray was told by his successor that if he were a senior N.C.O. from Duke of Wellington’s Regiment he would likely receive an M.B.E. for his period in command. Gray’s response to that was, ‘It was a nice comment to make but we don’t do things like that it the Household Division!’

Awarded instead a Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service, Gray continued to carry out normal Company Sergeant Major duties for the Battalion in Northern Ireland, before he was posted to London district at the end of 2001 as the Senior Drum Major, Household Division. He continued to work as the Senior Drum Major until he was promoted to Warrant Officer First Class and posted to Catterick as Regimental Sergeant Major of 3rd Infantry Training Battalion. Offered a two year extension, in order for him to gain a Commission, Gray decided not to accept the offer, and was released on 17 August 2005 after 22 year’s service.

Whilst serving as Platoon Sergeant at the Infantry Training Battalion in Catterick in 1994, Gray had cause to send his uniform and medals away for repair, there being no formal tailors as the base. The originals were lost, and a replacement set issued.

Sold together with original Certificates for both the Mentioned in Despatches and Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service; five congratulatory letters to the recipient on the award of the Q.C.V.S. from General Sir Mike Jackson, Commander-in-Chief, Headquarters, Land Command; Lieutenant-General Sir Hew Pike, Headquarters, Northern Ireland; Major-General Sir Evelyn Webb-Carter, Headquarters, Household Division; Brigadier A. J. N. Graham, Headquarters, 3 Infantry Brigade; and Brigadier The Hon. S. H. R. H. Monro, Director of Infantry; and a photograph of the recipient receiving his M.I.D. from Major-General Sir George Burns, Colonel of the Coldstream Guards.