Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The official replacement General Service Medal awarded to Warrant Officer A. P. ‘Rocky’ Blake, Special Air Service, a founder member of 9 Troop, Malayan Scouts, who, after a short interlude in the Merchant Navy, spent considerable time with 21st S.A.S., both as a soldier and as a civilian motor mechanic

General Service 1918-62, 2 clasps, Palestine 1945-48, Malaya (1075178 Gnr. A. P. Blake. R.A.), officially re-impressed naming, with attempted erasure of ‘R’ at three o’clock, nearly extremely fine £140-£180

Alan Patrick 'Rocky' Blake was born in Delhi, India on 2 October 1926, the son of a civil servant. He originally enlisted into the Royal Artillery in 1940 as a boy soldier but on reaching the required age he joined the 27th Jungle Field Regiment R.A., afterwards transferring to the Parachute Light Regiment R.A. As a result of this, he saw active service in Burma at the end of the War, in addition to assisting with the quelling of a mutiny aboard an Indian Navy destroyer. He next joined the 33rd Parachute Light Regiment R.A. and served in Germany during the Berlin blockade, but in 1950, back in the U.K., with no excitement in prospect, he volunteered for the newly established Malayan Scouts.

Posted to Kuala Lumpur, Blake became a founder member of 9 Troop, seeing active service in Perak and Lahore, after which the unit became 'B' Squadron S.A.S. In February 1952, he was one of just over 50 members of the unit to carry out the first parachute drop into the Belum Valley in Northern Malaya. After one week the two squadrons had sealed one end of the valley, Blake on one occasion engaging terrorists with his M2 carbine - the lack of effect from rounds clearly hitting the mark made him swear never to travel again without his Bren. On returning from Malaya, Blake left the military and joined the Merchant Navy but inevitably, on attending an SAS reunion a year or two later, he was sufficiently impressed by the stories of a number of 21st S.A.S. personnel to re-offer his services. Thereafter, his promotion was rapid, his active service experience and weapons knowledge making him a much sought after instructor. A professional to his fingertips, he was once accused of being too hard on his recruits by a visiting Warrant Officer. The latter voiced his concern, asking how Blake ever hoped to get any future recruits. Back came the reply, ‘For whose army, yours or mine?'

After a period attached to 22nd S.A.S, when he assisted in the selection of personnel for the Borneo operations, Blake returned to IV Squadron, as Squadron Sergeant Major. He became a civilian fitter for the Regiment but successfully combined this new role with old military ones, ultimately becoming Motor Transport Warrant Officer. He also took over the management of the Regiment's canoe team, his knowledge of the water between Devizes and Westminster being unrivalled. 'Rocky' Blake finally retired on 31 December 1992, some 52 years after he enlisted into the RA as a boy soldier.

He was awarded the Imperial Service Medal (London Gazette 4 February 1993), which complemented his two Efficiency Medals (Territorial and T.A.V.R.). These, with his 1939-45 Star; Burma Star; Defence and War Medals; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Palestine 1945-48 (note: single clasp), were sold at Sotheby’s (Sussex) on 28 November 1995 (lot 1097) and were purchased by the Imperial War Museum.

Sold with copied research, including an appreciation on his retirement in Mars and Minerva, and three copied photographs.