Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Eight: Corporal S. Cree, Royal Irish Regiment

General Service 1962-2007, 1 clasp, Northern Ireland (25037191 Rgr S Cree R Irish); N.A.T.O. Medal 1994, 1 clasp, Kosovo; Operational Service Medal 2000, for Sierra Leone, without rosette (25037191 Rgr S Cree R Irish); Iraq 2003-11, 1 clasp, 19 Mar to 28 Apr 2003 (25037191 LCpl S Cree R Irish); Operational Service Medal 2000, for Afghanistan, 1 clasp, Afghanistan (25037191 Cpl S Cree R Irish); Jubilee 2002; Jubilee 2012; Army L.S. & G.C., E.II.R., 2nd issue, Regular Army (Cpl S Cree R Irish 25037191) last two loose, remainder mounted as originally worn, very fine (8) £1,400-£1,800

Typed biography provided by recipient gives the following:

‘Ex 1 Royal Irish for 19 years and 3 Scots for a further 5 years.... I served in Northern Ireland 6 times on Operational Tours. Was in Besbrooke when the troubles were still happening my 1st Tour was scary as patrolled near the border of Republic of Ireland. Thankfully nothing happened to me or the guys in the Royal Irish. One of the Tours in NI I was in the middle of public riots and was a Medical Assistant we had a few lucky scrapes and some unlucky ones. My Regimental Sergeant Major got whacked in the goolies by a returning rubber bullet. We all flanked our shields I never had one as I was running around helping the troops with any cuts or scrapes and zoned in to locate the person who threw the rubber projectile. We found him and surrounded him and got him into an army heavily armoured Land Rover where him and our RSM sorted things out. Basically he came out of the vehicle like a rag doll and we threw him over to the police. Who were cowering behind us whilst we got the brunt of it all.

The best time was in Forkhill were I was in charge of my own little medical bay and went on patrol with the troops every few days as well to support them with any minor injuries and had authority to call in air support for any major injuries. I was in Milan Platoon in the Kosovo War in 1999 and was the platoon medic as well. I was young as only in 5 years and kept myself to myself. I enjoyed brushing up on medical skills. I was not employed as a medic joining army. I was infantry but it didn’t suit me because I always thought there was much more than just running around with a machine gun which I did carry most of the time in Kosovo GPMG. Medical Stuff suited me at that time and one of the troops shouted my name one morning when I was guarding a compound. Alarm bells where going off in my head and I shouted for someone to relieve me as someone needed me ASAP. When I got there someone I dearly knew was holding his throat gasping for air as I found out on closer examination something he ate was lodged in his throat. I got that out and at the same time requested for transport to get him to nearest hospital. Everyone that morning were panicking I was so calm and not afraid to tell people what to do and afterwards when he came back from hospital he thanked me and said he was glad I was there to help him.

I finished that awful tour and got posted to the medical centre where I worked for 5 years. I enjoyed it but did many exercises and was a medic on Tour in Iraq during the war. Op Telic 1 it was the one with the Lt Col in 1 Royal Irish whom said his famous speech and was one of the many who stood there listening to it before we went to War against the Iraqi’s. I had my fair share of casualties to deal with on that Tour. I just kept going and did my best to stay away from stray bullets I also did a Operational Tour in Sierra Leone West Africa. The heat was horrendous 55 degrees and even with the constant rain. Awful. But in the Royal Irish we made the best out of it with what we had. Just before I arrived as the regiment split the tour in half 11 of our troops were captured by the west side boys. The commander in charge of going in and killing 50 of the west side boys with having 1 casualty themselves was my Platoon and Commanding Officer in the Royal Irish. I was away a lot from my wife so needed something different. After speaking to my RSM whilst being his medic for his troops said he was looking for someone to work with him. I jumped at the chance. I worked as a Regimental Police NCO. They gave me a nice name. Sammy the Bastard. I was friendly, fair but firm. It was a different position before I was caring for the troops as their medic now I was educating and instilling discipline towards them but I showed them how to do things the correct way that I was taught. I did achieve section student whilst in basic training God knows how. I always messed up with the wrong step at drill practises and took ages to iron my clothes to get them nice and sharp for parades. I went on tour to Afghan Op Herrick 1 and worked with the Commanding Officers Tactical Group and my RP duties when not on Patrol. A few things happened that made me lose the plot. My boss the Provost Sgt always made excuses to get off duties and not do his bit. No one had the guts to say anything. I had enough one day and he pushed my buttons I came off a 2 day duty shattered and told him he was on next and he said for me to do it I just lost it and the air turned blue. He could have charged me but I said he was sorry and got up and did his duty. I didn’t know at the time that the RSM was in the next tent and he heard everything. Later that night he asked if I wanted to work with the Garrison Provost who patrolled the whole of Helmand base in Afghan. It was a blessing in disguise and I enjoyed the experience. We were the first troops that all the Afghan civilians seen who helped work and stay on the massive base and we did patrols around the different camps inside. I finally returned back to the Royal Irish and did a few weeks before heading back home to UK. I left that job because didn’t get on with the Provost Sgt but couldn’t wait to see the back of him. I worked in the WO’s and Sgt’s Mess as Mess 2 I/C for a year just as a stop gap until something else turned up as I was due Promotion to Full Corporal. The Sgts and above didn’t want me to leave the Mess as they said I worked hard and provided them a great service. I worked there the weekend after I left after a year as a Full Corporal and they all bought me drinks as a thank you which was nice of them .

The next job I did was as a Regimental Postal NCO in peace time and war did both in Iraq again and Afghan. I worked as a Post NCO until my end of service and got recommended as a Sgt to work in another department but actually because I thoroughly enjoyed my job and was actually getting paid as a Sgt I declined moving. I worked with 3 Scots in Fort George as their Post NCO and enjoyed my time there I never deployed with them on exercise or tours but made sure their important mail was sent to them ASAP when requested and some few extra welfare parcels. When I was a Post NCO with the Royal Irish on tour in Iraq I was given an exemplary record by the Bastion Camp Commander one of the QM’s out of 42 personnel I was the Top of the League.

My time in the army has had its ups and downs but I wouldn’t have changed it for the world.’