Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria, to include the Brian Ritchie Collection (Part I)

The campaign group of three awarded to Sergeant C. Mason, Selous Scouts, late Royal Marines and Australian Special Air Service, killed in action in Mozambique

Vietnam 1964 (311619 C. Mason); South Vietnam Campaign Medal 1964, with clasp, 1960- (311619 C. Mason); Rhodesian General Service Medal (726873 Sgt Mason C.) the second chipped in the centre, otherwise good very fine (3) £1200-1500

Clive Mason first served with the Royal Marines, Dec 1960 to May 1969, during which time he attended the Commando, Sniper and Parachute courses. He enlisted into the Australian Army in the UK in September 1969. He served with 2 SAS in South Vietnam from November 1970, and later with 1 SAS. Mason was discharged from the Australian Army at his own request in 1972 and subsequently made his way to Rhodesia where it is believed he served with the Rhodesian SAS before joining the Selous Scouts as a Sergeant and a specialist sniper. It was noted by his contemporaries that he was not required to attend the selection course for the Selous Scouts, but as his shot was unbelievably accurate and his ability to blend in with his surroundings was amazing, this was rightly viewed as superfluous. Later, he ran a sniping school but he was so particular he failed all the students! He was the only professional sniper in the Rhodesian Army and his weapon of preference was an SMLE Mark IV, .303 rifle. Winston Hart, then Policeman and later Superintendent, served with Mason on a number of operations. He stated that Mason treated his rifle like a new born baby. On one operation Mason told Hart he would be away for a few hours and he should take cover. About an hour later all hell broke loose as the enemy fired sporadically in the direction of Hart. About two hours later Mason returned with a smile on his face and stated he was hiding in the enemy's water tower. He said it would be safer there! ‘Selous Scouts. Top Secret War’ mentions him as a sniper Sergeant and lists him as leading the attack force of Selous Scouts on Operation ELAND in August 1976 against a ZANLA terrorist stronghold at Pangwe when over 1,000 terrorists were killed. Mason, however, was himself killed in action early in 1977 during Operation KODAK in an attack on an outpost outside Malvernia, across the border in Mozambique. ‘We lost a very fine sniper, Sergeant Clive Mason. Clive was a complete professional in his field, but for some inexplicable reason he got carried away during the fire-fight and stood up. While on his feet he killed six FRELIMO soldiers, but was then himself shot in the head - he died instantly’.

The lot is sold with copies of his Australian record of service, discharge certificate AAF A199, Vietnam Patrol reports with the S.A.S., photocopied photographs and e-mail correspondence with ex-Rhodesian veterans who knew him.

Withdrawn