Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Marine G. C. Marek, Royal Marines

General Service 1962-2007, 1 clasp, Northern Ireland (Mne G C Marek P036485N RM); South Atlantic 1982, with rosette (Mne 1 G C Marek P036485N RM) mounted as worn, nearly extremely fine (2) £800-£1,000

Graham C. Marek was born in 1960 and joined the Royal Marines in 1977, passing out of Lympstone in December of that year. His service in Northern Ireland included being stationed at the Kinawley R.U.C. base with 40 Commando as part of a small troop detachment. He saw further service during the South Atlantic campaign, his own account stating:
‘I was a battle casualty replacement and as I served for many years in the anti-tank troop firing the Milan (a tripod mounted wire guided missile system) I flew out to Ascension Island from RAF Brize Norton. Only spent a few days there and then got on the H.M.S. Sir Bedivere, a L.S.L. [Landing Ship Logistic]. I spent about a week on there I think, getting shot and bombed by the Argy super etendard planes. Unfortunately I do not remember how I got ashore and blank a lot of what happened there.’

At the start of the campaign Sir Bedivere was at Vancouver but started back to Marchwood immediately. After loading she left for Ascension where she picked up the sappers of 11 Field Squadron, Royal Engineers. The ship had a lucky escape in San Carlos water on 24 May when a bomb from a Dagger bounced off her crane and punched a hole through her bulwark before exploding in the sea. The sappers disembarked the following day, most likely with Marine Marek. Sir Bedivere left the Falkland Islands on 25 October 1982 with the bodies of 63 of the British dead and arrived back in Marchwood in the early hours of 16 November 1982.

Sold with copies of two typed letters from the recipient, a named (copy) photograph of his King’s Squad pass out; and various photocopied images of his time in Northern Ireland and the Falklands.