UN Bosnia, CSM (Northern Ireland), NATO (Kosovo), Iraq, OSM Afghanistan, ACSM and LS&GC Medal Group of Nine – Colour Sergeant P.G. Sutcliffe, Duke of Wellington’s Regiment / Yorkshire Regiment

A superb modern medal group of nine awarded to 25014040 Colour Sergeant Paul G. Sutcliffe, Duke of Wellington’s. 

United Nations Medal, Bosnia unnamed as issued 
Campaign Service Medal (Clasp – Northern Ireland) named to 25014040 Pte P G Sutcliffe DWR 
NATO Medal, Kosovo unnamed as issued 
Iraq Medal named to 25014040 Cpl PG Sutcliffe DWR 
Operational Service Medal, Afghanistan (Clasp – Afghanistan) named to Sgt P G Sutcliffe Yorks 25014040 
2002 Golden Jubilee Medal unnamed as issued 
2012 Diamond Jubilee Medal unnamed as issued 
Accumulated Campaign Service Medal (2011, 2nd Type) named to Sgt P G Sutcliffe Yorks 25014040 
EIIR Army Long Service & Good Conduct Medal named to 25014040 Sgt P G Sutcliffe Yorks 

The medals are in good condition and are court mounted for wear. 

Comes with original versions of the recipients Record of Service and Competency Profile. 

Paul G. Sutcliffe enlisted into the British Army on 24th February 1992 joining as a Private (No.25014040) the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment.

In March 1994, the 1st ‘Battalion the ’Dukes’ deployed to Bosnia, with an area of responsibility covering Bugojno, Vitez, Travnik and the besieged enclave of Goražde. The latter was under siege for much of the war. It was declared a UN Safe Zone in that year. The ‘Dukes’ were one of the first units to enter the town. The regiment pushed the Bosnian-Serb Army from their positions around the town to a distance of over one mile. Their objective in doing this was to create a safe zone for the town. While at Goražde, Private Shaun Taylor of C Company was killed during an engagement with Bosnian-Serb forces while manning an observation post. The engagement lasted fifteen minutes, with over 2,000 rounds of ammunition being expended by the ‘Dukes’. Seven of the Bosnian-Serb soldiers were killed in the fire-fight. Goražde remained a safe zone, being held by British troops from 1994 to 1995. It was the only safe zone to survive the war and avoided the tragedies that occurred in other UN safe zones such as Srebrenica and Žepa.

Corporal Wayne Mills of the 1st Battalion became the first recipient of the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross, second only to the Victoria Cross. On 29th April 1994, a patrol led by Corporal Mills came under heavy small-arms fire from a group of Bosnian-Serbs. The patrol returned fire, killing two of the attackers. The patrol then withdrew, but the attackers persisted in firing on the patrol. The patrol soon reached an open clearing, where it was obvious they would be highly vulnerable to fire from the attackers. Corporal Mills then performed an astonishing feat of bravery. He turned back and engaged the group in a fire-fight, delaying the attackers long enough to allow the rest of his patrol to cross the clearing. While doing this brave act, Corporal Mills shot the leader of the group, with the rest scattering into the woods. Due to that action he returned to his patrol safely, who were giving covering fire. Lieutenant-Colonel David Santa-Olalla received the Distinguished Service Order for his inspirational leadership and courage during the ‘Dukes’ deployment to Bosnia. He arranged for the mutual withdrawal of both Serbian and Muslim forces, from the besieged town of Goražde, just as the Geneva talks were being held on the town.

Having deployed to Northern Ireland as part of Op Banner from March 1995 for a period of two years, Sutcliffe was awarded the medal in August 1997. He was promoted to Lance Corporal on 10th February 1997, and then deployed to Kosovo in February 2001, when one company of his regiment took part in the Nato operations there. The objective of this deployment was preventing arms and munitions being transported from Albania into Kosovo, then onto the Former Yugolav Republic Of Macedonia, now known as the Republic of Macedonia. Sutcliffe’s medal entitlement page mentioned his entitlement to the NATO medal with clasp Former Yugoslavia, however this is clearly error as the date of award, 27th February 2001, reflects the Kosovo deployment and is believed to be an error made when his records were compiled at the time of his discharge.

He was promoted to Corporal on 17th July 2002. In 2003 his regiment deployed as part of Operation Telic 1, thed invasion of Iraq, however Sutcliffe was not present, but was then involved when his regiment deployed again as part of the 4th Armoured Brigade to the south-east of Iraq in October 2004, to join the British-led Multi-National Division, as a fully equipped armoured infantry battalion with Warrior Armoured Personnel Carriers. Sutcliffe’s award of the Iraq Medal without clasp was issued on 18th October 2005.

In December 2004, as part of the reorganisation of the infantry, it was announced that the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment would be amalgamated with the Prince of Wales’s Own Regiment of Yorkshire and the Green Howards’, all Yorkshirre-based regiments in the King’s Division, to form the Yorkshire Regiment. The re-badging parade took place on 6th June 2006. Sutcliffe was one of those who transitioned.

The men of the old ‘Dukes’ found themselves in the 3rd (Duke of Wellington’s) Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment. Sutcliffe was awarded the Regular Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal on 6th March 2007, and was promoted to Sergeant on 1st October 2008. He was then deployed to the Helmand Province of Afghanistam as pat of the 3 YORKS Battle Group in 2011 to 2012. On 29th April 2012, the 3 YORKS Battle Group took over responsibility of Nahr-e Saraj (South), Helmand province from the 5th Battalion, the Rifles. On the 3rd June 2012 Private Gregg Thomas Stone of Burma Company, 3 YORKS was killed in Nahr-e Saraj during an operation to apprehend a group of insurgents who had abducted a member of the Afghan Police. On 15th September 2012, Sergeant Gareth Thursby and Private Thomas Wroe of the 3rd Battalion were killed in Nahr-e Saraj by a rogue Afghan police officer. Sutcliffe’s medal for Afghanistan was issued to him in May 2012, and in addition he was awarded the Accumulated Campaign Service Medal on 23rd August 2012.

Sutcliffe was promoted to Colour Sergeant on 17th September 2012, and was eventually discharged on 17th December 2013.