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Auction: 20003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 182

(x) An impressive campaign group of eight awarded to Captain (Quartermaster) M. A. Germaine, Royal Army Medical Corps, who earned a 'mention' for his part in saving the lives after a helicopter crash at Forkhill, South Armagh in October 1985

General Service 1962-2007, 1 clasp, Northern Ireland, with M.I.D. oak leaf (24551818 Cpl M A Germaine RAMC); Gulf1990-91, 1 clasp, 16 Jan to 28 Feb 1991 (24551818 SSgt M A Germaine RAMC); N.A.T.O. Medal 1994, 1 clasp, Kosovo; Jubilee 2002; Army L.S. & G.C., Regular Army, E.II.R. (24551818 WO2 M A Germaine RAMC); Saudi Arabia, Liberation of Kuwait 1991; Kuwait, Liberation of Kuwait 1991, 4th Grade, first five mounted court-style as worn, very fine and better (7)

M.I.D. London Gazette 11 November 1986. A typed account by the recipient on the incident, whilst attached to the 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, states:

'On 25th October 1985 after finishing a foot patrol around the Forkhill area of South Armagh I had just finished showering when I received a call to attend the Ops Room. On arrival I was informed that, during a routine changeover of troops on the 'Foxfield' Observation Post just outside the base, a Wessex helicopter had 'gone down' on the top of the mountain. I was given a choice of either waiting to be picked up by a helicoptr and taken to the top of Foxfield, or take a 'brick' of men with me and go on foot. As the helicopter would have taken over 30 minuted to get to us I opted for the latter.

I took a team of four Fusiliers and we set off up the mountain with very limited information on casualties other than the fact there were four passengers and three crew on board but, depending on how and when the accident occured, there could be up to eleven casualties including the four man team up there.

Because of the nature of the OP there were defences all around the top of the mountain which included barbed wire. There was no problem negotiating this as one of the soldiers threw himself across the barbed wire and insisted on the rest of us running over him. He was a tough man and one of the real heroes in this incident.

When we arrived at the top it was almost dark and the helicopter was on its side, door down, I immediately climbed onto the helicopter and smashed my way in through one of the windows. To cut a long story short, I then found, treated and rescued the four man team from inside the main body of the helicopter, fortunately the two pilots had managed to escape unharmed but I could not find the loadmaster. I went back in and moved some bergens in the dark and found him unconscious and not breathing. I commenced mouth to mouth and cardiac compression,as myself and the rest of the team extracated him from the wreckage. In the meantime a helicopter from Bessbrook had arrived with a doctor on board and we got the loadmaster into the helicopter and continued with artificial resuscitation until we arrived at Daisy Hill Hospital where, heartbreakingly, he was pronounced dead.

I am very pleased to say the other four made a good recovery from their varying degree of injuries, including burns from the battery acid to a fractured femur and some cuts and bruises. One of the four who was also unconscious when I found him had sustained severe head injuries and was in a coma for some time afterwards. He did make a recovery but was never quite the man he was before.'

Michael Anthony Germaine enlisted in the Royal Army Medical Corps in 1980 'for no other reason that I couldn't find a job'. Enlisting at the recruiting office at Wellington Street, Leeds, he joined 2 Armoured Field Ambulance. A member of the Mobile Display Team from 1987-89, he served with 3 Armoured Field Ambulance during the Gulf War. He was made Captain in April 2000 and retired from 5 General Support Medical Regiment in 2003; sold with original M.I.D. certificate, typed account and career biography, besides copied commission document and photographs.

Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Sold for
£1,700

Starting price
£450