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Auction: 22133 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 1020

Sold by Order of the Recipient

The outstanding group of nine awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel A. G. Petrie, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, later Parachute Regiment and Cadet Force

He served some six tours of Northern Ireland during Op Banner - including several as Company Commander - and was later one of only three members of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers to take part in the Falklands War; having passed as a Para, he saw further active service in the Balkans and Iraq

General Service 1962-2007, 1 clasp, Northern Ireland (Lt. A. G. Petrie RRF.); South Atlantic 1982, with Rosette (Capt. A. G. Petrie RRF.); Nato Medal, 1 clasp, Non Article 5; Iraq 2003-11, no clasp (Maj A G Petrie RRF); Jubilee 2002; Jubilee 2012; Accumulated Campaign Service Medal (Maj A G Petrie RRF); Efficiency Decoration, Territorial, E.II.R. with integral top riband bar, silver and silver-gilt; Volunteer Reserves Service Medal (Maj A G Petrie TD RRF), mounted court-style as worn, good very fine (9)

3 South Atlantic Medals awarded to the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

Arthur George Petrie was born at Aberdeen, Scotland on 22 May 1949, the son of Arthur and Jessie Petrie. His father served as a Sapper with the Royal Engineers, seeing service in North Africa with the 8th Army. The younger Petrie attended Aberdeen University and enlisted with the Aberdeen University Officer's Training Corps on 3 October 1968. Later attending the Royal Military College, Sandhurst he was commissioned into The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers on 3 September 1973.

Petrie was to see six separate tours of duty in Northern Ireland as part of Op. Banner, with the first being a year after joining the Regiment at Belfast on 19 October 1974 and serving four months there. As a junior officer Petrie was on call for a number of incidents with several outlined by documentation with the lot, including an attempted assassination and bombing. Returning to Britain he was accorded the honour of carrying the Queen's Colour and presenting the Royal Salute to her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Newcastle in the Summer 1974 (photograph included with the Lot).

Seeing another tour, this time of notoriously dangerous South Aramgh, in 1976 Petrie was later posted to Londonderry on 29 September 1977-4 November 1978, serving as a Captain. After this third tour he served a training role, running an adventure training Camp near Banff, Alberta, Canada from 16 May 1979.

In the spring Petrie went to see an Army Physical Training Corps Captain with whom he intended to fly over the Athabasca Glacier and asses its potential for ice climbing, along with a pilot and a climbing instructor. The aircraft, an Army Air Corps Beaver began to lose height due to turbulence and the starboard wing struck a tree flipping it over. The Training Corps Captain and Petrie both suffered serious injuries while the pilot's hands were crushed, despite this he and the climbing instructor went for help leaving Petrie to look after the Captain.

Seriously injured he soon fell asleep and awoke to find the Captain- disoriented and feverish- walking away from the crash. Petrie was unable to persuade him not to leave and so was forced to go with him, after a day of walking through the woods, they prepared to spend the night in the wilds only to be rescued at the last moment by a Huey Helicopter.

Spending three days in hospital Petrie recovered enough to serve another tour of as Officer Commanding a Rifle Company of 2nd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers in Belfast. An extract from the Regimental Magazine states:

'The Company HQ of 'C' Company has noticed some traumatic changes in its command structure in the period since Hemer. The OC has changed from Major D. A. K. Biggart, to Capt ("let's get stuck in lads") Petrie, who ran a remarkable operational task. Unfortunately he is now up to his ears in Clerks and paperwork as Acting Adjutant, much to his dismay.'

Completing a Parachute selection course in 1980 Petrie was later appointed Staff Captain with the 5th Infantry Brigade. He saw service in this role during the Falklands War, one of only three members of The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers to take part in the conflict. The other two being Lieutenant Andy Warren, Assistant Ops Officer who served as Petrie's second and Captain Bill Twist, Fusilier Pilot and 2IC of 656 Squadron, Army Air Corps, later Air Liaison Officer, 5th Infantry Brigade. Petrie's notes make reference to an incident he witnessed while serving here, the friendly fire incident involving a Radio Rebroadcast Team in a Gazelle helicopter and H.M.S. Cardiff on 7 June 1982, he states:

'The helicopter's loss was initially blamed on Enemy Action, but it was soon discovered that a Missile from HMS Cardiff was the Cause. HMS Cardiff was operating Inshore to provide Naval Gunfire Support and to Intercept enemy aircraft.'

Petrie goes on to note that after the War he lived near the family of one of those who was on those killed and was a neighbour of the curate who had married and buried him. He further goes into detail about the cause for the friendly fire, that mainly being a lack of communication.

Petrie was promoted Major at the end of the Campaign on 19 October 1982. Seeing two further tours of Northern Ireland of South Armagh with the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, he was to act as Company Commander during these tours. Later serving as Staff Major with the Directorate of Army Training, Ministry of Defence he was finally posted to 1st Battalion, The Parachute Regiment as Regimental Administrative Officer.

Having served for 16 years with the Regular Army Petrie joined the Territorial Army Posted to Bosnia and Herzegovina on 19 March 2004 as Deputy Director Public Relations, Headquarters SFOR, Sarajevo.

Again on call during the Iraq War, this time as Operations Watchkeeper, Headquarters, 7th Armoured Brigade. Petrie finally left the Territorial Army and the next year joined, Headquarters of 2nd Infantry Division for Operations and Training as a Staff Major. Joining the Army Cadet Force as Lieutenant-Colonel with the 2nd Battalion, The Highlanders, Army Cadet Force, Petrie finally retired in 2013.

Sold together with a large archive comprising:

(i)
A career summary written by the recipient.

(ii)
A scanned photograph of the recipient wearing his medals at the Nairn War Memorial.

(iii)
A typed copy of a speech given to the British Legion relating to a friendly fire incident during the Falklands War.

(iv)
An extract from The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers Newsletter, relating to the recipient's Falklands service and another from 1979-80 relating to his command of 'C' Company.

(v)
An original Cable and Wireless Ltd, receipt sent by the recipient to his wife at the end of the Falklands War along with a copy of the Express article reporting on the end of the war given to the recipient by his mother as a memento.

(vi)
Copied details relating to the crash of Beaver AL1 on7 June 1979 along with a typed summary of events by the recipient.

(vii)
Five original and hand annotated photographs of the crashed aircraft and the recipient with it.

(viii)
copied screenshots of the recipients JPA medal entitlement records.

(ix)
Printed copies of the recipient's Army record in 2007 while serving as Staff Officer in 2007.

(x)
Letters and documents of entitlement relating to the recipients Efficiency Decoration and Volunteer Reserves Service Medal.

(xi)
A printout of the recipient's record of theatres.

(xii)
Two original incident reports from 1974, annotated to note the incidents which were handled by the recipient.

(xiii)
A photograph of the recipient presenting the Royal Salute to Queen Elizabeth II in the Summer 1974 along with an annotated copy.

(xiv)
A copied Pre-Parachute Selection report, members list of the Parachute Regimental Association 2002 and handbook.

(xv)
A certificate of Meritorious Service for the Recipient while serving as Deputy Commandant of the 2nd Battalion, The Highlanders, ACF.

(xvi)
A collection of documents including the RMA, Sandhurst victory parade order of service with a namecard and Aide Memoire as well as an Op Telic 7 - Basta Christmas Dinner menu.

(xvii)
Two presentation cups, one silver engraved 'Presented To Capt A. G. Petrie RRF From The Officers HQ 5 Ing Bde 1980-1982' and one pewter 'In defence of the Falkland Islands' engraved to 'Captain A. G. Petrie Royal Regiment of Fusiliers'

(xviii)
Two caps, one Parachute Regiment Red Beret with blacked out Fusiliers Cap Badge and one Royal Regiment of Scotland Tam O'Shanter with Officer's Cap Badge along with a shoulder flash with rank sliders and tie pin.

(xix)
Selection of I.D.s including Identity Cards and Dog Tags.

(xx)
A selection of miscellaneous items including rank sliders, name tags, and cap badges as well as pips, rank titles and riband bar.

(xxi)
Several items of clothing including two an R.R.F. tie, an R.R.F. Association tie and several should badges relating to Army H.Q. Scotland (later Headquarters 2nd Division).

(xxii)
Items of uniform of Para interest including a Regimental Association tie and three sets of wings including Mess Dress, British Desert and Temperate sets and a United States Army set.

(xxiii)
A Westminster Royal British Legion Commemorative Stamp set.

xxiv)
A set of Second World War Miniature Medals the recipient attributes to his mother's family, in a Spink & Son box.

For the medals of the recipient's Father and Uncle see lot: xxx , for the medals of his Grandfathers see lots: xxx and xxx and for the medals of another Uncle see lot: xxx.

Subject to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium. For more information please view Terms and Conditions for Buyers.

Sold for
£4,200

Starting price
£2000

Sale 22133 Notices
'For the medals of the recipient's Father and Uncle see lot: 988, for the medals of his Grandfathers see lots: 945 and 428 and for the medals of another Uncle see lot:974.'