Military Cross EIIR. reverse dated '2003' and officially named 25148134 GDSM A L BRANCHFLOWER IG with its Royal Mint case of issue, Iraq Medal clasp 19 Mar to 28 Apr 2003 named 25148134 GDSM A L BRANCHFLOWER IG & General Service Medal clasp Northern Ireland named 25148134 GDSM A L BRANCHFLOWER IG all mounted court-style as worn. Nearly extremely fine.
PROVENANCE EX SPINKS
Sold together with the following original archive of material: Named card box for the Iraq Medal, Photographs of his service, DVD and extracts from the Investiture, Eleven letters of congratulation from senior Officers and Commanders & Newspaper cuttings and other copied extracts related to the awards.
Anton Liam Branchflower was raised in Irlam, Salford, Manchester and joined the Irish Guards in 2002. Having earned his Military Cross for the action around the old Basra Technical College in Iraq, he was soon after on further active service in Northern Ireland, spending Christmas 2003 on duty. He went to Buckingham Palace to receive his award on 25 February 2004.
M.C. London Gazette 31 October 2003. The citation states: Guardsman Branchflower joined 1st Battalion, Irish Guards in February 2003 at 19 years of age on completion of his recruit training. Within days he deployed to the Gulf on Operation Telic as a Machine Gunner within No. 2 Company, 1st Battalion, part of The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Battlegroup.
Following a successful initial attack into Basrah on 6 April 2003 by the Battlegroup, a short pause ensued whilst orders were issued for subsequent objectives. At this stage Guardsman Branchflower's Section Commander was ordered to dismount his Section and clear and enemy bunker position that had already been engaged by tanks and Warrior Fighting Vehicles. The position was believed to have been cleared of enemy and his Section was asked to collect the enemy's now redundant weapons.
The approach the bunker and the Section Commander busied himself issuing arcs of fire to his men. Suddenly, wholly unexpectedly, they were engaged by machine-gun fire from the bunker, now no more than 25m away. Surprised, the Section Commander spun around to face the bunker and saw an enemy soldier in the process of throwing a grenade at the Section. All took cover as quickly as possible, less Branchflower who stood his ground and engaged the enemy grenadier. Branchflower hit and killed the enemy soldier, who dropped the grenade. The subsequent detonation also killed the enemy machine-gunner who had been engaging the Section.
Branchflower's bravery, professionalism and presence of mind in these circumstances were truly remarkable for a soldier barely three months out of training. Undoubtedly, his decisive action saved his fellow Section members from severe injury.'
