b. 1986 Seaton Delaval, Northumberland.
DATE OF CGC ACTION: 01/10/2008 to 31/03/2009 Afghanistan.
Bradley “Bugsy” Malone CGC
Bradley Malone was born in Seaton Delaval, Northumberland in 1986. At the age of 16, in 2002, he enlisted with the Royal Marines. He then served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. In an interview to a magazine in 2010 soon after the award of the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross, he was quoted as saying “I had my heart set on the Marines from when I was very young. They’re a different breed, really. The Marines have the longest and toughest infantry training course in the world, and joining them was, for me, the ultimate challenge.”
He was posted to Afghanistan in October 2008 as a Section Commander with 45 Commando, Royal Marines. He was based at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) at Sangin and was soon in the thick of the action. The London Gazette as always gave no specific detail of Malone’s heroism, but various sources have been used to piece it together. The following appeared in the catalogue for the sale of his medal group in July 2023:
‘Corporal Malone served in Afghanistan with Zulu Company, 45 Commando. On three separate occasions Corporal Malone has excelled in the heat of battle and demonstrated gallantry, leadership and courage far beyond that reasonably expected of a junior rank.
In the first incident, after his company was caught in a fierce ambush, Corporal Malone fearlessly led his section with calm authority, ordering his men to bayonet charge the enemy who broke and fled in the face of his determined onslaught.
Subsequently, in an operation in November [2008], when his section was pinned down by heavy and accurate fire, he displayed a complete disregard for his own safety, scrambling from the cover of a ditch he advanced across open ground dodging a hail of bullets in order to collect Troop Sergeant Tompkins who had become isolated in the killing area whilst firing mortars at the enemy. Fighting together, the pair managed to hold off the insurgents and reach safety.
Corporal Malone’s final act of bravery occurred on 31 December 2008 when his Troop was ambushed and a massive improvised explosive device was triggered, which killed his Troop Commander. Commanding and firing from an exposed position Corporal Malone galvanised efforts to recover casualties and infused those around him. Undaunted, he immediately took control of the situation and by firing more than 900 rounds, he managed to keep the insurgents at bay while providing covering fire for the evacuation of the dead man.
Corporal Malone’s fighting prowess and nerve turned the tide of the battle and led directly to the successful extraction of 10 Troop from a deadly ambush. His exceptional resourcefulness and courage were remarkable and in the finest traditions of the Corps.’
The news of the award of his CGC reached Malone in a most unusual fashion. As can be seen from the London Gazette entry, a certain Marine James Malone was also serving in 45 Commando at the same time as Bradley Malone. Due to a typographical error (that made it all the way to the London Gazette), James Malone was called into the CO’s office and informed of his award of the CGC – with champagne celebration and all. It shortly became clear, much to the bemusement of all concerned, that the wrong Malone was being decorated. By the time everything had been rectified there was no champagne left for ‘Bugsy’ to celebrate with!
Bradley Malone was invested with the CGC at Buckingham Palace on 11 December 2009, and chose that auspicious day to also successfully propose to his girlfriend. In July 2023, Bradley Malone auctioned his CGC medal group at Noonans in London. The purpose of the sale was that he wanted to use the money to set up a retreat for veterans in the Scottish Highlands near to his home in Loch Lomond. The medal group sold for a hammer price of £160,000, a world record for a sale of the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: PRIVATELY OWNED.
