The Silver Cross of Rhodesia pair awarded to Captain Martin Pearse, S.C.R., M.F.C., Rhodesian SAS Regiment, killed in action during a raid on Joshua Nkomo’s HQ in Lusaka

Silver Cross of Rhodesia, S.C.R., the reverse officially named (Capt M. F. Pearce M.F.C. (Operational)); Rhodesian General Service Medal, the ribbon with Operational Military Forces Commendation silver pick emblem (Capt M. F. Pearse) note variation in spelling of surname, otherwise nearly extremely fine (2)

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, An Important Collection of Awards to the SAS and Special Forces.

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Silver Cross of Rhodesia Government Gazette 1 June 1979. Awarded for the earlier raid on Nkomo’s home in Lusaka on 12-13 April 1979.

Military Forces Commendation (Operational) Government Gazette 26 September 1975. ‘Lieutenant M. F. Pearse, C Squadron, Rhodesian Special Air Service Regiment. Whilst employed on operations Lieutenant Pearse was in command of a twelve-man patrol carrying out the task of a long term ambush. The bush was extremely thick and finding a suitable position proved a difficult task. After lying in ambush for five days, twenty-four terrorists walked into the position. Lieutenant Martin Frank Pearse sprang the ambush which resulted in thirteen immediate kills. Further intelligence gained indicated that fifteen terrorists had been killed in this ambush and also a number had been wounded. Lieutenant Pearse’s skill in the siting of the ambush and his determination to wait and kill, resulted in a highly successful contact.’

On the night of 12-13 April 1979, Captain Martin Pearse led the SAS raid on ZIPRA leader Joshua Nkomo’s house and command centre in Lusaka in an operation codenamed ‘Bastille’. For the clandestine raid into Zambia, the SAS painted their Sabre Land Rovers to resemble Zambian security force vehicles and, having crossed Lake Kariba by ferry, audaciously drove into the centre of Lusaka. The plan was for Pearse to to breach the security wall, then lead a team into the house to assassinate Nkomo. The raid went well and several terrorist guards were killed outside the house but, to their great disappointment, Nkomo was nowhere to be found having earlier left the house unseen. In concert with this attack, another SAS team made a successful attack on the Liberation Centre nearby.

Two months later, on 26 June, Rhodesian security forces launched Operation Carpet, a helicopter and jet air strike on a ZIPRA camp at Chikumbi north of Lusaka and an attack on the headquarters of the ZAPU department of National Security and Order at Roma in Lusaka. Five helicopters dropped assault troops, inlcuding Martin Pearse, around the suburban headquarters of the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) in Roma and opened fire with small arms and rockets, the attack lasting about 30 minutes. At the same time, Hawker Hunter strike aircraft pounded a guerilla camp at Chikumbi, eight miles north of Lusaka. Between 20 and 50 terrorists were killed but Captain Martin Pearse was also killed when a rocket exploded prematurely. Three days later he was due to have received the Silver Cross of Rhodesia that had been Gazetted to him at the beginning of the month