The Bill and Angela Strong Medal Collection

A rare Naval General Service Medal awarded to Major G. L. D. Jenkins, Intelligence Corps, late Royal Navy, who won a “mention” for services on attachment to 45 Commando in the Cyprus emergency and who acted as the unit’s Intelligence Officer on the first day of the Suez landings

Naval General Service 1915-62, 2 clasps, Cyprus, Near East, with M.I.D. oak leaf (Inst. Lt. G. L. D. Jenkins, R.N.), good very fine £500-600

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Bill and Angela Strong Medal Collection.

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Gethin Lionel David Jenkins was born in Merthyr, Tydfil, Wales in May 1959 and was appointed an Instructor Sub. Lieutenant in the Royal Navy in November 1948.

An Instructor Lieutenant on attachment to 45 Commando at the time of the Cyprus emergency in September 1955, he served ashore as an Intelligence Officer, a role he describes in David Young’s Four Five:

‘As the Naval Acorn (Intelligence Officer), my vehicle was the Loud hailer Land Rover in which I had a driver (a well suited ex-stock car racer), and interpreter and one policeman. We were always first into any village during cordon and search operations and Vouni was no exception. When ordered into the village we drove round the spur on to a short u-bend leading to the village. Some 25 yards from the first houses there was a small road block of rocks erected by the villagers and facing us, where the houses began, there was a large mob in front of which were villagers armed with crowbars, clubs and axes. They started shouting and bombarded us with rocks and stones. After a quick scrabble for the one tin hat in the vehicle we did a speedy reverse out of range.’

Jenkins was subsequently mentioned in despatches ‘for distinguished services in operations in Cyprus during the period 1 July to 31 December 1957’ (London Gazette 7 July 1958 refers).

Meanwhile, he had also witnessed active service in the Near East, when he was present in 45 Commando’s landing by helicopter at Suez on 5 November 1956. Robert Jackson’s Suez: The Forgotten Invasion takes up the story:

‘While E and Z Troops were engaging snipers, the Commando’s Tactical H.Q., followed by A, B and X Troops, were approaching the northern end of Shari el Mahrousa, the troops advancing cautiously and on the alert for snipers. As they did so, they were suddenly attacked by a Westland Wyvern fighter-bomber, whose pilot, it transpired later, had been given an erroneous map reference for his air strike target. The aircraft’s cannon shells wounded Lieutenant-Colonel Tailyour in the arm and fatally wounded his signaller, Marine Michael Fowler; Lieutenant John Weston, 45 Commando’s Intelligence Officer, and fourteen other ranks were also injured. To make matters worse, all the Marines’ radio sets were damaged in the attack, so that contact with the forward troops was lost for some time. The casualties were evacuated to the LZ in an ambulance provided by 40 Commando, while Tactical H.Q. was quickly reorganised. Major Richard Crombi took over from the injured Tailyour, while Lieutenant-Commander Lionel Jenkins assumed the role of Intelligence Officer ... ’

Placed on the Reserve in May 1959, Jenkins gained appointment as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Intelligence Corps in October of the same year, and remained similarly employed until being placed on the Retired List as a Major in March 1973.

Born in 1929 not 1959