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Special Air Service Regimentally Important SAS Founding Father’s Military Medal & Bar Group of 8

In Original Military Badges, Medals, Head-Dress, ...

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Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Special Air Service Regimentally Important SAS Founding Father’s Military Medal & Bar Group of 8 Medals. Awarded to Warrant Officer Robert “Bob”Duncan Tait MM & Bar Founding member of “L Detachment”, later the Special Air Service and credited with the design of the most coveted Military Badge in the world “The Winged Dagger”. Comprising: Military Medal with second award bar, “2888693 L/CPL D.R. TAIT GORDONS”, 1939/45 Star, Africa Star, clasp “8th Army”, France & Germany Star, Defence Medal, War Medal, General Service Medal, clasp “Palestine 1945-48”, “2888693 WO CL2 R.D. TAIT MM AAC”, Royal Air Force Long Service & Good Conduct Medal (EIIR), “P4040670 F.SGT R.D. TAIT RAF”. ... Accompanied by a small quantity of original ephemera, including WW2 Scrap book with newspaper cuttings of SAS Operations, W.O. Tait’s trip to the United States in 1945. 1965 dated personnel letter from David Stirling, SAS signed Menu.... Miniature Medal group, mounted as worn, please note EIIR MM. .... Operational maps of Libya, some with pencil notes. ... Certificate of Service. ... Original photographs. ... etc. The Recommendation for the award of the Bar to the Military Medal was raised by Lt Col A.D. Stirling DSO. “A/Sgt Robert Tait MM The Gordons (London Scottish), L Det SAS Bed. Sgt Tait under an Officer and with two OR’s destroyed 37 aircraft on Agedabia aerodrome 1942. The party showed the highest degree of skill in arriving undetected on the aerodrome and great determination in fighting their way out on the completion of their task. The same party on their next raid in the Marble Arch area succeeded in spite of not being picked up at their RV in returning to our lines 180 miles distant. On this occasion their Officer was sick and they were obliged to hold up enemy trucks on two occasions to provide transport for the party. They returned with information on enemy dispositions and minefields most valuable at the time. This NCO has since taken part in many raids”. Recommendation for the award of the Military Medal was raised by Col Laycock of Layforce.L/Cpl Robert Tait S.S. Bde (Layforce) 26.6.41.“Litani River (Syria) 9-10 June 1941. L/Cpl Tait showed considerable initiative and enterprise throughout the action. When his section was attacked by A.F.Vs he himself set one of them on fire and he and his detachment drove off 5 others. When his detachment was eventually surrounded and surrendered on the orders of an Officer L/Cpl Tait made good his escape, swam the river and rejoined his Battalion.”Warrant Officer Robert Duncan Tait MM & Bar a native of Greenock joined the Royal Navy at the age of 16. In 1940 he enlisted into the Gordons (London Scottish). Posted to Aberdeen for training he decided on a more exciting army career and volunteered for Commando training. Joining 11 Commando he was posted to the Middle East in January 1941 to serve with the Special Service Brigade Layforce under the command of Col.(later Major General) Robert Edward Laycock KCMG CB DSO KStJ. The Battle of Litani River took part on the 9th June 1941. 11 Commando were tasked with the capture of a vital bridge, but due to delay the Vichy French blew the bridge. The commando secured a small bridgehead via pontoon bridges, it appears that Bob’s group became separated and came under direct heavy attack from armoured cars. It was about this point that Bob disobeyed the order to surrender and swam the river to meet up with Allied forces. The CO of 11 Commando was killed and the later Lieutenant-Colonel Geoffrey Charles Tasker Keyes, VC, MC took command and the crossing was later secured.Later in 1941 Bob was invited to join L Detachment Special Air Service Brigade under the command of Col David Stirling DSO and took part in the first operation of the Regiment in November 1941. This was a parachute drop in support of the Operation Crusader offensive. Due to German resistance and adverse weather conditions which resulted in the loss of valuable RAF aircraft, the mission was a disaster; 22 men, a third of the unit, were killed or captured. Bob survived this and was selected to take part in the second operation. The future of the SAS in the balance, they would attack three German airfields in Lybia. Transported by the LRDG the raid has become legendary and confirmed the SAS’s place in the British Army and it’s reputation as the premier unit of the world’s Special Forces. The recommendation confirms Bob took part in a number of operations and one newspaper reports him being wounded. He returned to the UK in early 1944 in readiness for D-Day. After the landing he took part in operations and is believed at one time attached to an American unit as a scout and other recon duties. In April 1945 he was selected to visit the USA and many of the newspaper cuttings and photographs record this trip. Returning to the UK in 1946, the SAS had been disbanded in October 1945 and Bob reenlisted into the Army Air Corps in September 1946 seeing service in Palestine during the troubles. Discharged in 1949 he completed the Military Trio by joining the Royal Air Force Regiment being awarded the LS&GC Medal and with the rank of Flight Sergeant. In 1963 he was posted as an instructor to RAF Henlow, nearing retirement age he drew on his SAS skills for one last covert operation, by breaking into the Headquarters block retrieving his personal records and changing the date of Birth on them. Alas his tampering was discovered and at age expired received his final discharge. However “Bob” Tait will not only be remembered as a founding member of the SAS and his daring operations, but being the man who put pencil to paper and designed the most famous and coveted military cap badge in the world “The Winged Dagger”.
Special Air Service Regimentally Important SAS Founding Father’s Military Medal & Bar Group of 8 Medals. Awarded to Warrant Officer Robert “Bob”Duncan Tait MM & Bar Founding member of “L Detachment”, later the Special Air Service and credited with the design of the most coveted Military Badge in the world “The Winged Dagger”. Comprising: Military Medal with second award bar, “2888693 L/CPL D.R. TAIT GORDONS”, 1939/45 Star, Africa Star, clasp “8th Army”, France & Germany Star, Defence Medal, War Medal, General Service Medal, clasp “Palestine 1945-48”, “2888693 WO CL2 R.D. TAIT MM AAC”, Royal Air Force Long Service & Good Conduct Medal (EIIR), “P4040670 F.SGT R.D. TAIT RAF”. ... Accompanied by a small quantity of original ephemera, including WW2 Scrap book with newspaper cuttings of SAS Operations, W.O. Tait’s trip to the United States in 1945. 1965 dated personnel letter from David Stirling, SAS signed Menu.... Miniature Medal group, mounted as worn, please note EIIR MM. .... Operational maps of Libya, some with pencil notes. ... Certificate of Service. ... Original photographs. ... etc. The Recommendation for the award of the Bar to the Military Medal was raised by Lt Col A.D. Stirling DSO. “A/Sgt Robert Tait MM The Gordons (London Scottish), L Det SAS Bed. Sgt Tait under an Officer and with two OR’s destroyed 37 aircraft on Agedabia aerodrome 1942. The party showed the highest degree of skill in arriving undetected on the aerodrome and great determination in fighting their way out on the completion of their task. The same party on their next raid in the Marble Arch area succeeded in spite of not being picked up at their RV in returning to our lines 180 miles distant. On this occasion their Officer was sick and they were obliged to hold up enemy trucks on two occasions to provide transport for the party. They returned with information on enemy dispositions and minefields most valuable at the time. This NCO has since taken part in many raids”. Recommendation for the award of the Military Medal was raised by Col Laycock of Layforce.L/Cpl Robert Tait S.S. Bde (Layforce) 26.6.41.“Litani River (Syria) 9-10 June 1941. L/Cpl Tait showed considerable initiative and enterprise throughout the action. When his section was attacked by A.F.Vs he himself set one of them on fire and he and his detachment drove off 5 others. When his detachment was eventually surrounded and surrendered on the orders of an Officer L/Cpl Tait made good his escape, swam the river and rejoined his Battalion.”Warrant Officer Robert Duncan Tait MM & Bar a native of Greenock joined the Royal Navy at the age of 16. In 1940 he enlisted into the Gordons (London Scottish). Posted to Aberdeen for training he decided on a more exciting army career and volunteered for Commando training. Joining 11 Commando he was posted to the Middle East in January 1941 to serve with the Special Service Brigade Layforce under the command of Col.(later Major General) Robert Edward Laycock KCMG CB DSO KStJ. The Battle of Litani River took part on the 9th June 1941. 11 Commando were tasked with the capture of a vital bridge, but due to delay the Vichy French blew the bridge. The commando secured a small bridgehead via pontoon bridges, it appears that Bob’s group became separated and came under direct heavy attack from armoured cars. It was about this point that Bob disobeyed the order to surrender and swam the river to meet up with Allied forces. The CO of 11 Commando was killed and the later Lieutenant-Colonel Geoffrey Charles Tasker Keyes, VC, MC took command and the crossing was later secured.Later in 1941 Bob was invited to join L Detachment Special Air Service Brigade under the command of Col David Stirling DSO and took part in the first operation of the Regiment in November 1941. This was a parachute drop in support of the Operation Crusader offensive. Due to German resistance and adverse weather conditions which resulted in the loss of valuable RAF aircraft, the mission was a disaster; 22 men, a third of the unit, were killed or captured. Bob survived this and was selected to take part in the second operation. The future of the SAS in the balance, they would attack three German airfields in Lybia. Transported by the LRDG the raid has become legendary and confirmed the SAS’s place in the British Army and it’s reputation as the premier unit of the world’s Special Forces. The recommendation confirms Bob took part in a number of operations and one newspaper reports him being wounded. He returned to the UK in early 1944 in readiness for D-Day. After the landing he took part in operations and is believed at one time attached to an American unit as a scout and other recon duties. In April 1945 he was selected to visit the USA and many of the newspaper cuttings and photographs record this trip. Returning to the UK in 1946, the SAS had been disbanded in October 1945 and Bob reenlisted into the Army Air Corps in September 1946 seeing service in Palestine during the troubles. Discharged in 1949 he completed the Military Trio by joining the Royal Air Force Regiment being awarded the LS&GC Medal and with the rank of Flight Sergeant. In 1963 he was posted as an instructor to RAF Henlow, nearing retirement age he drew on his SAS skills for one last covert operation, by breaking into the Headquarters block retrieving his personal records and changing the date of Birth on them. Alas his tampering was discovered and at age expired received his final discharge. However “Bob” Tait will not only be remembered as a founding member of the SAS and his daring operations, but being the man who put pencil to paper and designed the most famous and coveted military cap badge in the world “The Winged Dagger”.

Original Military Badges, Medals, Head-Dress, Uniforms, Swords Etc

Sale Date(s)
Venue Address
Court Garden
Pound Lane
Marlow
Buckinghamshire
SL7 2BS
United Kingdom

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