Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Guardsman D. J. Denholm, 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards who was killed in action during the Scots Guards epic action at Mount Tumbledown on the night of 13/14 June 1982
General Service 1962, 1 clasp, Northern Ireland (24469565 Gdsm, SG); South Atlantic 1982, with rosette (24469565 Gdsm, SG) the first with some contact wear and a little polished, otherwise good very fine or better (2) £3000-3500

Derek James Denholm was born in May 1958 and enlisted into the Scots Guards in January 1978, with whom he served in Northern Ireland on two occasions from 27 August 1978 to 26 December 1978 and from 10 March 1980 to 10 November 1981. He subsequently served during the Falklands War and was killed in action in the Battle for Mount Tumbledown on the night of 13/14 June 1982, his cause of death being recorded as ‘blast injury, multiple shrapnel wounds’. At the time of his death he was serving with 14 Platoon, Left Flank Company, 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards and he is buried at Sandymount Cemetery, Glasgow, Scotland.

The fighting was hard going for the Left Flank Company on Mount Tumbledown. The Argentinians had well dug-in machine guns and snipers. At 2:30 a.m. a second British assault overwhelmed the Argentinian defences. British troops swarmed the mountaintop and drove the Argentinians out, at times fighting with fixed bayonets. Major Kiszely, who was to become a senior general after the war, was the first man into the enemy position, personally shooting two enemy conscripts and bayoneting a third, his bayonet breaking in two. Seeing their company commander among the Argentinians inspired 14 and 15 Platoons to make the final dash across open ground to get within bayoneting distance of the marines. Kiszely and six other Guardsmen suddenly found themselves standing on top of the mountain, looking down on Stanley under street lighting and with vehicles moving along the roads.

The 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards lost eight dead and 43 wounded during the Battle for Mount Tumbledown and in consequence of gallantry shown that day its men were rewarded with one Distinguished Service Order, two Military Crosses (including one to Major Kiszely), two Distinguished Conduct Medals (including one posthumous) and two Military Medals.

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