An Important Collection of Awards to the SAS and Special Forces An important group of six awarded to Major André Dennison, M.L.M., B.C.R., Rhodesian African Rifles, late York and Lancaster Regiment and S.A.S., decorated three times for bravery in Rhodesia and killed in action in June 1979 Member of the Legion of Merit, M.L.M. (Military), unnamed as issued, with its original case of issue; Bronze Cross of Rhodesia, B.C.R., the reverse officially named (Maj A Dennison) with its original case of issue; Rhodesian General Service Medal, the ribbon with Operational Military Forces Commendation silver pick emblem (Maj A. Dennison); General Service 1918-62, 2 clasps, Near East, Cyprus (2Lt. A. Dennison, Y & L); General Service 1962, 2 clasps, Borneo, Northern Ireland (Capt. A. Dennison, S.A.S.) the last two marked on the rim with a small ‘R’ to denote that they are official replacement medals; Malaysian General Service Medal, unnamed as issued, the second bruised on one point of cross, otherwise good very fine (6) Footnote Bronze Cross of Rhodesia Government Gazette 9 February 1979. ‘During October 1978 Major Dennison was severely wounded in the initial stages of a contact. With a shattered femur and extensive bleeding from his wounds he lost consciousness. On regaining consciousness he refused evacuation and continued to direct the battle in a calm and competent manner. After one hour and fifteen minutes he was taken out of the area, semi-conscious from loss of blood. The contact was extremely successful, largely due to Major Dennison’s bravery and dedication to his task under circumstances far beyond the normal call of duty.’ Member of the Legion of Merit (Military)Government Gazette 23 September 1977. Military Forces Commendation (Operational) Government Gazette 31 March 1978. André ‘Andy’ Dennison was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, on 24 July 1935, and enlisted in the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment on 24 June 1953. He was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the York and Lancaster Regiment, from Sandhurst, in February 1955, and the following year took part in the Suez debacle. As Senior Subaltern in 1957 he carried the Queen’s Colour at the presentation of new Colours to 1 Y & L by the Earl of Scarborough at Dover. Between 1958 and 1959 he was attached to 2 PARA in Cyprus and Jordan. Returning to 1 Y & L in Germany, he was promoted Captain in 1961, and the next year was seconded to 22 SAS on active service with Far East Land Forces in Borneo, his achievements here including penetration of dense and hitherto unmapped jungle of the Gap with Sergeant Eddie Lillico. In 1964 he served with 1 DWR in the UK and BAOR. In 1965, recently promoted Major, he joined a contingent of eighty British officers and senior NCO’s seconded to the Malaysian armed forces for the purpose of recruiting and training four infantry battalions. Each battalion was then sent on active service first to the Malayan border with Thailand and afterwards replaced British or Commonwealth troops serving in Sabah and Sarawak. Dennison was associated at this period with the 3rd Battalion, Malaysian Rangers. Rejoining 1 Y & L in 1968, he served with them in Cyprus until their disbandment in the UK at the end of year, when he was rebadged as a Duke of Wellington. From 1969 to 1971 he was on secondment to the Malawi Rifles. Between 1972 and his resignation from the British Army in 1975 Dennison served as a regular training Major with the 6th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment. He spoke little of his activities in Northern Ireland and, indeed, elsewhere, but occasionally, according to a Rhodesian journalist friend: ‘ there were unguarded moments when Dennison hinted of dark deeds. Like the elusive IRA leader holed up in his Londonderry ‘safe house’ where the frustrated SAS could not ‘legally’ reach him for months on end. Then the mysterious, never-explained shotgun blast in the dark of the night, snuffing out the IRA man on his own doorstep when he answered the coded knock known only
An Important Collection of Awards to the SAS and Special Forces An important group of six awarded to Major André Dennison, M.L.M., B.C.R., Rhodesian African Rifles, late York and Lancaster Regiment and S.A.S., decorated three times for bravery in Rhodesia and killed in action in June 1979 Member of the Legion of Merit, M.L.M. (Military), unnamed as issued, with its original case of issue; Bronze Cross of Rhodesia, B.C.R., the reverse officially named (Maj A Dennison) with its original case of issue; Rhodesian General Service Medal, the ribbon with Operational Military Forces Commendation silver pick emblem (Maj A. Dennison); General Service 1918-62, 2 clasps, Near East, Cyprus (2Lt. A. Dennison, Y & L); General Service 1962, 2 clasps, Borneo, Northern Ireland (Capt. A. Dennison, S.A.S.) the last two marked on the rim with a small ‘R’ to denote that they are official replacement medals; Malaysian General Service Medal, unnamed as issued, the second bruised on one point of cross, otherwise good very fine (6) Footnote Bronze Cross of Rhodesia Government Gazette 9 February 1979. ‘During October 1978 Major Dennison was severely wounded in the initial stages of a contact. With a shattered femur and extensive bleeding from his wounds he lost consciousness. On regaining consciousness he refused evacuation and continued to direct the battle in a calm and competent manner. After one hour and fifteen minutes he was taken out of the area, semi-conscious from loss of blood. The contact was extremely successful, largely due to Major Dennison’s bravery and dedication to his task under circumstances far beyond the normal call of duty.’ Member of the Legion of Merit (Military)Government Gazette 23 September 1977. Military Forces Commendation (Operational) Government Gazette 31 March 1978. André ‘Andy’ Dennison was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, on 24 July 1935, and enlisted in the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment on 24 June 1953. He was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the York and Lancaster Regiment, from Sandhurst, in February 1955, and the following year took part in the Suez debacle. As Senior Subaltern in 1957 he carried the Queen’s Colour at the presentation of new Colours to 1 Y & L by the Earl of Scarborough at Dover. Between 1958 and 1959 he was attached to 2 PARA in Cyprus and Jordan. Returning to 1 Y & L in Germany, he was promoted Captain in 1961, and the next year was seconded to 22 SAS on active service with Far East Land Forces in Borneo, his achievements here including penetration of dense and hitherto unmapped jungle of the Gap with Sergeant Eddie Lillico. In 1964 he served with 1 DWR in the UK and BAOR. In 1965, recently promoted Major, he joined a contingent of eighty British officers and senior NCO’s seconded to the Malaysian armed forces for the purpose of recruiting and training four infantry battalions. Each battalion was then sent on active service first to the Malayan border with Thailand and afterwards replaced British or Commonwealth troops serving in Sabah and Sarawak. Dennison was associated at this period with the 3rd Battalion, Malaysian Rangers. Rejoining 1 Y & L in 1968, he served with them in Cyprus until their disbandment in the UK at the end of year, when he was rebadged as a Duke of Wellington. From 1969 to 1971 he was on secondment to the Malawi Rifles. Between 1972 and his resignation from the British Army in 1975 Dennison served as a regular training Major with the 6th Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment. He spoke little of his activities in Northern Ireland and, indeed, elsewhere, but occasionally, according to a Rhodesian journalist friend: ‘ there were unguarded moments when Dennison hinted of dark deeds. Like the elusive IRA leader holed up in his Londonderry ‘safe house’ where the frustrated SAS could not ‘legally’ reach him for months on end. Then the mysterious, never-explained shotgun blast in the dark of the night, snuffing out the IRA man on his own doorstep when he answered the coded knock known only
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