“Youngest M.M. in the Army”

80 years ago Rifleman Thomas F. McBride became the youngest serving soldier of the British Army to be awarded the Military Medal. Aged 19, Thomas was serving in Palestine with the 2nd Battalion The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) when he performed the act that would lead to him being decorated for gallantry. The 2nd Battalion were  part of the British force sent to oppose nationalist uprisings in Palestine, which was at that time a Mandate of the United Kingdom.

Rifleman McBride, centre, wearing the Military Medal

On October 9th, 1936, a vehicle patrol of ‘B’ Company 2nd Cameronians, was caught in an ambush on the road near Hebron. The patrol encountered a series of road blocks when one of the vehicles struck and detonated a mine, injuring the occupants and blocking the road. The patrol was fired on from the hills on either side of the road. Rifleman McBride pulled an injured policeman from the burning truck, before climbing in the back to unload a crate of ammunition which was at risk of exploding. In the course of his actions, Rifleman McBride suffered burns to his face and hands.

For his actions that day, Rifleman McBride was awarded the Military Medal. At the time, he was the youngest serving soldier in the British Army to receive the award, having only just turned 19 years of age when the 2nd Battalion were sent to Palestine. Rifleman McBride would go on to serve in the Second World War, where he served with the 1st Battalion in Burma.

Rifleman McBride’s medals are on display in Low Parks Museum.

Rifleman McBride’s Military Medal – on display in Low Parks Museum

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