Medals for 2 RUR.

Colour Serjeant Sharkey receives his DCM ribbon from Field Marshal Montgomery.

By 1300 hours on 14 November 1944, a cold and stormy day, the 2nd Battalion The Royal Ulster Rifles had completed the relief of the 1st Battalion The King's Own Scottish Borderers in a position just to the west of the River Meuse at Smakt in Holland. On the other side of the Meuse lay the German border.

During the afternoon, the Commander-in-Chief of the 21st Army Group, Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery KCB DSO, visited HQ 3rd (British) Infantry Division, where he presented gallantry awards to four members of the Battalion for their actions in recent battles. This included the Military Cross (MC) to Captain Montgomery, the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) to Colour Serjeant Sharkey and the Military Medal (MM) to Corporal Reid and Rifleman Charles. A group photograph was then taken with the C-in-C and the Commander 3rd Division. Each medal recipient later received his own copy of the photograph but would wait longer to receive the actual gallantry medal. In the image to the right, the C-in-C presents C/Sjt Sharkey with his DCM ribbon. (Left, a DCM)