John Pettinger

Captain John Stuart Pettinger DCM (born 1953) is a former officer of the Parachute Regiment in the British Army and a veteran of the Falklands War during which he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) for bravery. five of which were awarded to the Parachute Regiment. Pettinger was invested with his Distinguished Conduct Medal by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 1982. and Jack Pettinger (1921-1989). He joined the British Army in September 1968 at 15 years old as a junior soldier of the Parachute Regiment. He served for two years with the Infantry Junior Leaders Battalion at Oswestry in Shropshire after which he successfully completed 'P Company', the stringent 'Pre-Parachute Selection' courses for Parachute Regiment recruits. Pettinger was posted to the 3rd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment in early 1971.

In 1972 Pettinger was posted to D (Patrol) Company, 3rd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment with whom he made tours of Northern Ireland and Malaya before being promoted to Corporal instructing recruits at Depot Para at Browning Barracks in Aldershot in Hampshire during 1976–78. In 1975 in Hyndburn in Lancashire he married Yvonne J. Garwood. The marriage was later dissolved. In 1981 he returned to D (Patrol) Company as a Sergeant.

South Atlantic

On 9 April 1982 Pettinger, with the rest of the 2nd Battalion and 3rd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment sailed from Southampton on SS Canberra, a cruise liner which had been requisitioned as a troopship.

Pettinger served as Patrol Commander of D (Patrol) Company during 11 days of operations in and around the Mount Longdon area on East Falkland. Pettinger's D Company, under cover of darkness, acted as the "eyes and ears" of 3 Para, carrying out six close target reconnaissances of enemy defensive positions in order to identify Argentine machine gun and mortar positions, and entered enemy trenches undetected. Pettinger after guided the men of B Company, 3 Para in the 12-hour Battle of Mount Longdon and killed three Argentinian soldiers.

After the Falklands War On returning from the Falklands Pettinger was invested with his Distinguished Conduct Medal by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace along with Brian Faulkner. He was promoted to Colour Sergeant, and in 1983 he was posted to the Infantry Training Battle School at Brecon in Wales as an instructor on the Senior NCO division. Later in 1983 he was back with D (Patrol) Company, 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment as a Platoon Commander, later becoming the Company Quartermaster Sergeant (CQMS) for Support Company (Sp Coy). He was promoted to Warrant Officer II (WOII) and Company Sergeant Major of B Company in 3 Para and later served as the Senior Permanent Staff Instructor with 10th Battalion, Parachute Regiment (TA) in North London during 1986 to 1989.

Pettinger finished his regular army service in August 1993 and immediately joined the Non Regular Permanent Staff with 10th Battalion, Parachute Regiment (10 Para TA) as a Company Quartermaster Sergeant (CQMS). In 1999 10 Para was disbanded, following which Pettinger was transferred to another Territorial Army Unit of the local Royal Logistics Corps. In January 2002 he was commissioned as a captain, becoming the Permanent Staff Administration Officer (PSAO) with 144 Parachute Medical Squadron in Hornsey where he served for three years before retiring from the Army after having served for 36 years. Sales fees took the price to £161,200. The group was bought by an anonymous British collector.

After the sale Pettinger stated: I'm pleased to know that my medals and the story of how I won them are now safely in the hands of a collector.

The money that they have raised will be put to good use in my retirement.

Pettinger's medals

60px General Service Medal, with Northern Ireland clasp (24159222 Pte. J. S. Pettinger Para)

60px Volunteer Reserves Service Medal, E.II.R. (Capt J S Pettinger RAMC)