We are offering for auction a Military Medal (copy) gifted to the Victoria Cross Trust by one of its patrons Chris Ryan ex SAS soldier and best selling author. The medal is engraved with the correct personal information and is identical to the original. Chris gave us this medal to help raise funds for our work which can be viewed at www.victoriacrosstrust.org

Ryan was a team member of the ill-fated  Bravo Two Zero patrol in Iraq during the First Gulf War. The patrol was sent to "gather intelligence,... find a good LUP (lying up position) and set up an OP" on the main supply route (MSR) between Baghdad and North-Western Iraq, and eventually take out the Scud Missile Launchers. However, they were compromised and forced to head towards Syria on foot.

Ryan made SAS history with the "longest escape and evasion by an SAS trooper or any other soldier", covering 100 miles (160 km) more than SAS trooper Jack Sillito had in the Sahara Desert in 1942. Ryan completed a 300 kilometres (190 mi) tab from an observation point on the Iraq Main Supply Route (MSR) between Baghdad and North-Western Iraq to the Syrian Border.

During his escape, Ryan suffered injuries from drinking water contaminated with nuclear waste. Besides suffering severe muscle atrophy he lost a potentially fatal 16.32 kg (36.0 lb) and did not return to operational duties. Instead, he selected and trained potential recruits, finally being honourably discharged from the SAS in 1994.

We are listing this without any reserve and we would hope that people do remember that this is an auction for a registered military charity.

We will also allow buyers to remain anonymous to other eBay members and will not reveal the identity of the purchaser without written permission