Malcolm Frame

One evening he left Gornji Rahic with fifteen members of his unit in vehicles with the given objective of clearing a small, enemy-held village of chetniks. The hamlet comprised about six houses in a straight line adjacent to a main road. At one end was sited a bunker containing a heavy machine gun and so the plan was to split into two groups; a fire support group to attack the rear of the houses with their heavy weapons; MG42 general purpose machine guns, RPG-7ﾒs, Osa and Zolja rocket launchers and an assault group which was to overrun the bunker and clear the front of the buildings.

In the early hours the attack went in. Malcolm, in the assault group, successfully overwhelmed the bunker but on moving forward across open ground at the front of the houses, one of the inhabitants, essentially just a local farmer, fired two .22 rounds from his civilian rifle into Malcolm at close range. One of the small calibre bullets entered the side of his head near the temple and the other entered the base of his neck. As it was so dark, none of Malcolmﾒs group could later identify the individual that had shot him.

A vehicle containing Malcolmﾒs body returned to Gornji Rahic at approximately 05:45a.m. He was immediately transferred to a makeshift casualty station but within five minutes was pronounced dead by the doctor.

The entire action had lasted no more than five or six minutes and was a complete success. One other soldier was wounded and nine Serb prisoners taken.

Malcolmﾒs personal effects were eventually returned to his family, together with a certificate issued by his commanding officer acknowledging Malcolmﾒs bravery in the service of the HVO.