Heartbreak for descendants of SAS founding member after medal awarded to the hero was stolen by burglars as family were on holiday

• The heartless thieves may only sell the priceless elite SAS medals ‘for a tenner’
• But the family is heartbroken and were forced to watch the burglary on CCTV 

The descendants of one of the original SAS founding members are devastated and distraught after heartless thieves stole priceless medals during a burglary – which was caught on CCTV while they were relaxing on holiday.

Charlie Marshall carried out daring raids with the Long Range Desert Group before becoming a founder of The Regiment.

The endeavours of the elite soldiers, commanded by Sir David Stirling, even feature in the popular BBC series SAS Rogue Heroes.

Charlie’s great nephew Chris Fowler MBE fears the crooks who ransacked his Yorkshire home will flog the medals for a tenner.

Now he is offering a substantial reward for information leading to the recovery of the stolen property and conviction of the thieves.

Pictured, SAS hero Charlie Marshall who died from wounds in combat. His medals have been stolen by heartless thieves

They were forced to watch helplessly when the burglars were caught breaking in while the family was on holiday abroad.

They alerted police in England but cops arrived just minutes too late at the address in Wickersley, near Rotherham, South Yorkshire.

Mr Fowler said: ‘We’ve lost irreplaceable family heirlooms. We’re all absolutely devastated. My mother is distraught.

‘Charlie J Marshall was a founding member of the Long Range Desert Group and served for several years after in the subsequent SAS until he was wounded and later died from his injuries.

‘My mother is distraught and I want these medals returned.

‘Whoever stole them wouldn’t have known who they belonged to or what they stand for.’

Also stolen were World War One medals belonging to Charlie’s father, Charles Marshall

Mr Fowler said his family watched in horror as intruders ransacked their home.

South Yorkshire Police said the burglars struck in Morthen Road at about 2:15am on Thursday, September 28.

Also stolen were World War One medals belonging to Charlie’s father Charles Marshall, a member of the Army Service Corps, as well as several valuable watches.

‘We were on holiday in Croatia,’ he said. ‘I have a CCTV app and watched it all happen.

‘We were helpless. The police response was rapid but they missed them by four or five minutes.’

The haul included the Palestine medal, which has a purple and dark green ribbon.

Also stolen was his father’s 1914 Star, with red, white and blue ribbons, which both displayed their names on the rim.

Mr Fowler, who was made an MBE for his work with the Army’s Intelligence Corps, added: ‘They might get a tenner for each medal but to us they’re irreplaceable.’

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