Posted on 07/24/2008 10:21:17 PM PDT by Stoat
Award ... Captain Paul Britton is congratulated by Major General Gary Robison
Praise ... Lieutenant General Graeme Lamb
Captain Paul Britton, 28, refused morphine so he could control artillery and air strikes to beat off Taliban attackers in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
The Royal Artillery officer was wounded by a rocket-propelled grenade when his 60-strong patrol was ambushed.
But he defied appalling pain to direct his Fire Support Team to bring in a Dutch F16 jet to bomb the Taliban positions — allowing his men to escape.
Capt Britton, of Birmingham, said: “I see this award as recognition of the bravery of my team.”
Fellow MC winner Gurkha L/Cpl Agnish Thapa dragged a badly wounded Australian SAS soldier across 100 metres of open ground under heavy fire in Afghanistan.
Eight MCs went to Britain’s elite troops — six to SBS commandos and two to SAS troopers.
In total 136 servicemen and women have been awarded gongs in the military honours list for October 2007 to March 2008, announced yesterday.
Lieut Gen Graeme Lamb, commander of the Field Army, said their acts were “totally heroic”.
Iraq commander Brigadier James Bashall and the boss of troops in Helmand, Brigadier Andrew Mackay, won CBEs.
GC Lance Corporal MATHEW CROUCHER,
Royal Marines Reserve CBE Brigadier ANDREW DOUGLAS MACKAY OBE,
Late The King’s Own Scottish Borderers Colonel STUART RICHARD SKEATES MBE,
Late Royal Regiment of Artillery Brigadier JAMES IAN BASHALL OBE,
CBE ... Brigadier Andrew Mackay
Late The Parachute Regiment OBE Major CHRISTOPHER JAMES BELL,
Scots Guards Lieutenant Colonel ANDREW JONATHAN PAUL BOURNE MBE,
The Royal Gurkha Rifles Lieutenant Colonel SIMON JAMES DOWNEY MBE,
The Yorkshire Regiment Captain DAVID DUTTON,
Royal Navy Lieutenant Colonel ANDREW JOHN POOLER BARR,
Corps of Royal Engineers Lieutenant Colonel MARK PETER KENYON MBE,
The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment Lieutenant Colonel JAMES FRANCIS PARDOE SWIFT MBE,
The Royal Welsh MBE Major DANIEL JAMES EDWARD CHEESMAN,
Royal Marines Major MARK CLEMENT GIDLOW-JACKSON,
The Rifles Captain RICHARD SIMON DOWNS,
Royal Regiment of Artillery Staff Sergeant RICHARD JAMES FARNELL,
Adjutant General’s Corps (Royal Military Police) Captain JONATHAN ANTHONY EVETT PALMER,
Irish Guards Major ZACHARY RAYMOND STENNING,
Brave ... Lance Corporal Agnish Thapa
The Yorkshire Regiment Major PETER JOHN BARLOW,
Adjutant General’s Corps (Educational and Training Services Branch), Territorial Army RRC Major JANET MARY PILGRIM ARRC,
Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps ARRC Sergeant GARY ANTHONY KING,
Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps DSO Lieutenant Colonel STUART MARTIN BIRRELL,
Royal Marines Lieutenant Colonel PATRICK NICHOLAS YARDLEY MONRAD SANDERS OBE,
The Rifles MC Marine MKHUSELI JONES,
Royal Marines Major ADRIAN MORLEY,
Royal Marines Marine RICHARD REGINALD WITHERS,
Royal Marines Captain Paul NATHANIEL BRENIG BRITTON,
Royal Regiment of Artillery Acting Sergeant JOHN MATHEW COCKBURN,
The Yorkshire Regiment Rifleman BHIMBAHADUR GURUNG,
The Royal Gurkha Rifles Major JASON ALEXIS LITTLE,
The Yorkshire Regiment Major PAUL RALPH GARETH PITCHFORK,
The Royal Gurkha Rifles Major DOUGLAS FRASER REID,
Royal Army Medical Corps Major IAN DAVID SCATTERGOOD,
The Royal Logistic Corps Corporal RICHARD STEVEN STREET,
Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Lance Corporal MOHANSINGH TANGNAMI,
The Royal Gurkha Rifles Lance Corporal AGNISH THAPA,
The Royal Gurkha Rifles MiD Lieutenant Commander TOBY WILLIAM EVERITT,
Royal Navy Lieutenant NATHAN JOHN GRAY,
Royal Navy Warrant Officer Class 2 DAVID WILLIAM LAYTON,
Royal Marines Major DUNCAN MANNING,
Royal Marines Marine GARY OGDEN,
Royal Marines Acting Major MATTHEW BRADLEY ADAMS,
The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment Rifleman OMPRAKASH ALE,
The Royal Gurkha Rifles Sergeant CHRISTOPHER EDWARD BARTLETT,
The Yorkshire Regiment Sergeant DAVID WILLIAM BAXTER,
Royal Regiment of Artillery Acting Captain JAMES LAURENCE CADBURY,
The King’s Royal Hussars Lance Corporal ONUR BENJAMIN CAGLAR,
The Yorkshire Regiment Warrant Officer Class 2 JAMES MACKINTOSH FRASER,
Royal Regiment of Artillery Sergeant NATHAN JOHN HUNT,
Corps of Royal Engineers Lieutenant JOHN ALEXANDER EDWIN ELESSING JEFFCOAT,
The Royal Gurkha Rifles Sergeant LEE JOHNSON,
The Yorkshire Regiment (killed in action) Acting Corporal DAMIAN STEPHEN LAWRENCE,
The Yorkshire Regiment (killed in action) Sergeant JAMES CHARLES LYNAS,
The Yorkshire Regiment Captain JAMES RICHARD MANCHIP,
Royal Regiment of Artillery Major MARK EDWARD MILFORD,
The Rifles Major ANTHONY BRIAN PHILLIPS,
Royal Regiment of Artillery Private MALAKAI RAVOUVOU,
The Yorkshire Regiment Colonel EDWARD ALEXANDER SMYTH-OSBOURNE,
Late The Life Guards Lance Corporal TEJ GANG SUNWAR,
Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Craftsman SAMUEL MICHAEK TOMKINS,
Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Private ANDRE THOMAS TROUP,
The Yorkshire Regiment Trooper JACK ANTHONY WARBURTON,
Royal Tank Regiment Flight Lieutenant JOHN ALAN TIPPER,
Royal Air Force Lieutenant SIMON JOHN BEDFORD-SMITH,
The Royal Welsh Lieutenant HENRY GUY BOMFORD,
The Rifles Sergeant KEVIN STUART ANTHONY GAHGAN,
The Rifles Private JOSEPH JAMES ILLIDGE,
The Royal Welsh Rifleman JOSEPH ANTHONY IRVING,
The Rifles Major CHRISTOPHER STUART MACGREGOR,
The King’s Royal Hussars Private MICHAEL JAMES ARTHUR NEW,
The Mercian Regiment Lance Sergeant GAVIN PATRICK O’NEILL,
Irish Guards Major MARK WILLIAMS,
The Royal Welsh QCB Lance Corporal SIMON PETER COOPER,
Corps of Royal Engineers Corporal ANDREW RAYMOND GRIFFIN,
Adjutant General’s Corps (Royal Military Police) Corporal DAMION JAMES MORPHY,
Corps of Royal Engineers Guardsman PAUL JOHN MCGEE,
Scots Guards Guardsman RATU ISIRELI VULAIDAUSIGA,
Scots Guards QCVS Leading Seaman Survey Recorder JULIA RYDER,
Royal Navy Major GUY BARTLE-JONES,
Welsh Guards Lieutenant Colonel GREGORY COLE,
Royal Regiment of Artillery Captain JOHN ANDREW CHARLES DEE,
Intelligence Corps Lieutenant ALISON LOUISE DRAY,
The Royal Logistic Corps Major JAMES PATRICK EYRE,
Blues and Royals Captain DEVKUMAR GURUNG,
The Queen’s Gurkha Engineers Major SARAH HELEN HENDERSON-LEA MBE,
Intelligence Corps Major PAUL DARREN HOLDER,
The Royal Logistic Corps Lieutenant Colonel NEIL BARRY LEWIS,
The Royal Logistic Corps Major GERALD MARK STRICKLAND MBE,
The Royal Gurkha Rifles Lance Corporal JAMES DAVID TRIGG,
Royal Corps of Signals Lieutenant Colonel RICHARD WARDLAW,
Corps of Royal Engineers Wing Commander ROBERT STEPHEN NORRIS,
Royal Air Force MOHAMED FAIZUL AZMAN,
The Royal Welsh, Territorial Army Major TOM RICHARDSON COPINGER-SYMES,
The Rifles Major TIMOTHY EMLYN GREY,
Adjutant General’s Corps (Educational and Training Services Branch) The Reverend DANIEL FRANCIS HERNANDEZ, Chaplain to the Forces 3rd Class,
Royal Army Chaplains’ Department Major ANTHONY THOMAS LAMB,
Royal Corps of Signals, Territorial Army Major JONATHAN WILLIAM MCCLEERY,
Royal Regiment of Artillery Warrant Officer Class 1 MICHAEL JOHN PETERS,
The Royal Logistic Corps Sergeant ERIC JAMES MCCABE,
Royal Air Force Dr PAUL COLLINSON,
Grade C1, Ministry of Defence QGM Warrant Officer Class 1 STEPHEN GEOFFREY STRANGE,
Royal Navy QCB Diver 1 JOHN KEVIN ARNIE ANDERSON,
Royal Navy Leading Diver STEPHANE FARRELL,
Royal Navy QCBA Sergeant RYAN FRANCIS THOMAS,
Royal Air Force Master Aircrewman IAN PAUL HARRISON,
Royal Air Force Flight Sergeant ALEC CRAIG ASPDEN.
25 Jul 08
136 members of the Armed Forces and one MOD Civilian have been honoured today, Friday, 25 July 2008 for their gallantry and service in Afghanistan, Iraq and on other operations around the world.
Commander Field Army, Lieutenant General Graeme Lamb (4th from left) congratulates MC Winners (from left) Lance Corporal Mohan Tangnami, Lance Corporal Agnish Thapa, both The Royal Gurkha Rifles, Major Douglas Reid, Royal Army Medical Corps, Major Paul Pitchfork and Rifleman Bhim Gurung both The Royal Gurkha Rifles
[Picture: Cpl G Moreno]
The honours for the period 31 October 2007 to 31 March 2008 include a George Cross awarded for the highest level of gallantry, 19 Military Crosses and four Distinguished Service Orders.
Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup said:
"I am immensely proud of the courage, dedication and skill that the individuals being honoured today have shown in a wide variety of demanding circumstances.
"Their bravery and professionalism are in the highest tradition of the British military, and bring enormous credit to themselves, their individual Services and the nation as a whole."
Secretary of State for Defence Des Browne said:
"I am enormously grateful for the contribution made by all members of our Armed Forces, and the civilians who support them, in operational theatres around the world.
"They carry out their demanding and often dangerous duties - bringing peace and stability to some of the most dangerous places in the world - with skill, courage and professionalism.
Commander 1 Mechanised Brigade, Brigadier James Bashall, right, receives a CBE for his inspirational leadership, pictured with Brigadier Akeel, Commander 1 Brigade, 10 Division, Iraqi Army
[Picture: Cpl Dan Harmer RLC]
"Today it gives me particular pleasure to offer my personal congratulations to the men and women who have been recognised publicly for their exceptionally brave and meritorious service on operations.
"I am very conscious that behind each of these awards lie acts of extraordinary dedication and courage and I am delighted that they have been recognised in this way."
See Related News >>> for the full list.
Lance Corporal Matthew Croucher, of the Royal Marine Reserves, receives the George Cross for an act of extreme self sacrifice whilst on an operation in Helmand in March this year. His selfless decision to throw himself on a grenade saved the life of at least two members of his patrol and allowed for enemy forces to be interdicted later that night.
Alongside the Victoria Cross, the George Cross is the nation's highest bravery honour and is awarded for 'acts of the greatest heroism or of the most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger.'
Brigadier Andrew Mackay, Late The King's Own Scottish Borderers, receives a CBE for his command of 52 Brigade in southern Afghanistan as does his deputy commander Colonel Stuart Skeates MBE, Late Royal Regiment of Artillery, for his immeasurable contribution to the counter insurgency campaign in Helmand.
Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Birrell of the Royal Marines receives a Distinguished Service Order for his leadership on the same operational tour.
Brigadier Andrew Mackay, Late The King's Own Scottish Borderers, receives a CBE for his command of 52 Brigade in southern Afghanistan
[Picture: Mark Owens]
Brigadier James Bashall, Late the Parachute Regiment, who commanded 1st Mechanised Brigade in Iraq last year, receives a CBE for his inspirational leadership. His period of command was a seminal phase for UK forces in Iraq as we moved from one of the most violent phases of the campaign to a complex period of reconciliation.
A DSO is awarded to Colonel Patrick Sanders OBE, Late The Rifles, who commanded 4th Battalion The Rifles in Iraq throughout Op Telic 10; he exemplified tough and decisive yet compassionate leadership which kept his battle group going through very difficult times.
Col Sanders commanded and planned operations in the most dangerous and complex situations taking the fight to insurgents on the streets of Basra. Displaying grip and tactical vision; he led from the front, often under fire; his operational leadership was exemplary.
There is a Royal Red Cross for Major Janet Pilgrim, of the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps, in recognition of her work in the hospital in Iraq during Telic 10. Maj Pilgrim led the hospital's team preparing bodies for repatriation; she personally provided continuity and support for her team and despite having others to call on she chose to convey any bad news herself.
Also after a direct hit on the hospital from a 122 mm rocket Maj Pilgrim took swift and effective action restoring gaps in capability averting a potential disaster.
Captain Paul Britton, Royal Regiment of Artillery - awarded a Military Cross, and Lieutenant General Graeme Lamb
[Picture: Cpl G Moreno]
Sergeant Gary King, of the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps, will receive the Associate Royal Red Cross for his actions in calmly stabilising casualties whilst under fire and in delivering specialist training to the Iraqi police.
Warrant Officer Stephen Strange RN as the senior diver for the search of the capsized oil rig support vessel, Bourbon Dolphin, showed exceptional leadership and bravery and is honoured with a Queens Gallantry Medal.
Nineteen Military Crosses have been awarded to service personnel for exceptional acts of bravery on operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Examples include:
Captain Paul Brittion, of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, who refused morphine when injured so he could remain in command of his fire support team during a fire fight against the Taliban.
Major Jason Little, of The Yorkshire Regiment, who by the strength of his leadership and with huge personal courage coordinated Afghan and international forces in the newly retaken town of Delaram, and subsequently planned and led, as a mentor, a successful Afghan National Army operation to retake Golestan.
Lance Corporal Mohansingh Tangnami, of The Royal Gurkha Rifles, who volunteered to lead a small team into an area of heavy fire to recover a machine gun left by an earlier casualty and so deny it to the enemy.
And many thanks for the great pics from the FR ladies.
Incredible bravery is the norm for Gurkhas. As for the other UK troops mentioned here, I don’t want to hear any more about Brits being weenies. It’s their government, not the people.
I believe there are something like 5000 applicants for every slot in the Gurkha Rifles. These men are the creme de la creme of a nation of warriors. I got to meet one of these men once, and let me tell you, there is an air of fearless competence about them that is superhuman.
The Argentinian army surrendered the Falkland Islands on the mere rumor that the Gurkhas were coming for them.
-ccm
None of whom are mentioned by name. I think they are required to remain incognito until retirement.
None of whom are mentioned by name. I think they are required to remain incognito until retirement.
That's interesting, thank you. I'm glad that their identities are protected when needed. I recall hearing that a similar policy is in effect for our own Delta Force commandos, and perhaps members of other elite forces.
When the FR Ladies are pleased, then all is truly well here in the wild expanse of the internet :-)
I appreciate the sentiment, but this isn't true. In the final advance on Port Stanley the Argentinian defenders of one strategic hill (can't recall the name, sorry) did retreat rather than face the Ghurkas - which is very gratifying. But it's not like the entire Argentinian army fled before any fighting - rather the reverse.
My grandfather served with Gurkhas in the first world war you do not upset or cross them and I doubt they will take any notice of any knife restrictions in Britain.
In fact that will be interesting because there is a growing Gurkha population there is even a Gurkhas grocery openned near me.
Often you never get to hear there names more so nowadays when they retire because many write books but years ago some went to their graves without even there own families knowing they were SAS or SBS often friends and families thought they were either doing some private work overseas or were in the regular services.
Correct it was just one hill but I think it a good example of how Gurkhas are viewed worldwide.
Interesting. What types of neighbors do they make? Are they assimilating into good englishmen?
Thanks for the post. Great article, and well presented.
Honours well earned.
Thank you very much for your kind words :-)
Another FR thread which may be of interest:
Health and safety killjoys tell war vets they are too old to hoist the Union Flag over town hall
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