Victoria Cross for Iraq bravery
The first Victoria Cross for 23 years has been awarded to Private Johnson Beharry for two acts of valour in Iraq.
This is the first time in 40 years that the prestigious medal has been awarded to a living person.
Private Johnson Gideon Beharry from 1st Battalion the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment is the first person to receive the top military award since the Falklands war in 1982
The 25-year-old, who was born in the Caribbean island of Grenada, had the honour bestowed upon him for “two separate acts of outstanding gallantry of the highest order” while he was based in Al Amarah, Maysan during the Iraq conflict last year.
The soldier’s first show of bravery occurred in May last year, when he drove his injured colleagues to safety under heavy Iraqi fire, before putting his own life at risk to get the wounded men out of the armoured vehicle and to safety.
Pte Beharry was again driving a similar vehicle through hostile territory in June, when the Warrior was ambushed by Iraqis. Enemy rocket propelled grenades hit the vehicle and left Pte Beharry with serious head injuries.
Despite these injuries, the soldier drove the vehicle out of the ambush area and to safety before losing consciousness.
His citation reads “For his repeated extreme gallantry and unquestioned valour, despite intense direct attacks, personal injury and damage to his vehicle in the face of relentless enemy action, Private Beharry deserves the highest possible recognition.”
Talking about this award and the others announced today, Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon, said: “These individuals have performed truly exceptional acts of gallantry.
“Britain’s armed forces face significant challenges, often in difficult circumstances, in their varied roles across the world.
“These honours and awards recognise the outstanding achievements of these extraordinary men and women and their acts of great courage, bravery and determination.”
Chief of defence staff Sir Mike Jackson added on the Today programme: “[Pte Beharry’s] citation is an extraordinary story of one man’s courage in the way he risked his life for his colleagues, not once, but twice.
“We all know that the Victoria Cross is held in such high regard in our country and any holder of it is rightly given enormous respect for what he has done.”
