 Pte Luke Cole refused morphine so he could defend his comrades |
Service personnel have been awarded 28 Military Crosses, the most handed out at any time since World War II. They include Pte Luke Cole, 22, who gave wounded colleagues first aid while returning fire against the Taleban - despite being shot twice himself. A total of 184 members of the UK armed forces were honoured for their service between April and September 2007. Also awarded were five Conspicuous Gallantry Crosses and five Distinguished Service Orders. 'Support and commitment' Pte Cole, from Wolverhampton, a Territorial Army soldier attached to the Mercian Regiment, was praised in a Ministry of Defence citation for his "remarkable gallantry". He was shot in the leg and hip during a two-hour night-time gun battle in Helmand province, Afghanistan, in September 2007, but refused morphine so he could carry on fighting and giving first aid to comrades. Other personnel honoured include: Flt Lt Michelle Goodman, 31, who became the first woman to win the Distinguished Flying Crosses after she flew her Merlin helicopter under heavy fire into central Basra to pick up a wounded soldier, saving his life, in June 2007 Maj Martin David, 38, from Aldershot, Hampshire, received a MC after he led 600 Afghan soldiers to victory in a battle against the Taleban Maj Stephen Webb, from Swansea, who was given an MC for his action in Iraq when his vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb as he cleared the route for a convoy travelling from Basra Palace L/Cpl Donald Campbell, 26, from South Uist, who drove a tractor into an enemy zone in Afghanistan while under fire to shore up a ditch, allowing his colleagues to cross Cpl Rodney Wilson, 30, of Fareham, Hampshire, who received a posthumous Conspicuous Gallantry Cross after he was killed pulling a colleague to safety under heavy gunfire in Basra. Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, said those honoured had distinguished themselves in the face of great danger. He added: "They have all earned the nation's thanks and respect, and I pay tribute to their outstanding achievements in the face of most difficult and dangerous circumstances." Defence Secretary Des Browne said they had displayed courage beyond the call of duty. "We owe thanks to them all and to their families for their invaluable support and commitment to the Armed Forces," he said.
|  | VIDEO AND AUDIO NEWS Flt Lt Michelle Goodman receiving her medal
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They have all earned the nation's thanks and respect
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