 Private Copping came under fire from rocket propelled grenades |
A Kent soldier who put himself at risk to save his team under heavy fire in Iraq has been awarded the Military Cross for bravery. Private Ryan Copping, 21, of Folkestone, received the honour at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday.
He was the driver of an armoured vehicle that came under "enormous fire" in the centre of Basra in 2006.
Despite being exposed to rocket propelled grenades Pte Copping kept his hatch open to identify enemy positions.
Pte Copping, who serves with the 1st Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, based in north west Germany, joined the army in 2004.
'Muzzle flashes'
He said: "Our vehicle took quite a battering - we were getting smashed left, right and centre. It was like being in a film.
"I was the Platoon Commander's driver and it was getting to the point where the gunner couldn't see, so I gave target information. There were quite a lot of muzzle flashes [firing weapons] in the dark and no street light.
"I had cuts and dust in my eyes, but I didn't think anything of it. I'm an infantry soldier, it's what you expect."
The Military Cross is awarded by the Queen for acts of great personal bravery, conspicuous gallantry and leadership during action against the enemy.
The citation for his medal reads: "Despite very real and obvious danger he put second his own safety for the sake of his team and loyalty to what he knew to be right.
"He remained calm and continued to keep the hatch open despite the enormous amount of fire he received as lead vehicle; instead he talked the gunner onto target after target."
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