Just a few examples
Military Cross - Afghanistan:
Fearless pursuit of an objective
When a company-level recce patrol came under intense fire near Musa Qala, the heroic actions of Acting Sergeant John Cockburn , 2 Yorks, ensured that the enemy failed to take the initiative.
Sgt Cockburn’s Brigade Reconnaissance Force (BRF) patrol was pushing forward from the west bank of Musa Qala Wadi into its basin when the British troops came under fire from two heavy machine gun positions on November 27 last year.
Further incoming rounds from enemy fighters using RPGs, small arms and mortars followed and Sgt Cockburn and his men were left pinned down in an exposed position. Despite facing heavily-armed and well-dug-in adversaries, Sgt Cockburn kept cool under pressure to identify an opportunity to move his six-man patrol forward and outflank the combatants’ main position, a trench 250m away.
As Sgt Cockburn pushed ahead, the weight of enemy fire was directed onto his patrol and the team had to take cover 30m away from their objective after being engaged from a previously unseen position.
Realising how close he was to his target, Cockburn ordered three of his men to suppress the new position while he dashed towards the trench, eventually reaching it and capturing an enemy fighter on the way.
His selfless courage allowed other sections of the patrol to surround the remaining positions and swung the advantage away from the enemy.
His Military Cross citation paid tribute to his “fearless pursuit of an objective”, adding:
“He could see that action was needed, he was only too aware of the dangers, yet it made no impact on his mindset. Cockburn’s actions saved the lives of his fellow soldiers, but in so doing he took a remarkable risk with his own.”
Prevented significant casualties from being taken
A junior non-commissioned officer (NCO) who showed exceptional courage aiding the crew of a stricken Mastiff armoured vehicle under repeated enemy attacks has been awarded the Military Cross.
Corporal Richard Street , Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME), was commanding a lightly armoured Foden recovery vehicle in support of The King’s Royal Hussars (KRH) when they were ambushed on the road from Gereshk to Musa Qala.
He braved Taliban RPGs and small-arms fire to dismount and hook the Foden to the KRH squadron leader’s Mastiff, which had been immobilised during the attack.
Cpl Street’s citation praised his leadership of the Foden crew and personal courage in recovering the vehicle under sustained fire.
The patrol fought through the ambush but came up against a bridge that would not take the weight of the 23-tonne Mastiffs. With no alternative but to backtrack into the danger zone, the patrol returned to the ambush site. The Taliban were waiting and launched two more attacks.
Small-arms fire destroyed the front left wheel of the Foden but Cpl Street pushed forward and fired his pistol from the window while driving one-handed and encouraging his crew. Cpl Street’s citation said:
"His decision to continue to drive a partially disabled vehicle with no serious ballistic or mine blast protection through two enemy ambushes kept the route free for the squadron, maintained tempo at a critical time and undoubtedly prevented significant casualties from being taken.
“He was an example to all around him, particularly given the paucity of protection he enjoyed and the vicious nature of a contact that saw an armoured squadron post more than 20 grenades and left more than 20 enemy dead. He was a credit to his squadron and corps and his was a conspicuous display of gallantry.”
Lifting morale and driving men to continue their fight
Rescuing a mortally wounded soldier and defending the evacuation against a tenacious enemy has earned Lance Corporal Agnish Thapa the Military Cross.
The junior Royal Gurkha Rifles NCO displayed conspicuous gallantry during a fierce battle to destroy a Taliban stronghold in the Uruzgan province of southern Afghanistan.
ISAF troops engaged the enemy in a surprise attack but the Taliban retaliated and ferocious fighting ensued.
During the close quarter combat that followed, LCpl Thapa charged across open ground to go to the aid of a severely injured ISAF comrade.
Under constant, intense enemy fire, he dragged the soldier 100 metres to the nearest sparse cover and continued to administer first aid until relieved by the medical officer.
The enemy was not giving up ground and doggedly pushed forward an attack as the coalition troops tried to airlift the casualty.
LCpl Thapa ordered his section into a firing position. They returned fire so effectively that the Taliban assault faltered and ISAF soldiers caught in the killing zone were able to withdraw.
These actions turned the battle in the coalition troops’ favour and immediately boosted morale.
LCpl Thapa’s citation said he richly deserved the Military Cross for showing a complete disregard for his own safety and acting above and beyond his rank and experience.
The citation added:
"His bravery was inspirational and had an immediate positive impact on all involved in the battle, lifting morale and driving men to continue their fight, despite the infliction of casualties by the enemy.
“His effective leadership proved pivotal in swinging the initiative in favour of coalition forces, enabling casualty evacuation to be completed despite grave tactical circumstances.”
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