"Parachute Regiment VC" Topic

Just saw this on the Beeb:

bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31620764

A true and proper hero, not like the overpaid "heores" who manage to score a goal in a football match or take an Aussie wicket in a cricket match.

Lets publicise his actions then :-)

L/Cpl Joshua Leakey of 1 Para helped a wounded US officer while under intense enemy fire in Helmand, then led a fight-back in which 11 members of the Taliban were killed and four wounded.

Got to love and admire his calm assessment:

"…we need to find out exactly whats going on here… so we moved around the reverse side of the slope of the hill that the contact was aimed at, crested the hill, then we came down, seen the casualty, approached the casualty, returned fire to the enemy, casualty was treated, and then from there assessed that the next priority was informing the platoon commander…"

It's intruiging that he is identified in the citation as being the most junior NCO present, yet he's the one who took the initiative and saved a very dangerous situation.

Embarassment for some other NCO's methinks ….

Also unlike your average footballer he can string a coherent sentence together. What a modest, sensible professional young man!

Who knows, it is likely that there was quite a lot going on, he saw a situation and exploited it something that is taught and practiced in the British Army is that initiative at all levels is important. He may have made the decision that time was more important than the chain of command,

Tally Ho!

Whilst there aren't many men left who served there during the worst of "The Troubles", thirty years of insurgency in Norn Iron served the British Army well in the sense of developing leadership and initiative among junior NCOs to a level that is not encouraged in other armies (and not even considered desirable in some).

It also speaks volumes for their training that four of the six VCs awarded to British – as opposed to Commonwealth – servicemen in the last 50 years have been won by the Parachute Regiment, including two in Afghan (the other being Cpl Brian Budd).

Well played that man!

Guthroth,

While he was not the only NCO present in the engagement, he was the only NCO present with his team at that location.

As Nick says; he exploited the situation as he saw fit and from his own account, advised his platoon commander after he'd dealt with it.

Why wasn't he given his medal by the Queen?

Noticed this with previous VC/GC awards in recent years – they always used to be given by the monarch in person, and were first on the list at any investiture, no matter who else was getting what (even knighthoods).

x 10 !!!!

He hasn't actually been awarded it yet. His name has appeared on the latest Operational Honours List – the actual investiture will come later.

I phrase oft repeated in the UK Airborne is ABI or Airborne Initiative. Frequently as an explanation for when they are caught doing something outside the rules.

He was in the right place with his team and did the right thing. He is being recognised in exactly the right way.

David

Doubly glad that he's alive to receive it.

Congratulations and well done to Lance Corporal Leakey; not bad for a para;).

Not sure if it's correct, but according to one of the Red Tops today, his Grandfather was awarded the VC in WWII.!!

Same surname, but a second cousin of his dad or grandad.

A Hampshire Man!

or even 'ampshire.

:-)

Report on this at Breitbart stated that it had been awarded.

Regardless, congratulations.

Well done sir.

It's been awarded 'on paper'; i.e. it's been promulgated in the London Gazette, so he's already referred to as 'Leakey VC', but the formal investiture – i.e. where he actually gets presented the medal by Her Maj – has yet to take place. There was a small 'congratulatory' ceremony with the Chief of Defence Staff, but he wasn't awarded the medal.

If he'd already been awarded it you'd be looking at photos of him in his best blues, showing off his nice medal.

With the 'Ride of the Valkyries' playing in the background

and according to tradition the Chief of Defence Staff will be saluting him in future rather than the other way round.

Congrats and well done to the young man.

Aubrey, yes indeed. Did he this time? All I've seen is a photo, so no way of seeing who saluted first. :)

@Jemima: IIRC, the head muckety-muck gets saluted before the formal award, but the VC (and CMOH, etc) awardee needs to cut his salute first after the award.

Been a while since I looked at that part of the Awards Manual.

Am I right in thinking it's a rule in the US forces, but only a convention (however religiously observed) in ours?

It's just a tradition. It's not in the drill manual.

Hmmm, Leakey… no relation?

"Major-General Rea Leakey is one of the Royal Tank Regiment's greatest heroes of World War II"

link

He is the second member of his family to be awarded the Victoria Cross. His second cousin twice removed, Nigel Leakey, was posthumously awarded the medal during the Second World War. He is also related to David Leakey, the current Black Rod and a former senior British Army officer

He will get the medal from HM Queen; last week was the announcement of the award.

Well fought.