Lance Corporal Josh Leakey awarded VC for valour

The PARA who singlehandedly prevented considerable loss of life during an assault into a Taliban stronghold in Afghanistan is to be awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest military honour, it has been announced today with the publication of the operational honours and awards list.

Lance Corporal Josh Leakey, of The Parachute Regiment, was deployed in Afghanistan as a member of a task force conducting operations to disrupt insurgent safe-havens and protect the main operating base in Helmand Province during the summer of 2013.

It was whilst on a combined UK/US assault led by the US Marine Corps to disrupt a key insurgent group on 22 August 2013 that the force, having dismounted from their helicopters, came under accurate machine gun and rocket propelled grenade fire.

“On this day, things just felt different,” said Josh, recalling the events of the day. “The enemy were more determined, even when air support was around, they stood and they fought, which was fairly uncommon. And, thoughts going through my mind on that day were, let’s do this right. There’s a man wounded, we need to get this guy sorted, and also stop more people getting wounded.”

Josh is not the first recipient of the VC in his family, as his second cousin twice removed, Sergeant Nigel Gray Leakey, was posthumously recognised with the honour in November 1945 during the Second World War.

Read his full story: http://bit.ly/1AN7Ijc

Видео Lance Corporal Josh Leakey awarded VC for valour канала British Army