British private awarded Victoria Cross

Via Amendment XIX I learned that British army Pvt. Johnson Beharry has been awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest military award of the British armed forces. After reading his story, A. XIX's writer concludes,

One more thing, next time someone says that we went into Iraq "unilaterally" I am going to suggest they have a talk with Private Beharry.

Part of Beharry's citation reads,

As the lead vehicle of the platoon he was moving rapidly through the dark city streets towards the suspected firing point, when his vehicle was ambushed by the enemy from a series of rooftop positions.

During this initial heavy weight of enemy fire, a rocket-propelled grenade detonated on the vehicle's frontal armour, just six inches from Beharry's head, resulting in a serious head injury.

Beharry then lost consciousness as a result of his wounds

Other rockets struck the turret and sides of the vehicle, incapacitating his commander and injuring several of the crew.

With the blood from his head injury obscuring his vision, Beharry managed to continue to control his vehicle, and forcefully reversed the Warrior out of the ambush area. The vehicle continued to move until it struck the wall of a nearby building and came to rest. Beharry then lost consciousness as a result of his wounds.

The BBC's comprehensive story is here. He's an amazing man, still recovering from head wounds sustained in June 2004 during the second action for which he was cited.

Here's a link to an information site about the Victoria Cross itself, which links to this page, from which we learn,

Beharry is the first recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest military decoration for valour in the British and Commonwealth armed forces, since the posthumous awards to Lieutenant Colonel 'H' Jones and Sergeant Ian John McKay for service in the Falklands War in 1982. He is the first living recipient of the VC since Keith Payne and Rayene Stewart Simpson, both Australian, for actions in Vietnam in 1969, and the first living recipient of the VC in the British Army since Rambahadur Limbu, a Gurkha, in the Indonesian Confrontation in 1965. He joins only 13 other living recipients of the VC.

Beharry is a native of Grenada who emigrated to Britain in 1999.

This Canadian site has some interesting information about the medal as well, for example we learn that Canadians have been awarded more VCs, in proportion to recipient-countries' populations, than any other country. There was a street in Winnipeg on which three VC recipients resided, leading the city to change the street's name to Valour Road. There are only two living Canadian recipients, each of whom receive a $300 per year from the government for their service.

Each VC is made of bronze "from Chinese cannons captured from the Russians at the siege of Sebastopol during the Crimean War, large ingots of which are stored at an army depot near London."

Another piece of VC trivia I learned way back when - only one VC was awarded to a pilot for actions during the Battle of Britain. My research assistant, Mr. Google, confirms this. Jumped by German BF109 fighters, Flight Lieutenant James Nicolson faced a fearsome ordeal.

Four cannon shells hit Flight Lieutenant Nicolson's [Hurricane fighter] aircraft. One destroyed the perspex hood subsequently damaging his left eye and temporarily blinding him with blood. The reserve petrol tank was also struck along with his left leg. The Hurricane was now ablaze with the instrument panel melting, his hands blistering from the heat and his trousers on fire

Whilst preparing to bale out, a BF110 appeared in front of him. He slid back into his burning cockpit and continued flying the Hurricane after the enemy. Closing in, Nicolson opened fire and although the BF110 took evasive action to avoid the bullets, it was sent crashing into the sea

Finally baling out of his stricken aircraft, Nicolson had sustained severe burns to his hands, parts of his face, his eyelid was torn and his foot badly wounded. His ordeal however, was not quite over

While descending towards the ground some Local Defence Volunteers (LVD), under orders, opened fire with rifles at what they believed to be enemy parachutists. Pilot Officer King had his parachute badly damaged and plummeted to his death. Flight Lieutenant Nicolson, in great pain, landed alive with further wounds received from shotgun pellets

He was rushed to The Royal Southampton Hospital where he made a full recovery and returned to active duty during late 1941.

Amendment XIX points out that posters have been put up on the London Underground telling the stories of VC recipients.

The unique tribute is the idea of the descendant of Duncan George Boyes from Cheltenham who was awarded the Victoria Cross aged 17 in 1865.

His great great nephew Chas Bayfield said: "The stories are so inspirational I thought people should know them.

Would be a good idea to do around American cities, depicting Medal of Honor recipients.