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Old 23-07-2008, 20:08   #1
jambutty
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Cool Beyond The Call Of Duty

Royal Marine Lance Corporal Matthew Croucher, 24, from Solihull is to be awarded the George Cross, which ranks alongside the Victoria Cross as the highest decoration for bravery.

On patrol in Afghanistan to try and uncover a Taliban bomb making factory, Lance Corporal Matthew Croucher hit a trip wire, wired to a grenade. Fortunately grenades do not explode immediately the pin is pulled but there is a delay of several seconds. It was this delay that not only saved him from at best serious injury but gave him time to cover the grenade with his body to protect his patrol. As he hit the deck he was able to roll over on his back over the grenade and wait for it to explode. What saved his life and prevented a serious injury that was limited to a bloody nose and a severe ringing in the ears was his rucksack full of equipment. Question – no flack jacket?

According to the Guardian “the only difference between the VC and the GC is that the GC is awarded for acts not in the presence of the enemy, but the level of heroism required for the two honours is the same.” http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jul/23/military.afghanistan

As I understand it there is only one highest bravery award and that is the VC. The GC is the equivalent highest award to civilians as in the case of the peoples of the island of Malta. I discover today that the GC is also awarded to military personnel for actions not in the face of the enemy. So the booby trapped grenade was not in the face of the enemy? You can’t get much closer to the enemy than a grenade a couple of yards away.

Royal Marine Lance Corporal Matthew Croucher’s extremely brave action deserves the VC and nothing less.

I’ll bet that had the patrol been led by Lt. Snodgrass and it was he who dived on the grenade he would have been awarded the VC. But the MOD palms a squaddie off with an inferior bravery award.

But then what do we expect from this excuse for a government. It cannot even supply the troops with the tools to do the job and lives are being lost because of it.
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