http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2004301683,00.html
By TOM NEWTON DUNN
and JOHN KAY
A SQUADDIE who saved the lives of 30 soldiers during a terrifying firefight in Iraq should be given the Victoria Cross, his comrades said last night.
Troop carrier driver Private Johnston Beharry, 22, faced the ultimate fear as the lead driver of a patrol ambushed by rebels in Iraq.
His Warrior personnel carrier was rocked by explosions and set on fire, his platoon CO was knocked out and presumed dead — and a gunner was consumed by flames.
Yet thrusting open his hatch to peer through thick smoke, Pte Beharry SMASHED through a barricade thrown up by the extremists.
And despite his Warrior being hit by a rocket-propelled grenade — and a rifle bullet hitting his helmet — he SAVED up to 30 soldiers’ lives by leading four following carriers through the enemy force.
After reaching a British outpost, he PULLED his unconscious commander from the turret even though he was under constant machinegun and small arms fire.
He EVACUATED other casualties from the vehicle, then returned to DRIVE it through the base’s perimeter. He then collapsed ... exhausted.
Amazingly, the courageous Londoner did it all again during a second ambush sprung by rebels a fortnight ago.
A rocket grenade exploded 1ft from his face, leaving him with terrible head wounds and a gaping shrapnel hole in his shoulder.
Yet he still managed to summon the strength to reverse his Warrior 200 yards to safety.
He passed out during the manoeuvre but his decisive action is thought to have saved the lives of the carrier’s crew — and his CO — for a second time.
Last night married Pte Beharry, who hails from the Caribbean isle of Grenada, was desperately ill after complex surgery to remove bone splinters from his brain.
His family were at his bedside at Selly Oak Military Hospital near Birmingham. And like his comrades, they are praying he will pull through.
Pte Beharry could now become the first VC recipient since the Falklands War.
The cherished medal is the hardest in the world for servicemen to win. The Army never discusses bravery decorations until after they are made and the process of awarding one is shrouded in secrecy.
But Pte Beharry’s platoon CO, 2nd Lt Richard Deane, is writing a citation to the MoD.
And the squaddie’s actions are being seriously considered in senior circles as worthy of the Big One, according to military sources in London.
Crucially, his deeds match the incredibly strict criteria that must be met before a VC can be awarded. A recipient must have a 90 per cent chance of being killed while carrying out the action.
It must be witnessed throughout by a number of observers. And it has to be far above and beyond the normal call of duty.
Pte Beharry’s first display of peerless courage came on May 1.
The five Warriors from the 1st Battalion The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment, C Company, were called to the flashpoint town of Al Amarah.
A three-day battle for the town had erupted. And Allied soldiers were pinned down in a firefight with Shi’ite rebels from the Mehdi Army, the paramilitary group led by rogue cleric Moqtada al Sadr.
The Sun has been given access to C Company’s official battle record. It reads:
2Lt Deane’s platoon had arrived at the outskirts of the city on their way to assist. As he looked north from Blue 6 (an intersection on a major Al Amarah road) he noticed the road was empty, a combat indicator of an ambush. He pushed on to Blue 7 to assess that road but was immediately hit by a number of explosions which engulfed the Warrior and rocked it.
2Lt Deane was knocked unconscious, thought dead, and the vehicle’s weapons systems disabled.
Despite being on fire, the gunner Private Samuels attempted to engage the enemy with a rifle.
The driver Private Beharry had no communications but was aware the crew compartment was on fire and they had taken casualties.
He closed the driver’s hatch and moved forward to try to establish comms. As he reached a barricade the vehicle was hit again and filled with smoke.
Private Beharry opened his hatch to clear his vision and decided the best course was to drive through the barricade and fight through the ambush, leading the remaining Warriors to relative safety.
As he moved off, he saw an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) in flight towards him. He pulled his hatch down but the warhead struck on his periscope, destroying it. The blast was too much for him and forced the hatch open, passing over him down the driver’s tunnel and further injuring the gunner.
Beharry now drove at speed through the 1.5km ambush with his hatch open, at one stage being struck in the helmet by a bullet.
When he arrived at Cimic House (the British outpost), the vehicle still alight and under small arms fire, he moved on to the turret and, showing total disregard for his own safety, extracted his commander.
He then went to the back of the vehicle and extracted injured soldiers there before remounting his still-burning vehicle and driving it within the perimeter of Cimic House to deny it to the enemy.
He then finally pulled the fire extinguishers. He then collapsed with exhaustion.
A comrade noticed Pte Beharry had a 7.62mm AK47 rifle bullet embedded in his helmet.
The squaddie’s overall CO in Iraq, Lt Col Matt Mear, paid tribute to him last night.
He said: “To do what he did showed extraordinary courage. Hero is a grossly over-used term these days but he is a true hero.”
In line with Army rules, he refused to discuss the soldier’s medal prospects. But he added: “I will be seeking recognition for many people in this battle group.”
Platoon commander 2nd Lt Deane said: “Beharry is the most dependable private I’ve ever had. He is loyal, hard-working and has a genuinely appalling sense of humour, which was great for morale.
“He has also saved my life twice and possibly the lives of the whole platoon. I can never forget that.”
The squaddie’s doctors have told military chiefs that early signs for his survival are good. But the worst is not yet over.
He cannot be awarded a VC until next April, when the Operational Honours list for which he could qualify is published.
