Thursday, October 25, 2012

Mention In Despatches for decorated sergeant

From MoD:


Mention in Despatches for decorated sergeant who ran through a wall of bullets to save stranded soldiers

25 Oct 12
An Army sergeant who risked his own life to save two soldiers stranded in an enemy attack has been awarded a Mention in Despatches.

 Sergeant Steven Leslie, The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, receives a Mention in Despatches   [Picture: Sergeant Adrian Harlen, Crown Copyright/MOD 2012]


Sergeant Steven Leslie, aged 30, of The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS), was on patrol in one of the most violent areas of Nad 'Ali when the unit came under attack.


Machine gun fire ripped through the air and peppered the ground from two firing points no more than 200 metres away. Seconds later, six grenades from yet another exploded within ten metres of the patrol. Shrapnel sprayed the area as the soldiers pressed hard into the ground to seek what protection they could.


The insurgents fired hundreds of machine gun rounds on the patrol as Sgt Leslie leaped to his feet and ran around the sprawled troops to rally them to cover - leading them through 50 metres of open ground in the enemy's killing area so they could reach safety.


Two soldiers however remained trapped on the far side of the battlefield. Taking control Sgt Leslie fired on the enemy to cover the men so they too could make their way to relatively safety as the fight continued for another ten minutes before the whole patrol could break away....


MUCH more of this amazing story here.

No comments: