Dawlish News

A SHY young Iraq veteran has won the first Victoria Cross given to a living soldier since 1969. Private Johnson Beharry, 25, an immigrant from the Caribbean island of Grenada, won his VC for saving the lives of his comrades in two incidents last May and June. Severely wounded in the second, he was given only a 50-50 chance of survival and is still on sick leave from the Princess of Wales's Royals. He is only the fourth black man to win the VC since 1865. On May 1, his Warrior armoured troop carrier was hit by rocket-propelled grenades as it tried to extract an infantry patrol from trouble. His officer, gunner and others were wounded. But he drove 1500m, through a barricade, taking multiple hits from more RPGs as he led five other APCs to safety. The hatch of the APC was open and he was exposed to enemy fire -- a 7.62mm round penetrated his helmet and lodged next to his head. He also climbed out of the burning vehicle into fire and manhandled his platoon commander into another APC before collapsing. On June 11, in another Warrior convoy, he was ambushed again, a grenade blowing up 15cm from his head. Blinded by blood, he reversed to safety. The Queen will invest Pte Beharry with his VC next month. "I was just doing my job," he said yesterday. "I was just thinking of the guys in the vehicle and the guys behind me." Asked what was going through his mind at the time, he smiled shyly and said: "An RPG." Australian Keith Payne, who won the VC in Vietnam in 1969, said of Pte Beharry: "His actions were outstanding."