Top military honour for Littlehampton soldier

Cpl James Bedford, who grew up in Littlehampton, has been awarded the Military Cross for saving the life of a badly-wounded comrade by using his own body as a human shield to protect him from further enemy fire.

Last month, the Gazette told the story of Cpl Bedford’s courage in the face of the enemy, and now he has spoken to us at length about growing up in Littlehampton, his path into the Royal Engineers and the events of that fateful day in Afghanistan 11 months ago.

It was on a patrol in central Helmand that the team came face-to-face with the stark reality that while many among the Afghan communities welcomed the international forces, there were others who would do anything to drive them out of the country.

James, 29, takes up the story: “We had been given the task of clearing a road of IEDs. While we were progressing along, a trained shot from the enemy hit two of our guys.

“I ran forward and positioned myself between the enemy and the man on the ground who was the worst injured of the two. While I was administering first aid to him I called the rest of my team forward to help the other one. The enemy continued to fire at me, from the cover of trees.

“The training does just kick in. What I saw was my friend in a bad way, out on the ground. The only thing that was in my head was I had to make sure he would be ok and would live.

“I applied a tourniquet as he was losing a lot of blood, then a pressure dressing, and administered drugs. We have extensive first aid training for moments just like that.

“The whole of my team was incredibly brave. It’s when you are done, and sit down and reflect on it afterwards that it kicks in and you realise what has occurred.

“We sat down and had a little talk about what had happened. I realised it could have been me. I could have died out there.

“They were firing at the pack on my back and one of the bullets ricocheted and hit my lower back, a glancing blow. Another whistled past my head. The whole incident lasted a few minutes, but even when we got back behind cover, the fire fight went on for about an hour while we were waiting for the medical evacuation of the men.”

Both men are still recovering from their injuries and the soldier rescued by James certainly owes his life to him.

“I knew the dangers were there. It wasn’t the first time I had seen people injured out there, nor the first time I had administered first aid.

“I don’t think I will ever get used to something like that, but your training more than prepares you for it.

“Honestly, I feel a bit embarrassed about being called a hero, or brave or courageous.

“I would just like it to be recognised that it was the guys around me who did just as much as I did to ensure that the injured guys came out.”

He is the first member of the search community to have received the Military Cross in Afghanistan. “For me to have received this award is great. It lets people out there know the job we as searchers are doing not just for colleagues, but for the community.

“The communities are very grateful for that. Often, we had locals coming up to us and saying ‘thank you’.

“You have to bear in mind that some of these areas we are clearing, it’s not just British soldiers setting the IEDs off, it’s the Afghans’ children, their livestock. They see what we do as saving their children.

“It’s all about returning life in Afghanistan back to normality. We are there to make it a safer place and a safe place to live for the local nationals.”

James’ parents Richard and Sue have now moved away from Littlehampton, but his wife Rachel’s parents Carole and Barry Mills still live in the area.

He and Rachel have two children, and they will look on with pride when James shows them the medal after next month’s ceremony, presented for his “courage above and beyond the call of duty”.