Black Watch: Fearless troops who fought like lions

Published on Friday 19 March 2010 21:51

THE widow of a soldier who died saving the lives of two colleagues as well as a mother and her two children spoke yesterday of her pride at his bravery.

Acting Sergeant Sean Binnie, 22, was part of a ten-man operation on a fighting patrol to the north of Musa Qaleh in Afghanistan on 7 May last year.

He died while storming an enemy position to save the lives of two Afghan comrades under enemy fire following an ambush. In doing so he also saved the woman and her children who were caught in the fire fight.

His fearless actions led to his posthumous Mention in Despatches, one of the military's highest and oldest forms of recognition for gallantry.

Sgt Binnie is one of 20 soldiers from the Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, honoured for their bravery during last summer's Operation Panther's Claw, one of the biggest pushes against the Taleban.

The awards were announced yesterday at Fort George, the soldiers' base near Inverness, and will be presented at Buckingham Palace at a later date.

Acting Sgt Binnie, who was born in Dublin but raised in Aberdeen, joined the army in 2003. He was married just a few months before his death.

Yesterday his widow Amanda, 23, who attended the ceremony, said: "He died a hero and I am so proud of him.

"It is devastating in a way because I wish he was here to pick up the award himself. I am delighted and honoured to be collecting it on his behalf.

"He died saving five people, including children. He will always be a hero in my eyes."

Sgt Binnie's mother, Jan, 43, was also at the ceremony and said afterwards: "It is brilliant. The army was his life."

An inquest last month into the soldier's death heard he had killed insurgents with a grenade moments before being killed when a single bullet penetrated his body armour.

Major Matt Munro, who made the announcement of the award, said: "His sacrifice, although tragic, was not in vain and his heroic actions underpinned his commitment to both his Afghan comrades and to the cause for which he was fighting.

"His posthumous mention in despatches for his unflinching bravery in the face of a ruthless and determined enemy is a fitting tribute."

His commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Cartwright, who was made an OBE, added: "I hope Sean Binnie's family can derive some consolation from the fact that he died a hero, leading from the front."

The Black Watch soldiers spent seven gruelling months in Afghanistan, based at Camp Roberts in Kandahar.

Lt Col Cartwright, 41, led his soldiers in 13 dangerous Battle Group operations over six months. The group conducted the largest number of aviation assaults in southern Afghanistan by conventional UK forces, and 40 per cent more operations than any of its predecessors.

Of particular note were three audacious aviation assaults behind enemy defences during the initial clearance of Babaji.

Lt Col Cartwright said he was thrilled by his OBE but that it was an award for the whole Battalion.

He said: "There are many stories of extraordinary courage in the face of the enemy.

" I wish to pay tribute not only to their raw courage but their tenacity in understanding modern-day conflict.

"I have been fortunate to have led such a great Battalion. It is a great honour."

Four Black Watch soldiers are also to receive the Military Cross.

They include Corporal Craig Sharp, the lead section commander responsible for providing flank protection for the improvised explosive device disposal team.

Cpl Sharp fought a desperate 12-hour battle to take a village despite the section he was leading being outnumbered by the enemy.

His citation said his "tenacity and aggression" left the enemy so scared they reported being frightened over their radios.

"He would not let them breathe, advancing forwards constantly, at one stage exchanging fire with a rocket-propelled grenade man from a distance of only seven metres".

Major Munro said that as Cpl Sharp's team began climbing over compound walls into the main street of the village, the enemy opened fire with machine guns and rocket propelled grenades.

"The nature of the terrain was such that the rest of the Brigade were unable to provide much fire support, which resulted in Sharp having to lead his section through what became a desperate 12-hour struggle for the village.

"He called for a mortar mission less than 80 metres from his position, successfully destroying several of the enemy."

Cpl Sharp, 24, from Mauchline, Ayrshire, said: "We were pushing into the heart of the village. We went down a narrow track.

"We were fired at about seven metres away. We went to the rooftop and managed to hold off the attack. "We came out alive.

"This honour means a lot to achieve this. The guys had to put their trust in me. I don't consider myself brave. I just do my job.

"We drive forward as a team and drive forward."

"It is important to remember that the whole of my section were involved in the battle that day.

"They are all incredible soldiers and it is a shame that they can't all be formally recognised today."

The Military Cross also goes to Lt Alexander Phillips, Cpl Richard Clark, and Cpl Christopher Reynolds.

The Black Watch soldiers were among 150 service personnel to receive operational honours covering the period 1 April to 30 September last year.

Dunfermline soldier Corporal David Roy, 34, who ran through enemy fire to help a machine gunner, was one of those mentioned in despatches, as was Corporal Paul Innes, 27, from Ballingry near Dunfermline.

Cpl Innes is trained to find improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and often had to lead high-risk searches. Others were Major Alasdair Steele, Lt Andrew Halliday, Warrant Officer Class Two Paul Colville, Sgt Terence Lowe and Cpl Samisoni Boila.

Seven soldiers also received joint commanders' commendations – Capt Nicholas Colquhoun, Capt William Johnson, Capt Olivier Lever, Lt Robert Colquhoun, Lt Thomas Kennedy, Lt Thomas O'Sullivan and Cpl Alexander Wells.