Hero soldier who led bayonet charge against Taleban wins bravery award

Published on Friday 11 December 2009 21:42

THE attack was sudden and unexpected. Patrolling a notoriously dangerous area of Afghanistan, Bradley Malone and his fellow Royal Marines were caught in a fierce ambush by insurgents.

• Royal Marine Corporal Bradley Malone made it a double celebration as he received the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross from the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace yesterday for outstanding bravery in Afghanistan. He also proposed to his girlfriend Sacha Wilkinson – and she accepted.

But, in a remarkable show of calm under extreme pressure, Corporal Malone led his unit in a devastating counter-attack that pitched his men into a close- combat assault.

He ordered his men to fix bayonets, and they charged their attackers in a determined, courageous onslaught that brought them into eye-to-eye contact with the Taleban. In the face of such heroism, the enemy broke and fled for their lives.

Cpl Malone, 24, was one of several marines from Arbroath-based 45 Commando honoured for exceptional courage at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace yesterday.

And that incident was far from his only act of bravery in his six-month deployment to Helmand province which ended in April.

On another patrol, with his section pinned down by heavy fire, he rescued his troop sergeant, who was isolated and being shot at after trying to fire mortars at the enemy. Cpl Malone left the safety of a ditch and braved fierce firing to reach his stranded colleague. Together the pair were able to fight their way back to their unit.

In another incident, when Cpl Malone's section commander was killed by an improvised explosion, he took control.

The unit had an injured marine and others stunned by the blast, but Cpl Malone fought for an hour to help the evacuation of the casualty. He fired more than 900 rounds from an exposed position as he kept the insurgents at bay during the encounter, his fighting prowess helping to turn the tide of the battle.

Yesterday, Cpl Malone received the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross from the Prince of Wales. After the investiture ceremony, he proposed to partner Sacha Wilkinson, 24, a hairdresser from Balloch, Dunbartonshire, in one of the palace rooms. She said yes.

The serviceman was part of 3 Commando Brigade deployed to Afghanistan in October last year for six months, during which time they lost 32 servicemen.

Other marines from 45 Commando to be honoured included Cpl John Ballance, who received the Military Cross for two heroic acts while under fire from Taleban fighters.

When his patrol was ambushed, he cleared a route over exposed ground and through heavy fire to reach a group of stricken colleagues. After another attack on his men, he ran repeatedly into enemy fire to recover a casualty, only escaping when he made sure his colleagues were safe.

The same honour went to Sergeant Andrew Leaver for his quick-thinking to evacuate a colleague injured by enemy fighters during a fierce fire fight.

Lieutenant-Colonel James Morris, who led 45 Commando during its deployment, was presented with the Distinguished Service Order for his outstanding leadership in one of the most challenging environments.

OBEs went to Warrant Officer Second Class Kevin Cheeseman and Surgeon Lt Henry Dowlen.