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1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards
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Mentioned in Despatches
Mentioned in Despatches presentation
to suppress the enemy and enable the two dismounted soldiers to extract. Now atop the enemy position and receiving close quarter small arms fire, Humphreys depressed his weapon and continued to suppress the enemy. Subsequently, to de-escalate the situation and showing his excellent knowledge of the rules of engagement, he ordered his vehicle to extract to try to bring about a deten- tion of the armed men. Still under fire, Humphreys coordinated an appropriate escalation of force to convince the armed men to desist. In a final act of gallantry, once the small arms engagement had ceased, Humphreys supported a dismounted patrol forward into a raging bush fire to extract the enemy killed in action from the burning vegetation.
Humphreys’ selfless courage, presence of mind and decisive acts in the face of enemy fire saved the lives of two British soldiers. His actions demonstrated the
resolve of United Nations’ peacekeepers when engaged and served to strengthen the reputation of the Long- Range Reconnaissance Group in Mali. Humphreys’ judgment, composure and understanding of the wider context of his actions were peerless and in the finest traditions of the British Army. For his outstanding bravery in the face of enemy fire and for saving the lives of his
comrades, Humphreys was awarded a
Mention in Dispatches.
Sergeant Humphreys was Troop Sergeant within C Squadron 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards during a United Nations’ peacekeeping tour
advanced towards them. Through use of an interpreter and his soldiers’ posture, Humphreys convinced the armed men
of Mali. C Squadron was
the Light Cavalry subunit
operating the High Mobility
Truck Variant within the Long-Range Reconnais-
sance Group on Operation NEWCOMBE. The mission
involved conducting desert
patrols in eastern Mali to
protect civilians and deter
terrorist armed groups
who threatened peace. Humphreys demonstrated
exemplary gallantry in the
face of the enemy on three
separate occasions. Twice
his actions resulted in the
detention of armed men, and
on another occasion, two insurgents who were engaging a patrol with machine gun fire, were killed. Humphreys’ selfless and courageous actions saved the lives of two soldiers in his Troop.
On 17 and 28 Sep 21 whist deployed on a long-range desert patrol in the Sorori Forest region of Mali (Opera- tion MAKARA 2B), Humphreys’ Troop twice interdicted individuals assessed to be affiliates of the Islamic State of the Greater Sahel (ISGS). On both occa- sions, the armed men extracted with their weapons and other items including ammunition, rocket propelled grenades and push-to-talk radios and hid in a river and dense vegetation. Knowing that they were so armed, Humphreys calmly
to put down their weapons. Humphreys was then able to detain them and process them rearwards through the United Nations’ deten- tion chain. Throughout Humphreys demonstrated supreme calmness and courageous restraint such that detentions that uphold the rule of law could be expedited without a shot fired.
On 20 Oct 21, whilst deployed on a subsequent desert patrol near Indeli- mane (Operation MAKARA 3) Humphreys’ Troop was engaged by sustained and
effective machine gun fire from a PKM. Humphreys instantly iden-
tified the danger presented
to two dismounted soldiers
For his outstanding bravery in the face of enemy fire and for saving the lives of his comrades...
who were pinned down
by the weight of fire less
than ten metres from them.
Despite the complex terrain,
with limited visibility, and
in the presence of a mortal
threat, Humphreys seized
the initiative by commanding
his lightly protected vehicle
directly towards the enemy
firing position. Open to the
enemy with minimal armour to protect him or his crew, Humphreys engaged with his General-Purpose Machine gun
...Humphreys merits formal national recognition
HMG