Page 136 - Bugle Autumn 2014

Battalion Headquarters
OC: Maj J Nicholls
Company 2i/c: Maj A Freeman PSAO: Capt K J Mahoney MBE 9 Pl Comd: Capt G Kaye
10 Pl Comd: Capt Edwards SPSI: WO2 Villis
CSM: WO2 Powell
RRTT WO: WO2 Mayne QPSI: CSjt Winter
PSI: CSjt Smith CQMS: CSjt Pollit
E RIFLES COMPANY
4 MERCIAN
(As E Company started the year in 4 MERCIAN, this short article relating to their activities with that battalion is included here)
The focus this year was the award of the
Captain Webb Medal to Rfn Ben Taylor of Shrewsbury for his outstanding courage in Afghanistan. The Medal is a civilian award in recognition of outstanding bravery by a Shropshire Citizen. The last such awards were made to WO2 Kim Hughes GC RLC and Cpl Ricky Furgusson MC in 2011, also for actions in
into an Afghan National Army Checkpoint in Helmand Province. When the accident happened, Rfn Taylor was initially trapped in the armoured vehicle and had to remove his body armour to escape. He was then swept away by the current but, despite suffering a back injury, he swam back to the vehicle to help his trapped colleagues.
Afghanistan. Whilst on OP
HERRICK 17, Rifleman Taylor (21) repeatedly dived into murky
water in a canal in Afghanistan to save
There are two escape hatches on the Mastiff but, the way it had settled in the water, only one was accessible but that was under water; therefore Rfn Taylor
had to dive repeatedly
under water to rescue his colleagues. During this time he had no
protection or body armour and had to be on the look out for insurgents; the rescue took approximately 40 mins. The injuries that he had sustained meant that his operational tour was cut short and Rfn Taylor was sent back to the UK. His citation said he had
the lives of eight
members of his platoon after their 35-tonne armoured Mastiff vehicle had rolled down
a steep bank and partially sunk. It was
his first operational tour in Afghanistan
and he was carrying out the role of top cover gunner in a Mastiff armoured vehicle assigned to insert covertly a sniper team
His citation said he had displayed “immense physical courage and determination”
Dawn attack at STANTA
134 E COMPANY
THE RIFLES