Military Cross for 'hero' soldier

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Private Luke Cole, 22, from Wolverhampton, a Territorial Army soldier attached to the Mercian Regiment, administered first aid to wounded colleagues while continuing to return fire against the Taliban - all despite being shot twice himself.

The two-hour night-time gun fight took place following an ambush in Helmand Province last September.

Pte Cole was hit in the leg and in the hip moments later but he refused morphine and continued to defend his comrades.

He said: "The first shot blew five inches of bone out of my leg and then I was hit in the hip and the bullet came out my stomach.

"I realised it was serious when I was dragged back and I saw my insides were hanging out. We were ambushed and they started to surround us - but I was not having that."

On his award, he added: "I'm shocked that I've got this. I was just doing my job."

An officer also received the Military Cross for leading 600 Afghan soldiers to victory over Taliban militants. Major Martin David's official role in Helmand Province was as an operational mentor for 1st Kandak Afghan National Army.

But 1st Kandak's command structure soon fell apart during battle, leaving Maj David to lead them with the help of 36 British soldiers under him - and a handful of interpreters.

"It was emotional at times," said the 38-year-old Grenadier Guard, a father of three from Aldershot in Hampshire. "I ended up commanding the whole Afghan battalion. It was incredibly stressful because we were doing it all through interpreters."