Posted on 11/04/2003 9:41:01 PM PST by A Simple Soldier
Trooper who saved friend in face of friendly fire awarded George Cross
Teenager among 350 armed forces members honoured for action in Iraq
Audrey Gillan and Richard Norton-Taylor
Friday October 31, 2003
The Guardian
The highest British honour for gallantry has been awarded to a 19-year-old soldier for his bravery after being attacked by US aircraft in a "friendly fire" assault during the war in Iraq, it is revealed today. Trooper Chris Finney of the Household Cavalry Regiment was awarded the rare George Cross, which has equal status with the Victoria Cross, after he struggled to haul his colleagues from a burning tank while being shot at.
The VC is only awarded to those who come under enemy fire.
The attack took place north of Basra, at the height of an intensive battle, as two A-10 aircraft twice attacked a convoy of five armoured reconnaissance vehicles, killing one man and injuring four others. Two Iraqi civilians waving a large white flag were also killed.
The citation said: "During these attacks and their horrifying aftermath, Trooper Finney displayed clear-headed courage and devotion to his comrades which was out of all proportion to his age and experience - his bravery was of the highest order throughout."
Three of Trooper Finney's colleagues from D Squadron were also decorated, giving the small unit of 105 men the largest clutch of medals among all British forces who fought in Iraq.
The Guardian was embedded with the squadron on the frontline and was close by when the attack took place and witnessed its aftermath. A survivor said later: "I remember seeing the front wagon which had been hit and I remember seeing the people getting out of that and running for cover.
"I thought there must be ground troops coming to get us. I went pegging it after them and jumped in a ditch. That was when the American plane came round to do a second swoop on us. That gun - I don't want to ever hear that again, it's like a cross between a moan and a roar. Chris Finney helped people get out of the wagon. He was amazing."
A slightly stunned Trooper Finney, who saved the life of his colleague Alan Tudbole, said yesterday that the news of the award did not seem real to him.
"When it happened, I heard a bang and I made up my own little story that we had been attacked by a rocket-propelled grenade, but it wasn't," he said. "I jumped out and saw Corporal Tudbole, who was my gunner, lying half out of his hatch and I helped him get down and started to sort him out and get his headset so that I could tell headquarters what had happened - when the A-10 came back and started attacking us again. He was not at all high - you could see the pilot."
Corporal of Horse Mick Flynn was given the second highest medal for bravery, the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross, for fighting while outgunned and outnumbered by Iraqi tanks. He helped to hold the enemy at bay to ensure that the wounded were safely evacuated from the scene of the A-10 attack. His citation says he also fought "over a period of seven days with no consideration for his own safety and under fire from enemy tanks and artillery".
Major Richard Taylor, the squadron leader, was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his leadership during this period of high-intensity conflict. And Corporal of Horse David Telling was "mentioned in dispatches".
Staff Sergeant Andrew Sindall of the Corps of Royal Engineers, attached to D Squadron, was awarded the Queen's Gallantry medal for his actions during the same attack, when he drove his vehicle into fire to help to recover the survivors.
The soldiers were among 350 members of the armed forces who yesterday received awards for their actions in the attack on Iraq.
Corporals Lewin and McGrath, of the Queen's Royal Lancers, also the victims of friendly fire, were given bravery awards. Two other soldiers involved in possible friendly-fire attacks (which are still being investigated) were honoured.
Justin Thomas, a Royal Marine Commando, is the only other recipient of the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross. Protecting exposed comrades south of Basra who were coming under heavy fire, he climbed on a vehicle to operate a machine gun and began firing at Iraqi troops.
A sergeant from the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers - a regiment whose soldiers are rarely seen collecting medals - has been awarded a Military Cross, the third highest gallantry award. Sergeant Craig Comber rescued three British tanks and cleared a minefield.
In addition to these awards, honours were given to 11 unidentified members of the special forces - the SAS and SBS, which reportedly played a big, though so far largely unknown part in the invasion. The awards include six Military Crosses and three awards for helicopter pilots.
The A-10 attack occurred as D Squadron was fighting against the Iraqi 6th Armoured Division. Two of the vehicles in the convoy were hit by 30mm rounds of depleted uranium shells.
The planes were flying at an altitude of just a few hundred feet and the soldiers popped red smoke to signal that they were allies on the ground. Despite this, the pilots returned to make a second swooping attack. And, instead of providing air cover while helicopters were drafted in to evacuate the casualties, the planes flew away. The survivors of the attack went on to call the pilots "cowboys".
Trooper Finney, who had been in the army for less than a year, climbed back in to a fiercely burning vehicle to save the life of his friend, while ammunition contained in the tank exploded and the Warthog planes shot at him. When the planes returned to shoot again he was shot in the buttock and legs. Despite his wounds he returned again to try to get the gunner, Matty Hull, out. Hull, however, had been killed.
· The British forces commander, Air Chief Marshal Brian Burridge, has been knighted with Lieutenant-General John Reith, commander at the British operational headquarters at Northwood, north-west London.
For bravery of highest order
The George Cross has equal status with the Victoria Cross at the highest level of gallantry awards. It was intended for civilians or members of the armed forces for actions not in the face of the enemy.
The GC was introduced in 1940 by George VI, to recognise outstanding acts of bravery by civilians involved in bomb disposal during the Blitz.
Recipients include Odette Sansom, Violette Szabo and Noor Inayat Khan, agents who were dropped behind enemy lines to help the French resistance during the second world war.
Perhaps the most famous holder is the Island of Malta, honoured for the population's spirited opposition to the Axis powers.
The most recent recipient was also a collective award, to the Royal Ulster Constabulary in 1999 before it was renamed, as a part of the Good Friday agreement.
Of the 156 holders, about two-thirds have been military personnel.
Other recent recipients are Stewart Graeme Guthrie, a New Zealand policeman shot near Dunedin in 1998, and Barry Johnson, of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, who was seriously injured while defusing a mortar bomb in Northern Ireland in 1989.
In 1995 the tax-free annuity for holders was increased from £100 to of £1,300.
The George Cross is the equivalent of the Medal of Honor. Had the action taken place under fire from an Iraqi aircraft, Trooper Finney would have received the Victoria Cross. An interesting note is that he only found out about the award the day before he was decorated.
Other relevant links with brief anecdotes of the other awards actions
http://www.operations.mod.uk/telic/op_honours_31oct.htm
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/content_objectid=13574615_method=full_siteid=50143_headline=-TROOPER-CHRIS-IS-A-HERO--BY-GEORGE-name_page.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/10/31/nirq31.xml&sSheet=/news/2003/10/31/ixnewstop.html
Eventhough Trooper Chris Finney performed his heroic act under fire, he was awarded the George Cross instead of the Victoria Cross because he was technically under friendly fire and not enemy fire. Is this correct, Sir?
Duh. Sorry, I was concentrating so much on the article and somehow missed your clear explanation above.
Thanks,
HB
Thanks for the ping.
Even though all the damage came from our planes, it does appear that there were enemy combatants about. The Guardian is the British leftie paper and I doubt that they would miss the opportunity to make US forces look as bad as possible. High praise for the UK troops who displayed incredible courage in this action, but I would like to see the AAR filed by the pilots before I dismiss them as "cowboys".
FR links are here.
British fury at 'cowboy' US pilot's deadly error
U.S. pilot 'cowboy,' British soldier says
and a few more
Iraq War, Nasiriya March 23 "Marines sure they were friendly-fire victims"
Friendly Fire Pilot Risks Prison To Clear Name ...
Disciplinary Decision RE: Pilots in Friendly Fire Incident
Friendly Fire Pilots Escape Court Martial
"Friendly fire" deaths fueling debate on how to prevent them
This is just a scene from hell/Transcript: N.Iraq friendly fire; "Shut up. I'm broadcasting!.."
31 Marines hurt in 'friendly fire'
2 British Troops Killed by "Friendly Fire"
U.S. F-16 Jet in Friendly Fire Incident
Electronic Beacon Problems in Shootdown [Patriot-RAF Tornado friendly fire incident]
Britain Tells America How To Avoid 'Friendly Fire'
I went over to the Telegraph (UK conservative paper) link that A Simple Soldier posted and read their account which didn't play up the friendly fire aspect as much. They also pointed out that at almost exactly the same time that this happened another troop in this same armored regiment came under Iraqi attack about 2 miles away. The enemy were about and our guys were trying to hunt them. Fog of war-it seems to me, not so much being a "cowboy".
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.