British soldier honoured with award

A British soldier has been honoured with a prestigious award for his efforts in Afghanistan, it has been reported.

Sergeant Alan Dennis has been awarded the esteemed Victoria Cross in recognition of single-handedly fighting off a Taliban ambush, despite having a broken arm.

The 36-year-old father of two was commanding an Afghan-British patrol in Helmand province in April 2009 when he came under fire by members of the Taliban armed with machine guns and rockets.

After a grenade exploded five feet in front of him, which caused him to land awkwardly and break his arm, Sergeant Dennis opened fire on the opposition and halted their efforts to surround the compound.

"His example and initiative brought the Afghan national army into the battle, which saved the patrol from defeat. He was calm and collected under intense fire and displayed cool courage," the citation on the soldier’s medal read.

Captain Wayne Owers, of the Royal Logistic Corps, was recently awarded with the Queen’s Gallantry Medal for defusing more explosives on his six-month tour of duty in 2009 than any other British soldier, the Coventry Telegraph reported.

Posted by Mark Wilkins