In September 1940 at the height of the London Blitz, King George VI decided to institute a new medal to reward the many acts of civilian courage. The George Cross is awards for conspicuous acts of bravery by civilians. It is also given to military personnel but is "confined to actions for which purely military Honours are not normally granted" (for example when not under fire or engaging the enemy). It has equal status with the highest military award, the Victoria Cross.
Today it was announced that a 24 year old Royal Marine reservist has been awarded the medal for actions in Afghanistan. His story is one of amazing, instinctual courage and even more staggering luck.
Lance Corporal Matthew Croucher was leading a group of four marines on patrol in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in February. As they moved through a dark compound, he tripped a booby trap linked to a hand grenade. He realized this immediately and fell on the grenade using his back pack to contain the explosion and save his colleagues.
Quite amazingly, the rucksack was so packed with equipment that it not only cushioned the explosion from the other three, it saved Croucher's life. In fact it was so effective he carried on patrolling with only minor injuries and engaged an enemy fighter two hours later. In his words:
"I automatically sensed an extreme fear when I looked down at the ground and realised that there was a grenade with the pin pulled at my feet. It was one of those situations where I had a split second to decide what to do. I had a quick look around and realised that there was no real place to take cover.
"There were two guys initially right behind me and a third just a bit further back, so I felt a bit guilty for setting the device off. I thought that the best course of action for everyone including myself was to lie right next to the grenade, point my body armour towards it with my day sack and take the brunt of the explosion and see what happens from there."
The picture shows the damage his day sack sustained.
At a ceremony today where the award was confirmed (he will get the actual medal, probably from the Queen, later this year) the Chief of the Defence Staff said:
"Lance Corporal Matthew Croucher showed extraordinary bravery, self-sacrifice and devotion to duty. He acted to save his comrades in the almost certain knowledge that he would not himself survive. His exemplary behaviour and supreme heroism are fully deserving of the nation's highest recognition."
Croucher himself is somewhat more modest:
It is a higher medal than I expected to get really for that situation. It's a great honour to get that medal but at the same time there are a lot of other heroic acts which go on in Afghanistan which go unnoticed.
In addition to the medal, Lance Corporal Croucher will also be entitled to an annual annuity, currently the equivalent of about $3000 and to add the letters "G.C." after his name. In accordance with the importance of the medal, these letters will be in front of any other military or academic awards he might have.