Shropshire soldier awarded Military Cross
An heroic soldier from Shropshire, who led a bayonet charge over 90 yards of open ground in Afghanistan under a hail of enemy fire, was today awarded the Military Cross for his bravery.
Corporal Sean Jones’s split-second decision ‘completely turned the tide’ of the battle around the Taliban stronghold of Babaji.
The 25-year-old father-of-two, from Tern Hill, near Market Drayton, forced the Taliban to retreat in complete disarray through ‘unflinching courage and extraordinary leadership’, his citation said.
Cpl Jones, who serves with 1st Battalion The Princess of Wales’s Regiment, based in Germany, said today: “I don’t know how we managed to get out alive.
“The rounds were so close you could see them striking the dirt in front of you. It was like something out of a film.” Cpl Jones was second-in-command of the patrol, which was trying to draw out insurgents who were intimidating villagers in Kakaran last October.
As Cpl Jones’s patrol moved through an open field, it came under heavy small-arms fire. After firing a rocket at one of the insurgent positions, Cpl Jones ordered three of his men to fix bayonets.
The troops then stormed across 80 metres of open ground raked by enemy fire.
His citation reads: “In an engagement that lasted 29 minutes and which saw heavy and sustained insurgent fire throughout, Jones demonstrated unflinching courage and extraordinary leadership in the face of extreme and tangible danger.”
Today’s announcement comes with the release of the latest operational honours and awards list, which names 106 personnel on Operation HERRICK 15.
Cpl Jones is one of just seven Military Cross recipients on the list.
Read more in today's Shropshire Star
Comments for: "Shropshire soldier awarded Military Cross "
Colin Dodd.
Full respect for this man. He is what I would class as a true hero.
Lee Jones
Sean is my nephew and I have learned of this while away from the UK - his Wife Children and his Mother, Father and Step Father must be so proud of this very young true hero
keep-the-faith
A true 'hero' who doesn't get paid 200k a week to kick a bag of air around... Well done
Clive Bailey
It is so nice to see the REAL heroes of our country rewarded for a job that involves risking their lives on a daily basis , well done Corporal Jones you are a credit to our country. It is a shame that the muggers, thieves, burglars and cowards of this world cannot join you, learn some respect and value what is important in life , I am sure that they would behave totally differently and have better values in their lives.
Mike
I'm sure I'm not the only one who had a smile that a Corporal Jones was at the front of a bayonet charge. Was there a Captain Mainwaring around too?
JoeThePimpernel
The Tol-ee-bohn are real brave until somebody actually fights back.
God bless you, Corporal Jones.
USA Dave
Thanks HERO!
We salute you.