Bravery Award For Stamford Soldier
25 March 2011, 10:53 | Updated: 25 March 2011, 11:06
Captain Sean Scott, 38, of the Royal Logistic Corps was on a foot patrol with the Afghan Army in an advisory capacity, when they came under intense automatic fire from four close range firing points.
Two Afghan soldiers were very seriously injured in the opening bursts, with one unable to move from his exposed position in the open ground.
With no thought for his own safety, the former Oundle Prince William school student crawled forward into the killing area to reach the injured soldier giving lifesaving first aid as small arms fire hit the ground around them.
With accurate fire still coming in on them, Sean then led the safe evacuation of the injured to medical care in what his citation calls “leadership and courage of the most extraordinary kind.”
“At the time it was just a case of, we need to get to him, it wasn’t an option of could we get to him. Leaving him there was never an option,” explained Sean as to why he crawled into enemy fire.
“Somebody else is dependent on you helping them as to whether they get out of there alive or dead. You do think of your team safety, and your own safety but you just try and make the best judgement. You don’t worry about yourself, you worry about what you can do for the people that are out there and are injured that need rescue.”
Scott, whose parents Alan and Margarett still live in St. Martins, Stamford, remains adamant though that the award is for the combined efforts of the team.
“I’m shocked, but honoured to be receiving the MC, but I’m honoured for the team, because it is for the team. It isn’t an individual thing in my mind. Without everybody’s actions on that day we wouldn’t have pulled it off. This is sort of closure for the team - a nice way to end a six, seven month tour.”
The announcement of Scott’s medal was made today with the release of the latest operational honours and awards list, which includes 136 personnel. His is one of 14 MC’s on the March list. The awards are for actions roughly during the period April 1st, 2010 to September 31st 2010.