Military personnel are Pride of Britain
8 Oct 09
Four Pride of Britain Awards have been presented to military personnel at this year's Pride of Britain Awards ceremony which was aired on ITV yesterday, Wednesday 7 October 2009.
England cricketer Freddie Flintoff (left) and Gary Lineker (right) present Corporal Holly Percival with an award in recognition of the work of the combat medical team in Afghanistan
[Picture: John Ferguson/Daily Mirror Pride of Britain/PA Wire]
The UK Joint Medical Group Afghanistan was recognised for its work in the field hospital at Camp Bastion.
Sergeant Noel Connolly from the Royal Marines also received a Special Recognition Award for his bravery last year in thwarting an attempted suicide attack.
Major Phil Packer of the Royal Military Police received the Fundraiser of the Year Award for his efforts in support of Help for Heroes.
And Petty Officer Martin Langlands received the Outstanding Bravery Award for his actions in an off-duty capacity which saw him rescue a family involved in a traffic accident.
Sponsored by the Daily Mirror and supported by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the Pride of Britain Awards have been running for ten years and now attract a TV audience of around seven million viewers in a primetime slot on ITV1.
The awards website says that they celebrate:
"People who come from all walks of life and from all age groups, but they have one thing in common - they inspire others. Whatever the danger, they brave it. They care for others more than themselves. And whatever the odds they beat them. They say they are ordinary people, but their extraordinary acts show they don't know the meaning of the word."
An RAF medic operates a radiography machine in the Medical Centre at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan
[Picture: Corporal Ian Houlding, Crown Copyright/MOD 2008]
The nominations for the awards are found by a team of full-time researchers who read through more than 20,000 stories to draw up the shortlist. Many nominations come in from members of the public in response to appeals in national and regional press and magazines.
The majority of the award winners are decided by a national judging panel from a shortlist of contenders. This committee includes celebrated figures in national life, as well as eminent experts in the fields of medicine and teaching, a representative of the emergency services, and a former Pride of Britain winner.
Members of the UK's military are highly represented in the awards and this year was no exception.
The field hospital in Camp Bastion received a Special Recognition Award this year for the incredible service they provide to the coalition effort.
Sports stars Andrew Flintoff and Gary Lineker recently flew out to Afghanistan to present the award which was accepted on behalf of the UK Joint Medical Group by Corporal Holly Percival, a Combat Medical Technician.
Ex-footballer Gary Lineker said:
"Combat medics go on the front line and make quick decisions on things like amputations. What they do and the bravery that goes with it is exceptional. It's above and beyond the call of duty."
Sergeant Noel Connolly, Royal Marines, prevented a Taliban suicide bomber's attack
[Picture: Daily Mirror]
While cricketer Andrew Flintoff added:
"I've seen things over the past few days I've never seen before. It will live with me forever. You see news reports, but when you see it first hand you realise what a great job they're doing."
Sgt Noel Connolly MC, Royal Marines, also received a Special Recognition Award for his bravery in Afghanistan.
In November last year, Sgt Connolly identified a suicide bomber attempting to activate a suicide device whilst driving towards coalition forces on a motorbike.
Sgt Connolly threw himself at the insurgent, tackling him off the bike and to the ground, preventing him from detonating the device. In so doing, and with scant regard for his own safety, he saved the lives of his patrol and civilians alike.
For this, and for his exceptional leadership as a Troop Sergeant throughout his recent operational tour, he has been awarded the Military Cross. Sgt Connolly said:
"I'm not brave. Someone had to stop him. This was very much a collective effort by Lima Company."
His sister Breda said:
"Noel is a true Mancunian. We are so proud of him. He is a Royal Marine through and through and is dedicated to the job. It is truly terrifying what they have to face on daily basis."
Major Phil Packer, Royal Military Police
[Picture: Crown Copyright/MOD 2008]
The judges said of Sgt Connolly:
"Noel represents everything that is most heroic about our troops. He acted skilfully and selflessly to protect those around him."
Major Phil Packer from the Royal Military Police, who was left paralysed after a rocket attack in Iraq in 2008, was presented with the Fundraiser of the Year Award. He has undertaken numerous events to raise money for the Help for Heroes charity, including a cross-Channel row and the London Marathon; he also climbed El Capitan in the US, so far raising a total of £1.2m.
Major Packer is also a public advocate of the military rehabilitation service provided at Headley Court. He said:
"No matter how difficult things are, I'm mindful of how lucky I am to be here. I'm determined to make a positive difference to others."
The judges said of Major Packer:
"Phil's incredible fundraising efforts would be a challenge for able-bodied people and yet he has shown that, with strength of spirit, anything is possible."
The final military winner at this year's awards was the Royal Navy's Petty Officer Martin Langlands who was presented with the Outstanding Bravery Award for his actions in an off-duty capacity during an incident on the M5 motorway.
Petty Officer Martin Langlands rescued the Khan family after a tyre blew out on their car
[Picture: Daily Mirror]
After witnessing a road traffic accident at night on the speeding carriageway, PO Langlands stopped and rescued a family before the vehicle was caught in a pile-up.
Darius Khan said his family will be forever indebted to PO Langlands for his actions:
"He stopped when everyone else was just driving past," he said. "Our stuff was all over the road and people were driving over it at 70mph [113km/h]. I'd hit my head on the dashboard and my wife was in shock. When she stepped out of the car, another one hit us, and she dropped the baby into the road. It was terrifying.
"I don't know what would have happened if Martin hadn't been there."
Andy Pullen, head of roads policing for Avon and Somerset, said:
"Mr Langlands risked his life to save a family who were in grave danger. Given what happened to their car after he took them to safety, there is no doubt as to the severity of the situation."
Paying tribute to the outstanding bravery of British troops, Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth said:
"The servicemen and women are not just the pride of the British Armed Forces, they are the pride of Britain."