Bravery in Afghanistan war
Joshua Leakey, a lance corporal in the British Army's 1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment, was awarded the Victoria Cross for his extraordinary bravery during a mission in Afghanistan in 2013. His actions during a fierce firefight in Helmand Province not only saved lives but also turned the tide of a dangerous and chaotic engagement, making him one of the few living recipients of the UK's highest military honour for gallantry.
On August 22, 2013, Leakey was part of a joint British-American operation tasked with disrupting insurgent activity in a Taliban stronghold. The mission soon turned deadly when the group came under heavy and sustained machine-gun and rocket-propelled grenade fire from well-prepared enemy positions on a hillside. The intensity of the ambush left one American Marine officer seriously wounded and the group pinned down, exposed and under significant threat.
While others took cover, Leakey acted with instinctive courage. Disregarding his own safety, he ran through intense enemy fire to provide first aid to the wounded officer. Realising the group was still under severe threat and that immediate action was needed, he made a second dash across open terrain to retrieve a machine gun from a British position and take command of the situation. He then climbed to a vantage point and laid down suppressive fire, which allowed his fellow soldiers to regroup, tend to the wounded, and return fire more effectively.
Not content with this, Leakey made a third trip across exposed ground—this time carrying a 60mm mortar base plate to improve their fire support capabilities. His leadership and bravery, despite being a junior non-commissioned officer, were decisive. His actions, conducted under continuous fire and in extreme heat, lasted over 45 minutes and were critical in repelling the enemy attack and preventing greater casualties.
In 2015, Queen Elizabeth II presented Joshua Leakey with the Victoria Cross at a ceremony at Windsor Castle. What makes Leakey’s story even more remarkable is that he is part of a rare family legacy: his second cousin twice removed, Sergeant Nigel Gray Leakey, was also awarded the Victoria Cross for his heroism during the Second World War in East Africa in 1941. This places the Leakey family among the very few in British history with multiple VC recipients across generations.
Joshua Leakey became the first living British soldier to receive the Victoria Cross for service in Afghanistan, and only the third overall from that conflict. His calmness under fire, willingness to risk his life for others, and instinctive leadership under pressure reflect the very highest traditions of the British Army and the spirit of the award itself.
