Magnificent Valour

[Banquo's Ghost]

Amidst all the political mess, there are still acts of extraordinary bravery that move one.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Heroic marine throws himself on grenade

By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent

A Royal Marine could receive the highest award for gallantry after he saved the lives of his comrades by throwing himself onto an exploding grenade in Afghanistan, it has been reported.

His extraordinary courage, which could lead to a citation for the Victoria Cross, came after a tripwire booby-trap was stepped on during a nighttime mission outside the town of Sangin, Helmand province.

A live hand-grenade was released threatening to blow up L/Cpl Croucher, 24 and the rest of the patrol.

The marine shouted "grenade" and as his friends dived for cover L/Cpl Croucher lay with his back on the lethal device.

The patrol commander, Corporal Adam Lesley threw himself to the ground and another man got behind a wall, but one marine had frozen and was still standing when the grenade detonated.

"My reaction was, 'My God this can't be real'," said Cpl Lesley. "Croucher had simply lain back and used his day sack to blunt the force of the explosion. You would expect nine out of 10 people to die in that situation."

With fuses that can last several seconds the men waited for what "felt like a lifetime" before the grenade blew up.

The marine's backpack, thought to contain ammunition, was thrown more than 30ft and sent a burning radio battery flying through the air.

L/Cpl Croucher, who suffered a bleeding nose and shock, was saved by the special plating inside his Osprey body armour. He almost certainly saved the life of Marine Scott Easter who had "just completely frozen".

"All I could hear was a loud ringing and the faint sound of people shouting 'are you ok? Are you ok?'" L/Cpl Croucher, a reservist from Birmingham, told the News of the World.

"Then I felt one of the lads giving me a top to toe check. My head was ringing. Blood was streaming from my nose. It took 30 seconds before I realised I was definitely not dead," he added.

Cpl Lesley said: "He had shrapnel in his helmet, in the plate of his body armour, but he was basically okay.

"His day sack had taken the blast."

The action happened on Feb 9 as the reconnaissance troop from 40 Commando went to search a bomb-making factory in a compound out Sangin.

A Ministry of Defence statement said: "LCpl Croucher has displayed incredible bravery in his action in Afghanistan. His bravery could well be recognised through some form of gallantry award in due course along with other personnel from the latest deployment to Afghanistan."

What leads one man to freeze and another man to take action is one of those things we never know about ourselves until the moment. But those seconds whilst the fuse burned must have been hard.

[InsaneApache]

Well done that Bootneck.

[KukriKhan]

What leads one man to freeze and another man to take action is one of those things we never know about ourselves until the moment.

That's what I've seen too: today's "zero" is tomorrow's "hero", and you can never predict which it will be 'until the moment'.

I guess this will tamp down some of the criticism of the Osprey CBA, it being thought (by some) as too heavy for patrol use, for the protection it provides.

It's amazing L/Cpl Croucher (great name for a soldier, eh?) could locate the grenade, in the dark, and - in a split-second decision, lay backwards on it. I wonder which of his mates tripped the boobytrap. If it were me, I'd be buying Croucher's pints for years.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Pints for decades, more like.

Yes, brilliant action, he'd better get a VC. One thing to throw yourself on a grenade, another to lie there and wait for it to go off.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

A Victoria Cross is warranted. It takes courage to lay on top of a ticking hand grenade - those seconds must have seemed like eternity.

[Pannonian]

I wonder if the chap's ever worried about going to the dentist.

"Just lie back and relax..."

[spmetla]

Most people do not survive attempts to snuff out hand grenades, his quick thinking saved his squadies and managed to keep him alive as well, truly amazing. Surely Victoria's Cross material, I wish him a speedy recovery.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Sounds like he got off ok, I hope he doesn't get shot before he gets his medal.

[DemonArchangel]

The fact that he was brave enough to use his body to shield his comrades from a grenade deserves commendation. The fact that he survived is just epic.

[Papewaio]

If I was him, I'd keep some of the shrapnel and use it for my next scratchy (lottery ticket).

Certainly couldn't know if he would survive that.

[Vladimir]

Yey go technology! Don't forget about the people who made the armour. They deserve some credit for saving lives too.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Yey go technology! Don't forget about the people who made the armour. They deserve some credit for saving lives too.

Of course, but he was still immensely brave for potentially sacrificing his life, and very lucky for surviving.

[Vladimir]

Of course, but he was still immensely brave for potentially sacrificing his life, and very lucky for surviving.

Meh, anyone can say that, it's expected.

Saw another brainless video today about the eval Military Industrial Complex^tm and thought they deserved credit too. Also the point is not that he risked his life but that he saved another. You're stupid to jump on a grenade but a hero if it saves the lives of others.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

I am not certain of the standards England sets for awarding the Victoria Cross.

This specific act of bravery has been repeated in U.S. military history dozens of times. Each has earned the Medal of Honor, and virtually all of the awards have been posthumous.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Meh, anyone can say that, it's expected.

Well, it certainly should be. The man displayed a massive amount of courage.

You're stupid to jump on a grenade but a hero if it saves the lives of others.

Well, of course. If I jump on a grenade at home, than I'm just being an idiot. If I do it to save lives, then I'm a hero. It's how things work.

[Louis VI the Fat]

What leads one man to freeze and another man to take action is one of those things we never know about ourselves until the moment.

I know. In the face of acute danger, I freeze. I don't know why. It's not a conscious decision. My system overloads or something. Time itself stops, a split second feels like an eternity. I can't think and I can't move, until the danger passes away (or until it gets me killed one day, I guess).

[Vladimir]

I know. In the face of acute danger, I freeze. I don't know why. It's not a conscious decision. My system overloads or something. Time itself stops, a split second feels like an eternity. I can't think and I can't move, until the danger passes away (or until it gets me killed one day, I guess).

It's a completely natural reaction which can be overcome if the need and desire is great enough. There's no shame in it. In situations like this my mind tended to detach itself from reality and enter a dream-like state to protect itself from trauma. This too can be overcome.

I'm actually more worried about the soldier who froze. If his squadmate had died it would be much worse. I can only imagine what thoughts that are tearing at his mind right now.

[Papewaio]

I know. In the face of acute danger, I freeze. I don't know why. It's not a conscious decision. My system overloads or something. Time itself stops, a split second feels like an eternity. I can't think and I can't move, until the danger passes away (or until it gets me killed one day, I guess).

Look one day you will be able to go into McDonalds and order some 'food', it won't kill you and you can then pass yourself off as worldly.

[Pannonian]

Look one day you will be able to go into McDonalds and order some 'food', it won't kill you and you can then pass yourself off as worldly.

Imagines Louis screaming "Fire in the hull!" as he throws himself on top of a Big Mac.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Oh, I'll throw myself on a BigMac alright - teeth first and mouth wide open. They're yummie!



Hey, there's food the art form, and then there's food as a quick, cheap and hygienic way of filling your stomach. McDonald's has perfected the latter, and there is no shame in that.


Plus, McDonald's allows me to discover the taste of freedom and America! (French McDonald's commercial). Bald Eagles, the American West, the Big Tasty. Classic Americana. Very exotic. I love tasting the fares of distant lands and cultures. I am adventurous that way.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

I believe a VC is awarded for "extraordinary bravery in the face of the enemy which had a significant effect on the outcome of the battle" Aproximately, in any case it's those three:

1. Bravery.

2. In the face of the enemy.

3. That had an effect.

So, for example, you can't get it from friendly fire which is why the driver that pulled his entire section from from a burning Warrior after an A-10 hit it only got the George Cross.

[ICantSpellDawg]

That is freaking incredible. He deserves the world.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Hey, there's food the art form, and then there's food as a quick, cheap and sometimes hygienic way of filling your stomach. McDonald's has perfected the latter, and there is no shame in that.

Better.

[Guildenstern]

But those seconds whilst the fuse burned must have been hard.

those seconds must have seemed like eternity.

I think in those seconds L/Cpl Croucher was very concentrated on what he was doing, but at the same time frightened to death.

For I believe even in being brave one must still have fear. It’s a humble, though sometimes not so clearly humble, way of recognizing your own mortality in life. If one did not have any fears, then one could not dominate them and really never gain self-accomplishment in life. And having the fear is not enough, because one must also be able to identify the fear. The individual must be familiar with his fears before he can prevail over them. So I think there is some self-awareness requirement in being brave.

[Vladimir]

This one, not so fortunate.