Brave Ballymena soldier is Mentioned in Despatches

A Ballymena soldier who saved the life of a colleague while under heavy fire from Afghan insurgents has received a Mention in Despatches.
By The Newsroom
Published 30th Sep 2011, 17:32 BST

Ranger Peter Mawhinney, 21, of D Company 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment, currently based at Clive Barracks, Tern Hill, Shropshire, was on a morning patrol in Nad-e Ali with eleven other soldiers in October 2010, on his second tour of Afghanistan.

The patrol came under attack and the lead soldier was hit in the thigh by a bullet. He collapsed with a broken femur, rapidly losing blood, in full view of the attacking insurgents who continued firing at him.

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Ranger Mawhinney raced forward placing himself between his colleague and the insurgents but, as he tried to return fire from his kneeling position, his machine gun jammed.

Despite bullets striking all around, Peter calmly cleared his weapon and was soon able to return fire.

He urged his colleague to crawl to cover where a medic gave life-saving treatment. Peter then moved further forward, towards the enemy, firing at them for over ten minutes until the area was safe enough to evacuate the casualty.

On hearing of his award, Ranger Mawhinney, who has been in the Army for four and a half years and was on his second tour of Afghanistan, said: “When I was told I felt proud and happy and all that good stuff.

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“But I was just doing my job and didn’t want to see one of my friends lying injured or dying. I was his cover man and I remember rounds shooting past my head and one of them hit my friend in the femur so I turned around and returned fire.”

Ranger Mawhinney’s citation describes him as “selfless and exceptional”.

It reads: “Mawhinney was prepared to sacrifice everything for his comrade. Despite seeing the catastrophic effect of enemy fire hitting a fellow Ranger, he chose to move deep into the killing area in order to save life. When he did so, his resolve was not shaken by the stoppage of his weapon, which he calmly cleared before carrying on. In an area of Nad-e Ali where daily bravery is the norm, Mawhinney’s actions stood out as being exceptional. That he saved one life is unquestionable, he probably saved more.”