b. ? Scotland.
DATE OF CGC ACTION: 24/06/2003 Majar al Kabir, Iraq.
Gordon Robertson CGC
Gordon Robertson joined the Parachute Regiment in 1989 and served on various tours of Northern Ireland in the 1990s.
He and a colleague broke a world record in 1999 by completing the London Marathon in 4 hours and 14 minutes in uniform and each carrying a 40lb army rucksack.
Sgt Robertson and his squadron of 12 paratroopers were on patrol in the town of Majar al Kabir in Southern Iraq when they came across a heavily armed mob of around 200 Iraqis on 24 June, 2003.
Little did they know, but the angry crowd had raided a police station and murdered six Royal Military Policemen who were trapped inside after they had run out of ammunition.
Sergeant Simon Alexander Hamilton-Jewell, from Chessington; Corporal Russell Aston, from Swadlincote; Corporal Paul Long, from Colchester: Corporal Simon Miller, from Washington, Tyne & Wear; Lance-Corporal Benjamin John McGowan Hyde, from Northallerton and Lance-Corporal Tom Keys, from Bala, were the men killed that day, but a communications meltdown meant Sgt Robertson’s patrol just 200 metres away could not go to their aid.
But their presence was not welcomed by locals and they were soon confronted by the ever-increasing hostile crowd. The mob initially rocks threw rocks at the lightly-armed British Paras before live rounds were fired. At that point the 12 men were forced to respond and for the next two hours Sgt Roberts and his men inflicted heavy casualties on the mob with deadly accurate fire while they tried to get to safety.
At one stage they sought refuse in a building only for enemy fighters to attempt to batter their way through the walls. A Chinook helicopter arrived to try to extract them from the deadly situation but was beaten back when it came under heavy fire, suffering casualties on board. Back-up arrived in the form of the Household Cavalry Regiment which allowed the men to withdraw with barely any ammunition left and without a scratch on them.
He left the army in 2004 and in 2016 he chose to sell his Conspicuous Gallantry Cross – one down from the Victoria Cross – because he wanted to help buy his grown-up son his first house.
CGC CITATION:
Robertson displayed bravery and leadership of the highest order. He consistently placed himself in extreme danger with no concern for his personal safety. His cool-headedness and tactical skill were inspirational. Despite overwhelming odds, during a sustained firefight lasting over two hours, he managed to extract his entire multiple to safety without serious injury or loss of life.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: PRIVATELY HELD.
