b. 1979 York.
DATE OF CGC ACTION: several actions including 20/08/2006 Sangin, Afghanistan.
Hugo Farmer CGC
Hugo was born in York in 1979. Hugo had no Army background other than his grandfather who fought in both World Wars. Hugo attended the University of Bristol, and in final year, got the opportunity to start an internship with an investment bank. Hugo soon became disillusioned with banking, and began thinking about a career in the Army. He decided to apply for the Parachute Regiment and had actually quit his job before being accepted. Fortunately, his ex employers sponsored him, and in January 2004, he entered the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst.
In December 2004, he was accepted into the Paras, and did his Special-to-Arms training, the Platoon Commander’s battle course, then P Company before doing his jumps course. He was then posted almost immediately to Iraq on 1st August 2005. Within 12 months, he was promoted to full lieutenant. H spent the tour commanding a platoon patrolling the Iraqi border. He returned from Iraq in November 2005, and after two weeks leave, was sent to pre-deployment training for Afghanistan. He embarked for Afghanistan on 17th April 2006.
Hugo was placed in command of A Company and they would be deployed to Sangin three times. Hugo’s actions during the summer of 2006 on a number of occasions would lead to the award of the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross. On 30th July 2006, his platoon was attacked by Taliban with multiple RPGs and small arms fire. He ordered the Platoon to respond with suppressive fire and the personally led an assault onto the enemy position. Not expecting such a tenacious and rapid response, the Taliban abandoned their position and fled. Hugo’s prompr actions regained the initiative.
On 20th August 2006, 1 Platoon’s lead Section became engaged in heavy firefight with the Taliban, which would ultimately lead to the posthumous award of a Victoria Cross to Corporal Bryan Budd. During the assault, Corporal Budd, the Section Commander, was reported missing having continued to assault the enemy position on his own. Hugo quickly reorganised his Platoon and led two attempts with his remaining Sections in an attempt to locate the missing Section Commander. Hugo’s citation for the CGC would later reveal that he personally led troops into an area of high standing corn – where enemy gunmen might be hiding – to search for Corporal Budd. Tragically, they would find that Corporal Budd had been mortally wounded, and in Hugo’s citation it states the following: “However, Farmer’s considerable courage and personal example under fire inspired the soldiers around him in a dangerous and confusing situation where casualties had been sustained and there was a real danger of being outflanked. Apart from convincingly defeating the Taliban by taking command of the additional forces sent to him and calling in attack helicopter fire, his firm leadership and dogged determination to press forward in the face of intense effective enemy fire to rescue Cpl Budd ensured that all casualties were extracted from the firefight. There is also little doubt that his actions contributed to the fact that no further casualties were sustained.”
Hugo’s award of the CGC came on 15th December 2006, and soon afterwards, Hugo chose to leave the Army, and returned to his previous career of investment banking. He received his medal from Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in March 2007. He is now the Co-founder and Chief Investment Officer of High Tor Capital Ltd, and he lives near Loughborough, Leicestershire.
CGC CITATION:
Throughout 3 PARA’s tour of Afghanistan, Lieutenant Hugo Farmer commanded 1 Platoon A Company in some of the most intensive engagements of the tour. During this time he consistently demonstrated outstanding leadership and gallantry. On 27 July, when defending the District Centre in Sangin against determined attack by the Taliban, his platoon was engaged by gunmen and two of his men were wounded. On 30 July, his platoon was attacked once again and Lieutenant Farmer personally led an assault onto the enemy in the building. His prompt action regained the initiative and forced the Taliban to flee.
“On a clearance patrol on 17 August, Lieutenant Farmer identified and engaged enemy fighters resulting in a vicious fire fight. Under effective hostile fire, he organised supporting artillery fire and then personally led an assault on their positions killing a number and forcing them to withdraw. Lieutenant Farmer organised a snap ambush and inflicted significant enemy casualties thereby allowing his platoon to proceed unharmed.
“On 20 August, his lead Section became engaged in a heavy fire fight and soon had 3 soldiers incapacitated. This forced a withdrawal. This situation was further complicated by the fact that Corporal Budd, the Section Commander, was reported as missing having continued to assault the enemy position on his own. Lieutenant Farmer quickly reorganised his Platoon and led two attempts with his remaining Sections in an attempt to locate Corporal Budd.
“Driven back by increasingly heavy fire, he was forced to adopt a defensive position until reinforcements arrived. Lieutenant Farmer continued to consolidate his position fighting off repeated Taliban attacks. On the arrival of Apache helicopters, he directed their fire to suppress the enemy before personally leading one Section to find and evacuate his injured section commander.
“Lieutenant Farmer displayed considerable courage and personal example under fire inspiring his men in a dangerous and confusing situation where casualties had been sustained.
“Lieutenant Farmer’s actions over this three month period were undertaken in the full knowledge of the significant risks he faced. Often under intense fire, he never hesitated to lead from the front. His courage and inspirational leadership contributed significantly to decisive defeats of the enemy and have merited the award of the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: HELD BY RECIPIENT.
