b. 1987 Bromley, Kent.
DATE OF CGC ACTION: 01/04/2012 to 30/09/2012 Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
Luke T J Mason CGC
Luke Mason was born in Bromley, Kent in the summer of 1987. At the age of 21, in 2008, he decided to enlist in the 3rd Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment. Just two years later, in 2010, he had become a Platoon commander and was on his first tour of Afghanistan. His job was to run a remote checkpoint in southern Helmand Province – a tough challenge. His long term ambition was to apply for the SAS but all that changed on one evening in the summer of 2012.
His platoon found himself caught up in a gun battle with some Taliban insurgents. Their bullets struck one of Luke’s men, 20-year-old Private Gregg Stone, in the cheek and neck. In the scramble to get Gregg to safety across harsh desert terrain, Luke was shot six times – twice in the head, twice in the torso and twice in the leg. Gregg tragically died shortly after being stretchered into a helicopter. Luke escaped fatal injury thanks to his helmet and body armour, but life as he knew it was never going to be the same again.
Luke then faced a long road to recovery, involving ten operations and countless sessions of physical rehabilitation. On 16th June 2013, he was able to walk into Buckingham Palace unaided to receive his Conspicuous Gallantry Cross, from the then Prince Charles. He had previously met the Prince on two occasions, while being treated in hospital and when recuperating at Headley Court. Following the award, he was promoted to Captain. When asked about his award he humbly remarked “It was also good to reflect on the reason for getting the award, and be thankful, because I would not have been able to do it without my men. The reason I am still alive is because I had my men there.”
LOCATION OF MEDAL: WITH RECIPIENT.
