b. 1961 Pwlheli, Wales.
DATE OF CGC ACTION: 28/05/1995 Goradze, Bosnia.
Peter Humpherys was born in Pwlheli, North Wales in 1961. He enlisted with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and was posted to the conflict in Bosnia in 1995. He was part of a 300 strong contingent from his Regiment sent to Bosnia as UN peacekeepers.
On 28 May 1995, the Serbs began an attack on the UN-declared “Safe Area” and began taking the Welsh soldiers hostage. The attack against the town was never made public at the time, but the actions of the Welsh soldiers on that day are credited with saving the town. On the west bank of the Drina River, overlooking the Muslim enclave of Gorazde and its 45,000 Muslim inhabitants, Bosnian Serb soldiers rapidly overpowered the fusiliers.
The Welsh peacekeepers’ west bank observation posts high in the towering hills over the town, were sited in the midst of the Serb front line. These men were outnumbered and outgunned as the Serbs threatened to use heavy weapons and rocket-propelled grenades. But on the crucial east bank of the river Drina, on the strategically-important heights above the town, another group of Welsh peacekeepers held their own.
Peter Humphreys, then a Colour Sergeant, was quoted later as saying “The plan at the time was to hold the observation posts for as long as possible. The Muslims would push through us and take the high ground.” One by one the east bank observation posts became untenable. Eight soldiers were taken hostage at one height. At a second, Clr Sgt Humphreys was finally given the order to move.
Peter recalled “Seeing thirty heavily-armed Serbs coming towards you, you think, ‘it’s time to leave this location. There were rounds coming in from the Serbs. There were rounds coming in from the Muslims. There were aircraft overhead, buzzing some of the locations.” His patrol surprised several Serb soldiers in their trenches. Then he and his men disarmed them and disposed of their weapons. He led his men through the only route possible – a minefield – getting them to tread exactly where he trod.
Colour Sgt Humphreys became the second British soldier ever to be awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross for his actions on that and on one previous day. Peter is no longer
LOCATION OF MEDAL: WITH RECIPIENT.
