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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Military cross for bayonet charge | Military cross for bayonet charge |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| A British army officer who, after running out of ammunition, used his bayonet to charge a Taliban fighter has been awarded the Military Cross. | A British army officer who, after running out of ammunition, used his bayonet to charge a Taliban fighter has been awarded the Military Cross. |
| Lt James Adamson, who is 24 and serves with the Royal Regiment of Scotland, was given the medal for his "supreme physical courage". | Lt James Adamson, who is 24 and serves with the Royal Regiment of Scotland, was given the medal for his "supreme physical courage". |
| His actions while on tour in Afghanistan saved the lives of soldiers in his platoon. | His actions while on tour in Afghanistan saved the lives of soldiers in his platoon. |
| He said he ran out of ammunition after killing one man, so charged the second. | He said he ran out of ammunition after killing one man, so charged the second. |
| Lt Adamson, who is from the Isle of Man, and part of the 5th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, said: "To be honest it was pretty terrifying. | |
| "I think more so after the event - as it was going on there was fractions of a second between the first guy and the second guy. | "I think more so after the event - as it was going on there was fractions of a second between the first guy and the second guy. |
| The Military Cross is awarded in recognition of exemplary gallantry | |
| "By the time I realised the danger was there, it was already gone. | "By the time I realised the danger was there, it was already gone. |
| "It was the kind of the two or three minutes after that, where myself and Corporal Hamilton were still on our own - just waiting for the reserve section to echelon through and pick us up - that we were pretty convinced that if there were two there, there could have been more. | "It was the kind of the two or three minutes after that, where myself and Corporal Hamilton were still on our own - just waiting for the reserve section to echelon through and pick us up - that we were pretty convinced that if there were two there, there could have been more. |
| "So we were there waiting for the rest to turn up and I think that was probably the longest two minutes of my life." | "So we were there waiting for the rest to turn up and I think that was probably the longest two minutes of my life." |
| The citation for Lt Adamson's award - as detailed on the MoD website - reads: "Adamson' supreme physical courage, combined with the calm leadership he continued to display after a very close encounter with the Taliban, were of the very highest order. | |
| "His actions also neutralised an enemy flanking attack which could have resulted in casualties for his platoon." | "His actions also neutralised an enemy flanking attack which could have resulted in casualties for his platoon." |