Johnson Beharry

Sergeant Johnson Gideon Beharry VC (born 26 July 1979) of the 1st Battalion, Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, is a British Army soldier who, on 18 March 2005, was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest military decoration for valour in the British and Commonwealth armed forces, for twice saving members of his unit from ambushes on 1 May and again on 11 June 2004 at Al-Amarah, Iraq. He sustained serious head injuries in the latter engagement. Beharry was formally invested with the Victoria Cross by Queen Elizabeth II on 27 April 2005.

First living recipient of the VC in over 30 years
Beharry is the first recipient of the Victoria Cross since the posthumous awards to Lieutenant Colonel H. Jones and Sergeant Ian John McKay for service in the Falklands War in 1982. He is the first living recipient of the VC since Keith Payne and Rayene Stewart Simpson, both Australian, for actions in Vietnam in 1969, and the first living recipient of the VC in the British Army since Rambahadur Limbu, a Gurkha, in the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation in 1965. He is one of only 9 living recipients of the VC, and the youngest. Other living recipients of Victoria Cross awards include Willie Apiata – VC for New Zealand; Mark Donaldson – VC for Australia, Keith Payne – VC Ben Roberts-Smith – VC for Australia and Daniel Keighran - VC for Australia

Personal life
Beharry was born in Grenada, and has four brothers and three sisters. He moved to the United Kingdom in 1999. He is currently estranged from his wife Lynthia Beharry, who is also from Grenada. Beharry said, in an official statement released through the Ministry of Defence, that the trauma of his war experiences had caused difficulties in his marriage.

He subsequently divorced from his first wife and later remarried in London on 18 March 2013.

Army career
Beharry joined the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment in August 2001. After training at Catterick, he became a driver of Warrior armoured vehicles in C Company, 1st Battalion. Prior to Iraq, he served for six months in Kosovo and three months in Northern Ireland.

Awards and Campaign Medals

 * Victoria Cross for Valour in Iraq
 * Kosovo Medal for service in Kosovo
 * Iraq Medal for service in Iraq
 * Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal presented to all living VC and GC recipients on 29 May 2012

Although Beharry served three months in Northern Ireland, his official MOD photograph does not show him wearing the General Service Medal (1962) with Northern Ireland clasp. His service in Northern Ireland may not have been during the general qualifying period for the GSM with Northern Ireland clasp which is a minimum of 30 days' service between 14 August 1969 and 31 July 2007. However, the 30 days' service does not have to be composed of consecutive days.

Actions in Iraq
On 1 May 2004, Beharry was driving a Warrior Tracked Armoured Vehicle that had been called to the assistance of a foot patrol caught in a series of ambushes. The Warrior was hit by multiple rocket propelled grenades, causing damage and resulting in the loss of radio communications. The platoon commander, the vehicle’s gunner and a number of other soldiers in the vehicle were injured. Due to damage to his periscope optics, Pte. Beharry was forced to open his hatch to steer his vehicle, exposing his face and head to withering small arms fire. Beharry drove the crippled Warrior through the ambush, taking his own crew and leading five other Warriors to safety. He then extracted his wounded comrades from the vehicle, all the time exposed to further enemy fire. He was cited on this occasion for "valour of the highest order".

While back on duty on 11 June 2004, Beharry was again driving the lead Warrior of his platoon through Al Amarah when his vehicle was ambushed. A rocket propelled grenade hit the vehicle six inches from Beharry's head, and he received serious shrapnel injuries to his face and brain. Other rockets then hit the vehicle, incapacitating his commander and injuring several of the crew. Despite his life threatening injuries, Beharry retained control of his vehicle and drove it out of the ambush area before losing consciousness. He required brain surgery for his head injuries, and he was still recovering in March 2005 when he was awarded the Victoria Cross. He has suggested on at least one occasion that he would return to military service if physically able to do so.

Citation
The full citation was published in a supplement to the London Gazette of 18 March 2005 and commented, "Private Beharry carried out two individual acts of great heroism by which he saved the lives of his comrades. Both were in direct face of the enemy, under intense fire, at great personal risk to himself (one leading to him sustaining very serious injuries). ... Beharry displayed repeated extreme gallantry and unquestioned valour, despite intense direct attacks, personal injury and damage to his vehicle in the face of relentless enemy action."

Afterwards
As of 23 September 2006, as a result of his injuries, he still has severe pain in his back and head. He continues to be financially supported by the army despite being unfit for duty due to the serious nature of his injuries in combat.

On 26 September 2006 it was reported that he has been promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal.

In February 2007 his portrait was presented to the National Portrait Gallery in London by the artist Emma Wesley (born the same year as Beharry) and has since become part of the gallery's collection.

On 19 May 2007 Beharry brought the FA Cup onto the field at the new Wembley Stadium before the final between Chelsea and Manchester United.

On 11 November 2008 Beharry acted as an escort to 110 year-old Harry Patch, then one of only three remaining British survivors of World War I, at the Cenotaph in London's Whitehall to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the signing of the armistice which ended that conflict. On 11 November 2009, Beharry, and Mark Donaldson – the first recipient of the Victoria Cross for Australia (though not the first Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross) – handed a wreath to the Queen during a service in Westminster Abbey which marked the deaths in 2009 of the last three veterans of World War I resident in the United Kingdom, Bill Stone, Henry Allingham and Harry Patch. The wreath was then laid on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior.

In December 2008 he drove his car into a lamppost at 100 mph in a suicide attempt, having been plagued by demons due to his service. He escaped unharmed.

On 1 June 2012 Beharry was promoted to Corporal and moved to a PR role with the Household Division.

On 30 June 2012 Beharry carried the torch for the 2012 Summer Olympics through the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas.

On the 12 November 2012 Beharry visited The Skinners' School, delivering a speech and meeting with the school's CCF Unit.

In late 2012 Beharry visited Thames Christian College school.

On the 23 January 2013 Beharry visited St. James' Senior Boys School.

On the 19 April 2013, he unveiled an engraved milestone in Kennington, Oxford for the charity Headway Oxfordshire as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations.

On the 27 September 2013 he attended The Peterborough School Speech day at Peterborough Cathedral. He delivered an inspiring speech and presented awards.

Publishing deal
On 18 September 2005 it was reported in the press that Beharry had obtained a publishing deal worth £1m to write an autobiography of his experiences. His book, entitled Barefoot Soldier, was written in collaboration with Nick Cook because he didn't attend school when he was younger and didn't know how to write properly. It was published in October 2006.

In the media
Beharry was interviewed for the 2006 television docudrama Victoria Cross Heroes which also included archive footage and dramatisations of his actions.

According to The Daily Telegraph, a planned 90-minute drama about Beharry was cancelled by the BBC allegedly because it was too positive and would alienate members of the audience opposed to the war in Iraq.

He spoke out on BBC News on 28 February 2009 criticising the lack of support for ex-servicemen and women suffering from mental health problems, and revealing his own ongoing flashbacks and other symptoms.

A description of his actions is also given in the book Sniper One by Dan Mills, and Eight Lives Down by Major Chris Hunter

From 9 January to 20 March 2011, Beharry competed in the 2011 season of Dancing on Ice. He was partnered with Canadian ice skater, Jodeyne Higgins. Johnson reached the semi-finals, broadcast on 20 March 2011.

On 11 November 2012 Beharry appeared on the Aled Jones Radio 2 show.

Quotations

 * "Maybe I was brave, I don't know. At the time I was just doing the job, I didn't have time for other thoughts."—Private Johnson Beharry.
 * "You're very special ... It's been rather a long time since I've awarded one of these."— Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, when awarding Private Beharry his VC.
 * "I was overshadowed today by Private Beharry, and quite rightly so – it was an honour to stand alongside him"—General Sir Mike Jackson, who was being invested by the Queen on the same day that Private Beharry received his VC. Jackson was there to receive the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath; by protocol, the Victoria Cross is always the first award presented at any investiture.
 * "Some days you['re] the bug, some days you['re] the windshield"—Private Johnson Beharry, VC.