British Hero

British troops are doing an outstanding job in Afghanistan- and at long last the press is starting to get some of these stories out.

A BRITISH soldier who almost single-handedly took on 150 Taliban after he and his 50-man convoy were ambushed in Afghanistan has been awarded the Military Cross.

Fusilier Damien Hields used his grenade machinegun to destroy seven Taliban positions before his ambushers realised he was their main threat. After peppering his vehicle with bullets, they hit the 24-year-old soldier. He had to be dragged off for treatment by his driver after he tried to continue fighting.

He went through six 32-round boxes of grenades during the fight- all the while stationed in a Land Rover and facing fire from AKs, RPGs and Dushka MGs and mortars. When he was hit, the bullet smashed a rib and passed through him- without hitting any internal organs.

He said "It was just a flesh wound really".