A RAF Odiham chinook pilot was given a top award for breathtaking bravery in airlifting injured children to safety in Afghanistan.
Flight Lieutenant Mike Anderson, 31, of 27 Squadron, received the Most Outstanding Airman prize at The Sun Military Awards broadcast on ITV last week.
TV’s Christine Bleakley described Flt Lt Anderson as an “extraordinary man” when awarding the gong with her partner and Chelsea footballer Frank Lampard.
The star-studded audience, which included Prince William and Kate Middleton, and Prime Minister David Cameron, heard how Flt Lt Anderson calmly evacuated the injured youngsters under heavy Taliban fire.
His heroics in January this year have already earned him the Royal Air Force’s top medal - the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC).
Flt Lt Anderson was captain of the immediate response team based at Camp Bastion when the 12-crew chopper received reports of six children needing immediate medical attention after being injured deep in Afghanistan’s Green Zone.
Flanked by two heavily armed United States Air Force helicopters carrying elite para jumpers, the convoy headed to the site.
At the pick-up point the two US choppers landed to secure the site. It was then the team realised the youngsters had been deliberately hurt by insurgents to lure the aircraft into an ambush.
“It was at that point we saw the gunfire ripping in from the tree line,” said co-pilot Flt Lt Simon Harrison.
Flt Lt Anderson said: “They needed a hook to bring some aircraft into the area and that was throwing a few grenades into some kids that were playing nearby.”
With machine gun fire and mortar rounds pounding the site, the pilot had to decide whether to risk his aircraft and crew or abandon the rescue.
“There will be a point where the enemy will have to stop, even if it is for the briefest of moments,” said Flt Lt Anderson. “That’s the opportunity you have to take.”
After briefing his crew the chopper pilot elected to land. On the ground, one of the children died, but the helicopter was able to pick up five injured youngsters for treatment at Camp Bastion.
Looking back on the rescue effort, Flt Lt Anderson said he would not stop risking his life to save others.
“Hopefully the message it gets across is that what ever the situation is, we always go,” he said.
When he was awarded the DFC in October this year, his citation praised his conduct under fire.
It read: “Anderson’s courage, and his calm, highly professional display of captaincy enabled the crew to conduct a text book helicopter evacuation in the face of a bold, determined and coordinated enemy.”
When picking up the outstanding airman award, Flt Lt Anderson paid tribute to his crew, and to all members of the armed forces.
But Ms Bleakley added: "I knew Mike would say - because these guys are built like this - that it's not just about them but about their team. But watching the video, it was obvious listening to his colleagues just how special he really is."
