Action Report From On The Ground In Afghanistan

Marine Sam Alexander saved the leader of his section, 11 Troop, after the corporal was shot twice in the groin during a firefight with insurgents in Helmand, Afghanistan

Marine Saves Unit After Bullet In Head -- The Independent

Serviceman is shot but stays in the front line and rescues ambushed comrades.

It had been a morning of fierce close-quarter combat with incessant fire coming from insurgents in the heart of Taliban country. As the Royal Marines edged their way past the high walls of a compound the section commander, a corporal, fell to the ground with two shots to the groin.

The team had walked into an ambush and Marine Sam Alexander knew that the only chance they had was to fight their way through. He picked up a heavy machine-gun and "traded lead" with the insurgents just 15 metres away. Running out of ammunition, he opened up with his 9mm pistol until that too was spent. The Taliban fighters were forced to withdraw and found themselves being hunted as they ran into other marine units coming in from the flanks.

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