Johnson Beharry

Lance Sergeant Johnson Gideon Beharry, VC, COG (born 26 July 1979) 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 saving members of his unit, the 1st Battalion Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, 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.

Johnson Beharry
Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry in July 2007
Born (1979-07-26) 26 July 1979
Grenada
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchBritish Army
Years of service2001–present
RankLance Sergeant
UnitPrincess of Wales's Royal Regiment (2001–12)
Household Division (2012–present)
Battles/warsKosovo War
Northern Ireland
Iraq War
AwardsVictoria Cross
Companion of the Order of Grenada

Personal life

Beharry was born in Grenada, and has four brothers and three sisters. Beharry is of Afro-Indian descent.[1] His surname is the anglicised depiction of Bihari, originating from a region of India indentured labourers were brought from to the Caribbean.[2] He moved to the United Kingdom in 1999. He is divorced from his first 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.[3]

He subsequently remarried in London on 18 March 2013 to Venice Mallisa and they now have two children, a boy and a girl. [4]

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.[5]

Awards and campaign medals
Victoria CrossFor valour in Iraq
Kosovo MedalFor service in Kosovo
Iraq MedalFor service in Iraq
Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee MedalPresented to all living VC and GC recipients on 29 May 2012[6]
Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct (Military)For 15 years regular army service, 4 Oct 2016
Companion of the Order of Grenada[7]

Although Beharry served three months in Northern Ireland, Beharry's service was during the firefighters' strike, when he manned a fire tender. As such he was not engaged in the operational nature of service in Northern Ireland and did not qualify for the General Service Medal (GSM) with Northern Ireland clasp.

Actions in Iraq
Beharry's medal group on display in 2005

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.

Citation and first living recipient in over 30 years

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."[8]

The full citation reads;

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). His valour is worthy of the highest recognition.

In the early hours of May 1, 2004 Beharry's company was ordered to replenish an isolated coalition forces outpost located in the centre of the troubled city of Al Amarah. He was the driver of a platoon commander's warrior armoured fighting vehicle. His platoon was the company's reserve force and was placed on immediate notice to move.

As the main elements of his company were moving into the city to carry out the replenishment, they were re-tasked to fight through a series of enemy ambushes in order to extract a foot patrol that had become pinned down under sustained small arms and heavy machine gun fire and improvised explosive device and rocket-propelled grenade attack. Beharry's platoon was tasked over the radio to come to the assistance of the remainder of the company, who were attempting to extract the isolated foot patrol.

As his platoon passed a roundabout, en route to the pinned-down patrol, they became aware that the road to the front was empty of all civilians and traffic - an indicator of a potential ambush ahead. The platoon commander ordered the vehicle to halt, so that he could assess the situation. The vehicle was then immediately hit by multiple rocket-propelled grenades.

Eyewitnesses report that the vehicle was engulfed in a number of violent explosions, which physically rocked the 30-tonne warrior. As a result of this ferocious initial volley of fire, both the platoon commander and the vehicle's gunner were incapacitated by concussion and other wounds, and a number of the soldiers in the rear of the vehicle were also wounded.

Due to damage sustained in the blast to the vehicle's radio systems, Beharry had no means of communication with either his turret crew or any of the other warrior vehicles deployed around him. He did not know if his commander or crewmen were still alive, or how serious their injuries may be.

In this confusing and dangerous situation, on his own initiative, he closed his driver's hatch and moved forward through the ambush position to try to establish some form of communications, halting just short of a barricade placed across the road. The vehicle was hit again by sustained rocket-propelled grenade attack from insurgent fighters in the alleyways and on rooftops around his vehicle.

Further damage to the warrior from these explosions caused it to catch fire and fill rapidly with thick, noxious smoke. Beharry opened up his armoured hatch cover to clear his view and orientate himself to the situation. He still had no radio communications and was now acting on his own initiative, as the lead vehicle of a six warrior convoy in an enemy-controlled area of the city at night.

He assessed that his best course of action to save the lives of his crew was to push through, out of the ambush. He drove his warrior directly through the barricade, not knowing if there were mines or improvised explosive devices placed there to destroy his vehicle. By doing this he was able to lead the remaining five warriors behind him towards safety.

As the smoke in his driver's tunnel cleared, he was just able to make out the shape of another rocket-propelled grenade in flight heading directly towards him. He pulled the heavy armoured hatch down with one hand, whilst still controlling his vehicle with the other. However, the overpressure from the explosion of the rocket wrenched the hatch out of his grip, and the flames and force of the blast passed directly over him, down the driver's tunnel, further wounding the semi-conscious gunner in the turret.

The impact of this rocket destroyed Beharry's armoured periscope, so he was forced to drive the vehicle through the remainder of the ambushed route, some 1500m long, with his hatch opened up and his head exposed to enemy fire, all the time with no communications with any other vehicle. During this long surge through the ambushes the vehicle was again struck by rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire.

While his head remained out of the hatch, to enable him to see the route ahead, he was directly exposed to much of this fire, and was himself hit by a 7.62mm bullet, which penetrated his helmet and remained lodged on its inner surface. Despite this harrowing weight of incoming fire Beharry continued to push through the extended ambush, still leading his platoon until he broke clean.

He then visually identified another warrior from his company and followed it through the streets of Al Amarah to the outside of the Cimic House outpost, which was receiving small arms fire from the surrounding area. Once he had brought his vehicle to a halt outside, without thought for his own personal safety, he climbed onto the turret of the still-burning vehicle and, seemingly oblivious to the incoming enemy small arms fire, manhandled his wounded platoon commander out of the turret, off the vehicle and to the safety of a nearby warrior.

He then returned once again to his vehicle and again mounted the exposed turret to lift out the vehicle's gunner and move him to a position of safety. Exposing himself yet again to enemy fire he returned to the rear of the burning vehicle to lead the disorientated and shocked dismounts and casualties to safety.

Remounting his burning vehicle for the third time, he drove it through a complex chicane and into the security of the defended perimeter of the outpost, thus denying it to the enemy.

Only at this stage did Beharry pull the fire extinguisher handles, immobilising the engine of the vehicle, dismounted and then moved himself into the relative safety of the back of another warrior. Once inside Beharry collapsed from the sheer physical and mental exhaustion of his efforts and was subsequently himself evacuated.

Having returned to duty following medical treatment, on June 11, 2004 Beharry's warrior was part of a quick reaction force tasked to attempt to cut off a mortar team that had attacked a coalition force base in Al Amarah. As the lead vehicle of the platoon he was moving rapidly through the dark city streets towards the suspected firing point, when his vehicle was ambushed by the enemy from a series of rooftop positions.

During this initial heavy weight of enemy fire, a rocket-propelled grenade detonated on the vehicle's frontal armour, just six inches [15cm] from Beharry's head, resulting in a serious head injury. Other rockets struck the turret and sides of the vehicle, incapacitating his commander and injuring several of the crew.

With the blood from his head injury obscuring his vision, Beharry managed to continue to control his vehicle, and forcefully reversed the warrior out of the ambush area. The vehicle continued to move until it struck the wall of a nearby building and came to rest. Beharry then lost consciousness as a result of his wounds.

By moving the vehicle out of the enemy's chosen killing area he enabled other warrior crews to be able to extract his crew from his vehicle, with a greatly reduced risk from incoming fire.

Despite receiving a serious head injury, which later saw him being listed as very seriously injured and in a coma for some time, his level-headed actions in the face of heavy and accurate enemy fire at short range again almost certainly saved the lives of his crew and provided the conditions for their safe evacuation to medical treatment.

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.[9]

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. At the time of his award, he was one of only ten[nb 1] living recipients of the VC.[10]

Afterwards

As of 23 September 2006, as a result of his injuries, he still had severe pain in his back and head. He continued to be financially supported by the army but was unfit for duty due to the serious nature of his injuries in combat.[11]

On 26 September 2006 it was reported that he had been promoted to the rank of lance corporal.[12]

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 3 September 2007 Beharry visited the veterans mental health charity Gardening Leave to open the Poppy Collection.[13]

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 the First World War, 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 the First World War resident in the United Kingdom, Bill Stone, Henry Allingham and Harry Patch. The wreath was then laid on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior.[14]

In December 2008 he drove his car into a lamppost at 100 mph in a suicide attempt, depressed and haunted by nightmares of his time in Iraq. He escaped unharmed and sought help from the organization Combat Stress. He later spoke out urging similarly-affected veterans to do the same.[15]

On 30 April 2010 Beharry visited Duke of York's Royal Military School to take the salute at Parade and to present the Baroness Thatcher Sword of Honour to the JUO of the winning Guard at Drill Competition. The Sword of Honour was first presented by Baroness Thatcher the previous year. He took time to talk to pupils on Parade and visited the boys of Roberts House.

On 1 June 2012 Beharry was promoted to corporal and moved to a public relations role with the Household Division. He therefore currently held the appointment of lance sergeant, as do all corporals serving in the Household Division.

On 30 June 2012 Beharry carried the torch for the 2012 Summer Olympics through the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas.[16]

In addition to still serving in the army within the London District, he is now very active with his charitable foundation set up in 05 September 2014. The JBVC Foundation supports youths in getting away from gang culture and helps rehabilitate former offenders, helping with training and getting them into sustainable employment in the future. [17]

Publishing deal

On 18 September 2005 it was reported in the press that Beharry had obtained a publishing deal worth £1.5 million to write an autobiography of his experiences.[18] His book, entitled Barefoot Soldier, was ghostwritten in collaboration with Nick Cook and was published in October 2006.[19]

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.[20]

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.[21]

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. He reached the semi-finals, broadcast on 20 March 2011.

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

On 28 October 2016 Beharry appeared on the BBC Cookery show Great British Menu where he, along with other recipients of honours from Elizabeth II were guests at a banquet honouring Great Britons which have been awarded honours such as OBEs and CBEs under Queen Elizabeth II's reign.

Honours


Notes
  1. Including one living holder of the Victoria Cross for New Zealand, Willie Apiata, and three living recipients of the Victoria Cross for Australia, Mark Donaldson, Ben Roberts-Smith and Daniel Keighran.
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References
  1. May 13, 2013. Retrieved on 2nd June 2020.
  2. May 13, 2013. Retrieved on 2nd June 2020.
  3. "VC hero Beharry splits from wife", BBC News, 8 May 2005. Retrieved on 2 June 2009.
  4. "Guests at VC hero Johnson Beharry's secret wedding ordered to surrender phones". London Evening Standard. 18 March 2013.
  5. "Private Johnson Gideon Beharry – Victoria Cross" Archived 18 March 2005 at the Wayback Machine, Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom), 18 March 2005. Retrieved on 10 January 2010.
  6. As a serving soldier with more than 5 years service, Cpl Beharry would have been entitled to this medal on its regular eligibility criteria.
  7. "No. 62078". The London Gazette. 11 October 2017. p. 18918.
  8. "No. 57587". The London Gazette (Supplement). 18 March 2005. pp. 3369–3370.
  9. "Private Beharry's Victoria Cross citation". 18 March 2005. Retrieved 5 November 2016 – via The Guardian.
  10. The question — How many people hold the Victoria Cross? (The Guardian, 26 June 2006). Retrieved 19 December 2007
  11. Daily Telegraph Saturday 23 September 2006
  12. VC hero Beharry promoted, Daily Telegraph, 26 September 2006
  13. "MoD should do more to help support Scotland's war veterans", The Scotsman, Tuesday 5 September 2007. Retrieved on 16 November 2014
  14. Service marks lost WWI generation, BBC, 11 November 2009. Retrieved 11 November 2009.
  15. Taylor, Matthew (17 May 2010). "Depressed war hero tried to end life after service in Iraq". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
  16. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18648146
  17. https://jbvc-foundation.org.uk
  18. Iraq VC hero nets £1m deal in publishers’ bidding war (The Sunday Times, 18 September 2005). Retrieved 19 December 2007
  19. Johnson, Beharry and Cook, Nick. Barefoot Soldier, Little, Brown Book Group, (5 October 2006), ISBN 978-0-316-73321-2
  20. Hero's tale is 'too positive' for the BBC, Daily Telegraph, 7 April 2007
  21. Veteran mental care 'a disgrace', BBC, 28 February 2009. Retrieved on 2 March 2009
  22. "VC war hero given honorary degree". 22 July 2011. Retrieved 21 June 2018 – via www.bbc.com.
  23. "Summer graduation inspires a new generation of Sussex graduates". Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  24. "Sir Michael Caine receives Freedom of the Borough of Southwarl". Southwark Council. 14 May 2012. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  25. "The Freedom of the Borough of Southwark". Flickr. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  26. Cumber, Robert (17 September 2014). "VC hero Johnson Beharry says Hounslow will always feel like home". Retrieved 21 June 2018.
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