OPERATIONAL HONOURS LIST

29 Oct 2002 04:00 AM

The bravery and dedication of members of the Armed Forces is recognised today (Tuesday 29th October) as the Ministry of Defence announced its operational honours for 2002.

These awards acknowledge the commitment and courage that British personnel regularly display in their daily work of defending the nation and supporting peace and humanity world wide.

Secretary of State Geoff Hoon said;

"These awards illustrate the outstanding efforts of our servicemen and women in a wide range of operations. I offer my wholehearted congratulations to the recipients."

Honours and Awards to members of the Armed Forces for service in Northern Ireland, the former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, the Gulf, the Congo, Georgia and At Sea and for support to operations in Afghanistan and non-operational awards in miscellaneous areas for the period 1st October 2001 to 21st March 2002.

Service personnel from all ranks and a variety of professional skills are honoured and include:

DSO
Major General John McColl receives this for his outstanding leadership in laying the foundations for a secure Afghanistan. As commander of the International Security Assistance Force he moulded troops from 19 participating nations into an internationally applauded organisation. His relationship, built on trust and personal respect, with the Afghan Interim Authority was critical to the well being of the country during its political transition.

MBE
Lieutenant Fiona Shepherd Royal Navy, a junior logistics staff officer on her first deployment, provided exceptional support to the largest Royal Navy task force in recent years. She became the day-to-day mainstay behind the execution of logistic support and planning that ensured that this large force was kept supplied.

QCB
Warrant Officer Andrew Pittock RAF, commander of the RAF Fire Section at Kabul airport was instrumental in saving the lives of two Afghan Airlines officials. Some 300 individuals had besieged their aircraft and the officials were being severely beaten when Mr Pittock, on his own initiative, ordered his 11 men to take up position in front of and challenge the mob who eventually gave way to the disciplined, cohesive force.

Additionally, non-operational gallantry awards go to;

Lieutenant Paul Ness and his team (Lance Corporal Dean McMaster and Sapper Stephen Smith) for exceptional courage and consummate bravery while disposing of an unexploded bomb in a housing estate in Lingfield, Surrey.

Lieutenant William Sasser, US Coast Guard and his crew of an RAF Sea King for their outstanding flying skills and fortitude in conditions of grave and mounting danger while rescuing the crew of a blazing ship containing highly volatile cargo.

NORTHERN IRELAND

OBE
Lieutenant Colonel Ian William SMITH MBE
The Parachute Regiment

MBE
Major Mark William George ADAMS
Royal Corps of Signals

Major Alan William BARBONE
Army Air Corps

Warrant Officer Class 2 Blaine Mark BRADBURY
The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment

Warrant Officer Class 2 Stanley Christopher CHAPMAN
Corps of Royal Engineers

Warrant Officer Class 2 Edward Patrick COEN
The Royal Scots

Warrant Officer Class 2 Joseph Shields McMURRAY
The Queen's Royal Lancers

Major Nicholas Paul SHORT
The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment

Captain Gary TAIT
The Royal Scots

QGM
Colour Sergeant Brian Leyton ALLEN
The Parachute Regiment

Warrant Officer Class 2 Nigel Owen HOPKINS
The Royal Logistic Corps

MID
Corporal Scott Samuel Alexander HENDERSON
The King's Own Scottish Borderers

Fusilier Robert John JOLLY
The Royal Highland Fusiliers

Flight Lieutenant Simon Jon KOVACH
Royal Air Force

QCB
Petty Officer (Diver) Paul Mark HURSTHOUSE

Lance Corporal Steven MacDonald Reekie SKINNER
The Royal Scots

Warrant Officer Class 2 Mark David TAYLOR
The Royal Welch Fusiliers

Staff Sergeant Garth Edward THOMPSON
Intelligence Corps

QCVS
Major Allan BARNES
Coldstream Guards

Lieutenant Colonel Edward David BROWN MBE
The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment

Captain Kenneth CAMPBELL
The King's Own Scottish Borderers

Lieutenant Colonel John Mark CASTLE
The King's Own Scottish Borderers

Warrant Officer Class 1 Andrew Peter CLARK
The Royal Logistic Corps

Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Thomas Cyril COLLINS
The Royal Irish Regiment

Lance Corporal Nicky ELLIOTT
The Royal Logistic Corps

Warrant Officer Class 2 Kenneth FERGUSON
The Royal Irish Regiment

Captain Laurence Edward FOWKES
The Royal Gurkha Rifles

Corporal William GARRICK
The Royal Scots

Sergeant Ralph Glenn JOHNSON
Royal Corps of Signals

Corporal Duncan Mark KNOX
The Parachute Regiment

Captain Adam Thomson LEGGAT
The Royal Irish Regiment

Warrant Officer Class 2 Richard David Greer MEALEY
The Royal Irish Regiment

Major Bruce Steven MONTGOMERY
The Royal Highland Fusiliers

Captain Mark Robert PURVES
Royal Corps of Signals

Sergeant Lee Gibson RANKIN
The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment

Warrant Officer Class 2 Stuart REILLY
Adjutant General's Corps (Royal Military Police)

Major Brendan SHAW
Army Air Corps

Major John William Rugg SWANSON MBE
The Royal Irish Regiment

Corporal Simon Robert TIMEWELL
Royal Corps of Signals

Warrant Officer Class 2 Derek Elliot TURNBULL
The King's Own Scottish Borderers

Air Commodore John Maurice Maynard PONSONBY OBE
Royal Air Force

Flight Lieutenant James Richard ROWE
Royal Air Force

FORMER YUGOSLAVIA

MBE
Major Peter BLYTH
The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire

Captain Nigel Offley CREWE-READ
The Royal Regiment of Wales

Corporal Alan Christopher HOLYOAK
The Parachute Regiment Territorial Army

QCB
Captain Mark Tyrtoff DAVIS
The Royal Regiment of Wales

Private David GREENHALGH
The Royal Regiment of Wales

QCVS
Colonel Mark Patrick BANHAM MBE
Late Royal Regiment of Artillery

Major Simon James BANTON
The Staffordshire Regiment

Major Matthew Willard Louis Wyoke BOTSFORD
The Queen's Dragoon Guards

Major Nicholas John BYRNE
The Royal Logistic Corps

Brigadier William Osborne COOK
Late Royal Regiment of Artillery

Corporal Tristan Francis DUNBAR
Royal Corps of Signals

Captain Thomas Edward Charles HAMILTON
The Queen's Royal Hussars

Private Sandra O'NEILL
The Royal Logistic Corps Territorial Army

Major James Graham ROBINSON
The Royal Gurkha Rifles

Brigadier David John RUTHERFORD-JONES
Late The Light Dragoons

Captain James Scott SENIOR
Army Air Corps

Lieutenant Colonel David James Lord SWANN MBE
The Queen's Royal Hussars

Major John Conway WILLIAMS MBE QGM
Intelligence Corps

Corporal Marcus Francis Nathaniel WOODARD
Adjutant General's Corps (Royal Military Police)

AFGHANISTAN

DSO
Major General John Chalmers McCOLL CBE
Late The Royal Anglian Regiment

CBE
Rear Admiral Charles Rodney STYLE

Brigadier Barnabas William Benjamin WHITE-SPUNNER
Late The Blues and Royals

Air Vice Marshal Graham Anthony MILLER
Royal Air Force

OBE
Commander Robert FANCY
Royal Navy

Lieutenant Colonel James Ian BASHALL
The Parachute Regiment

Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Douglas McMURTRIE MBE
The Light Infantry

Wing Commander Anthony David GUNBY
Royal Air Force

MBE
Major Matthew Russell JONES
Royal Marines

Lieutenant Fiona Rosemary SHEPHERD
Royal Navy

Major Mark Patrick CHRISTIE
The Parachute Regiment

Colour Sergeant Douglas Paul FARTHING
The Parachute Regiment

Colour Sergeant Sean Allan McVITIE
The Parachute Regiment

Flight Lieutenant John Robert Stuart BALFOUR
Royal Air Force

Wing Commander David Antony GIBSON
Royal Air Force

MID
Captain Justin Lee TANCREL
The Parachute Regiment

Corporal Yakchharaj LIMBU
The Royal Gurkha Rifles

Squadron Leader Benet Graham JACKSON
Royal Air Force

Squadron Leader Simon Christopher PRIOR
Royal Air Force

QCB
Staff Sergeant Stephen John CLEWLEY
Corps of Royal Engineers

Warrant Officer Andrew Richard PITTOCK
Royal Air Force

QCVS
Warrant Officer Peter James HEALY

Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Mark SALZANO MBE

Corporal Ian Richard ADAMS
Corps of Royal Engineers

Sapper Shaun Leon ANDERSON
Corps of Royal Engineers

Captain Phillip JACKSON
Corps of Royal Engineers

Major George Lawrence MYERS
Royal Army Medical Corps

Major Timothy Daniel PENNEY
Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps

Group Captain Simon BRYANT
Royal Air Force

Squadron Leader George Cameron GAIR
Royal Air Force

Master Aircrewman John Christopher GIBNEY
Royal Air Force

Squadron Leader Christopher JONES
Royal Air Force

Squadron Leader Alan Bruce PHILLIPS
Royal Air Force

SIERRA LEONE

MBE
Major Alan Frederick MORROW
The Royal Irish Regiment

Warrant Officer Class 2 Mark Christopher THOMPSON
The Parachute Regiment

QCVS
Lieutenant Colonel John Marcus GALE
Royal Corps of Signals

Lieutenant Colonel Richard Leon Maunsell HACKETT MBE
The Royal Welch Fusiliers

Lieutenant Colonel Mark Julian HALLAS
Intelligence Corps

Warrant Officer Class 2 Gary McQUILLAN
The Royal Irish Regiment

Brigadier William Hewitt MOORE
Late Royal Regiment of Artillery

Lieutenant Colonel David Alan WIGGINS (509596)
The Royal Logistic Corps

THE GULF

OBE
Commander John Robert Hamilton CLINK
Royal Navy

QCB
Leading Marine Engineering Mechanic (Mechanical) 1
Kevin Joseph HEFFERNAN

QCVS
Lieutenant Commander Andrew Michael STACEY
Royal Navy

THE CONGO

QCVS
Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Dutton MASON OBE
The Parachute Regiment

GEORGIA

MBE
Major Maxwell Ivan HANLON
The Royal Irish Regiment

AT SEA

QCB
Corporal Gordon McBain KEAY
Royal Marines

Colour Sergeant Gary Francis PATTERSON
Royal Marines

NON-OPERATIONAL AWARDS FOR SUPPORT OF OPERATIONS IN AFGHANISTAN

CBE
Commodore David Arthur LEWIS

Commodore Christopher Allen SNOW
Royal Navy

OBE
Commander Paul Austin CHIVERS
Royal Navy

Captain Bruce Nicholas Bromley WILLIAMS
Royal Navy

Lieutenant Colonel William Neville ALDRIDGE MBE
The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers

Wing Commander Douglas Alan WHITTAKER
Royal Air Force

MBE
Lieutenant Commander Nolan Phillip CHAPMAN
Royal Navy

Chief Petty Officer Writer Glenn GOWLING

Warrant Officer Class 2 Louise Andree CONIBEAR
The Royal Logistic Corps

Major Kenneth Albert CROSS
The Royal Logistic Corps

Sergeant Paul Robert CUTLER
Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

Major Paul Liam EASTER
Intelligence Corps

Corporal Peter Scott GRIFFITHS
Intelligence Corps

Major Sean Martin KELLY
The Royal Logistic Corps

Lieutenant Colonel Walter David RAINEY
The Royal Logistic Corps

Staff Sergeant John David RIGBY
Corps of Royal Engineers

Major Nigel William ROWLES
Intelligence Corps

Captain Patrick Francis WELLINGTON
Adjutant General's Corps (Royal Military Police)

Squadron Leader Graham Vincent Ronald ARMITAGE
Royal Air Force

Squadron Leader Edward John COLE
Royal Air Force

Squadron Leader Michael William DYCHE
Royal Air Force

Squadron Leader Sophy GARDNER
Royal Air Force

Squadron Leader Errol Anthony Hugh WEBB
Royal Air Force Reserve

NON-OPERATIONAL AWARDS

MISCELLANEOUS

AFC
Lieutenant William Eugene SASSER
United States Coast Guard

QGM
Bombardier Darren Stephen NEEDHAM
Royal Regiment of Artillery

Captain Paul Anthony NESS
Corps of Royal Engineers

Lance Corporal Dean Stewart MacMASTER
Corps of Royal Engineers

Sergeant Neil Stuart FINCH
Royal Air Force

QCB
Captain Timothy David EDMUNDS-McCLUNE
Corps of Royal Engineers

Sapper Stephen Robert SMITH
Corps of Royal Engineers

QCBA
Flight Sergeant Allan Paul HEGERTY
Royal Air Force

Flying Officer Andrew William SMITH
Royal Air Force

In addition the following awards are announced for gallantry and distinguished service between 1 October 2001 and 31 March 2002.

1x DSO, 1xCBE, 2x MBE, 4xCGC, 2xGM, 5xMC, 3xDFC, 8xMiD and 8 QCVS.