James Ashworth

He crawled into enemy fire to stop a deadly sniper standoff.

James Thomas Duane Ashworth was born in Münster, Germany, in 1989 while his father was serving with the Grenadier Guards. He grew up in Corby, Northamptonshire, attended Lodge Park Technology College and enjoyed football and basketball. Following his father into the Army, he enlisted at seventeen in 2006 and trained at Catterick. He served with Nijmegen Company on public duties before joining the Guards Parachute Platoon with 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment. His service included Afghanistan and training overseas, followed by the Grenadier Guards' reconnaissance platoon.

On 13 June 2012, his platoon landed under fire in Nahr-e-Saraj, Helmand, to deal with an insurgent sniper team. Ashworth led his fire team into the village and repeatedly took the forward position during the fighting. The surviving sniper withdrew to an outbuilding while insurgents fired from surrounding positions. To break the deadlock, Ashworth crawled beside a low wall carrying his last grenade. With the position only a few metres away, he deliberately moved beyond the wall's protection to obtain a better throwing angle. He was fatally shot while preparing to throw.

His body was returned to Britain and his remains were laid to rest in Corby. The posthumous Victoria Cross was announced in March 2013 and presented to his family that May. His courage was remembered by the men he led and by the community in which he had grown up.