Colour Sergeant Johnson Gideon Beharry
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Colour Sergeant Johnson Gideon Beharry was born in 1979 in Grenada. Johnson joined the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment in August 2001, serving as a Warrior Armoured Vehicle driver. In 2004 Johnson was deployed to Iraq. It was Johnson’s actions in May of 2004 that earnt him the Victoria Cross, which had not been awarded to a living recipient for 30 years.
On the 1st of May Johnson was driving a Warrior to the aid of an ambushed foot patrol, when the Warrior was hit with rocket propelled grenades, injuring the platoon commander, the vehicle gunner, and a number of other soldiers inside. Johnson exposed his head to small arms fire through his driver’s hatch, driving the crew to safety.
On a second occasion just 10 days later, Johnson’s vehicle was ambushed again. A rocket propelled grenade hit his vehicle, causing Johnson serious shrapnel injuries to his face and brain. Despite his injuries Johnson drove his Warrior out of the ambush before losing consciousness.
The beginning of Johnson Beharry’s Victoria cross 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.”
Mary Seacole Statue
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In 2016 a statute of Mary Seacole was erected at St. Thomas’ Hospital on London’s Southbank. Mary was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1805, and travelled independently to set up the "British Hotel" behind the lines during the Crimean War (1853-1856), providing care for wounded servicemen on the battlefield and nursing many of them back to health.
Mary’s hotel near Balaclava was situated close to the fighting and she was able to visit the battlefield, sometimes under fire, to nurse the wounded.
The Times War Correspondent, Sir William H Russell, wrote of Mary in 1857: "I trust that England will not forget one who nursed her sick, who sought out her wounded to aid and succour them, and who performed the last offices for some of her illustrious dead".
That same year, a fundraising gala to honour of Mary Seacole was held over four nights on the banks of the River Thames with over 80,000 people in attendance, whilst her bestselling autobiography 'The Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole in Many Lands' was also published.
Mary died in London in 1881.
Major Nana Kofi Twumasi-Ankrah
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2017, Major Nana Kofi Twumasi-Ankrah selected to be the Queen’s Equerry. Ghanian born Household Cavalry Officer Major Twumasi-Ankrah became the first black Equerry to serve the British monarch. He continued as Equerry to her Majesty, reaching the rank of Lieutenant Commander, until 2020, when as is custom, the role was transferred to another of Armed Forces service.
Corie Mapp
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In 2018, former Household Cavalry soldier, Corie Mapp wins the Para Bobsleigh World Cup for the first time, after securing eight podium placings out of ten races during the season. Mapp had begun competing in para-sports after he was severely injured by an IED blast whilst on tour in Afghanistan.
On 31st January 2010, Lance Corporal Mapp of The Life Guards was driving his armoured vehicle on combat operations in Afghanistan when it ran over an IED. Mapp would wake up in Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, to discover he had lost both his legs in the explosion. Two months later, and having made a miraculous recovery, Corie was back with his regiment in Windsor, and continued to serve until 2013.
Originally from Barbados, Mapp had always loved sport, and as part of his rehabilitation from his injuries was introduced to disabled cricket, sitting volleyball for which he become a member of Team GB competing at the European Championships, and athletics taking part in the Warrior and Invictus Games.
But it was after being introduced to the winter sport of bobsleigh that Corie would rack up medals and international titles.
Following his 2018 World Cup win, Corie took silver at the World Championships in 2019. In the 2019/20 season Corie was enjoying a successful run, winning four gold medals and a silver in the 10-race World Cup competition, and claiming the continental crown in Oberhof in December. He was hotly tipped to take overall Gold, then Covid-hit and the season was cancelled.
On the international bobsleigh circuit Corie is affectionately known as ‘Black Ice’, the name which Corie has given to his autobiography “Black Ice: The memoir of a soldier, double amputee and world champion” set for release on 14 October 2021.
Welsh National War Memorial Commemoration
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In 2019 Cardiff unveiled a commemorative plaque to honour the contributions “made by diverse ethnic and Commonwealth men and women who served our country in World War I and World War II and to date.” The plaque was erected following a 26 year long campaign led by Patti Flynn, who lost her father and brothers in the Second World War.
Ms Flynn, who was aged 81 at the time of the unveiling told the BBC that the sacrifices of servicemen and women from diverse backgrounds had been “forgotten” and deserved special recognition. The plaque was unveiled at the Welsh National War Memorial, in a special ceremony with 200 people in attendance, including representatives of the Armed Forces. Ms Flynn described the unveiling as a “great day” expressing her joy at the fact, a tribute was being paid to “people of colour from all the different nationalities.”
Ms Flynn’s family came from Tiger Bay, as the dock area of Cardiff was then known. The Tiger Bay community sustained devastating losses during the Second World War with many of its men being lost in the conflict. As well as the civilian losses sustained during The Blitz, which saw German bombers target the area.
Ms Flynn’s father Wilmott Young, had been born in Jamaica but came to south Wales as a seaman during the coal boom, and married a Welsh woman. When war broke our he enlisted into the Armed Forces, along with his two sons who lied about their ages in order to join up. Both Mr Young and his son Jocelyn died after their merchant navy boats were torpedoed in separate incidents, a year apart. Whilst Ms Flynn’s other brother, Sgt Arthur Young, a wireless operator in the RAF, was killed when his Lancaster bomber crashed returning from France.