Joshua Leakey
Lance Corporal, Parachute Regiment
VC
Living holder
- Award
- Victoria Cross
- Rank
- Lance Corporal all Lance-Corporals →
- Unit
- Parachute Regiment all Parachute Regiment VCs →
- Date of action
- 22 August 2013, Helmand Province, Afghanistan on this day → all of 2013 →
- Conflict / campaign
- War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) (Operation Herrick)
- London Gazette
- 26 February 2015 on this day → all of 2015 →
- Born
- 1988 at Tampa, Florida, USA (raised in Hampshire, England; some sources give Hampshire as birthplace)
- Status
- Living holder of the Victoria Cross all living VCs →
- Medal held by
- On loan to Airborne Assault - Museum of the Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces, IWM Duxford
- Investiture
- 14 April 2015, Windsor Castle, by Queen Elizabeth II
Summary of the action
On 22 August 2013 a joint British-US patrol in Helmand was pinned down on a hillside by about 20 Taliban fighters, and a US Marine officer was wounded. Leakey ran down the exposed slope under heavy fire to help treat the casualty and organise his evacuation, then climbed back up to retrieve a machine gun and bring it into action. He crossed the open ground a third time to recover a second gun and lead the fightback. The Ministry of Defence described his actions as the turning point of the engagement.
A summary in our own words; the official citation can be read in The London Gazette (link below).
Awarded after Alf's death. This entry was compiled by his family in 2026 from public sources so that the register remains complete. Sources: en.wikipedia.org, memorialstovalour.co.uk
Places connected with Leakey
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