Military Honours Personnel for Afghanistan and Iraq Bravery

More than 100 service personnel have been commended for acts of often extraordinary bravery, the majority while they were based in Afghanistan and Iraq.

They include a Royal Marine who ran into a battlefield unarmed to save an injured comrade and then returned to grab the man's gear to stop it falling into the hands of the Taliban.

Another marine rugby-tackled a suicide bomber from his motorcycle before the attacked could detonate the explosives, while a Royal Navy pilot was celebrated for nursing his aircraft back to a friendly location after it had been so badly damaged that it should have been landed immediately. In doing so, according to his citation, he saved both the machine and his whole crew.

Marine Steven Nethery was one of those who received the Conspicuous Gallantry cross for his heroic efforts but insisted, as most did, that he was "just doing my job".

Nethery was serving in Helmand province when he and his colleagues were ambushed by Taliban fighters. When he saw fellow marine Mark Hendry had been shot in the leg, he handed his own weapon to a colleague to give him some covering fire and ran unarmed into the danger zone.

The 23-year-old, from Edinburgh, managed to drag his friend away then returned to salvage his equipment. After that he continued to risk his own life by carrying the injured man 250m to safety.

Nethery said: "I noticed that someone had been shot in the leg. I gave my weapon to one of the boys and just dashed down to him. I pulled him around the corner of a wall to get out of the line of fire.

"While he was being treated by a medic, I ran back out to get his kit before carrying him back.

"I was just doing my job, doing what we were trained to do, the same as any of the other boys would have done."

The Ministry of defense said his courage "undoubtedly saved lives". Nethery said he was "really chuffed" to received the medal. "I'm so happy, my family are really proud."

Not all were prepared to talk about what they had done. Sergeant Noel Connolly, the marine who rugby-tackled the suicide bomber, said he did not want the attention after receiving the Military cross.

Warrant Officer Class 2 Ben Kelly, of the Prince of Wales's Royal Regiment, also received the Military cross for risking his life to retrieve the body of a bomb-disposal expert.

Kelly, 36, from Surrey, said: "We heard the explosion and I was told he had been hit. I moved forward to get him back. Whether someone is injured or they have been killed our priority is that person, and we will do whatever has to be done to get them back. You do whatever you can for your muckers."

Corporal Bradley Malone, 23, from Newcastle, was one of the most quietly spoken of those who received medals but the MoD said his "fighting prowess and gallantry turned the tide of the battle" and saved his troop from a potentially deadly ambush.

The troop was surrounded by Taliban fighters and his sergeant left isolated. Malone said: "We were surrounded and were taking fire. I realized the sergeant was stuck in the middle and was pinned down. I just went to give him some covering fire, to engage the enemy so he could get back.

"You don't think about anything at the time, no emotions, you just get on with it." He said receiving the conspicuous cross was a "humbling experience".