Johnson Beharry Sergeant Johnson Gideon Beharry VC ( born 26 July 1979 ) of the 1st Battalion , Princess of Wales ' s Royal Regiment , is a British Army soldier who , on 18 March 2005 , was awarded the Victoria Cross , the highest military decoration for valour in the British and Commonwealth armed forces , for twice saving members of his unit from ambush es on 1 May and again on 11 June 2004 at Al - Amarah , Iraq . He sustained serious head injuries in the latter engagement . Beharry was formally invested with the Victoria Cross by Queen Elizabeth II on 27 April 2005 . First living recipient of the VC in over 30 years . Beharry is the first recipient of the Victoria Cross since the posthumous awards to Lieutenant Colonel H . Jones and Sergeant Ian John McKay for service in the Falklands War in 1982 . He is the first living recipient of the VC since Keith Payne and Rayene Stewart Simpson , both Australian , for actions in Vietnam in 1969 , and the first living recipient of the VC in the British Army since Rambahadur Limbu , a Gurkha , in the Indonesia - Malaysia confrontation in 1965 . He is one of only 9 living recipients of the VC , and the youngest . Other living recipients of Victoria Cross awards include Willie Apiata – VC for New Zealand ; Mark Donaldson – VC for Australia , Keith Payne – VC Ben Roberts - Smith – VC for Australia and Daniel Keighran - VC for Australia Personal life . Beharry was born in Grenada , and has four brothers and three sisters . He moved to the United Kingdom in 1999 . He is currently estranged from his wife Lynthia Beharry , who is also from Grenada . Beharry said , in an official statement released through the Ministry of Defence , that the trauma of his war experiences had caused difficulties in his marriage . He subsequently divorced from his first wife and later remarried in London on 18 March 2013 . Army career . Beharry joined the Princess of Wales ' s Royal Regiment in August 2001 . After training at Catterick , he became a driver of Warrior armoured vehicle s in C Company , 1st Battalion . Prior to Iraq , he served for six months in Kosovo and three months in Northern Ireland . Awards and Campaign Medals . Although Beharry served three months in Northern Ireland , his official MOD photograph does not show him wearing the General Service Medal ( 1962 ) with Northern Ireland clasp . His service in Northern Ireland may not have been during the general qualifying period for the GSM with Northern Ireland clasp which is a minimum of 30 days ' service between 14 August 1969 and 31 July 2007 . However , the 30 days ' service does not have to be composed of consecutive days . Actions in Iraq . On 1 May 2004 , Beharry was driving a Warrior Tracked Armoured Vehicle that had been called to the assistance of a foot patrol caught in a series of ambushes . The Warrior was hit by multiple rocket propelled grenade s , causing damage and resulting in the loss of radio communications . The platoon commander , the vehicle ’ s gunner and a number of other soldiers in the vehicle were injured . Due to damage to his periscope optics , Pte . Beharry was forced to open his hatch to steer his vehicle , exposing his face and head to withering small arms fire . Beharry drove the crippled Warrior through the ambush , taking his own crew and leading five other Warriors to safety . He then extracted his wounded comrades from the vehicle , all the time exposed to further enemy fire . He was cited on this occasion for " " valour of the highest order " " . While back on duty on 11 June 2004 , Beharry was again driving the lead Warrior of his platoon through Al Amarah when his vehicle was ambushed . A rocket propelled grenade hit the vehicle six inches from Beharry ' s head , and he received serious shrapnel injuries to his face and brain . Other rockets then hit the vehicle , incapacitating his commander and injuring several of the crew . Despite his life threatening injuries , Beharry retained control of his vehicle and drove it out of the ambush area before losing consciousness . He required brain surgery for his head injuries , and he was still recovering in March 2005 when he was awarded the Victoria Cross . He has suggested on at least one occasion that he would return to military service if physically able to do so . Citation . The full citation was published in a supplement to the " London Gazette " of 18 March 2005 and commented , " 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 ) . . . . Beharry displayed repeated extreme gallantry and unquestioned valour , despite intense direct attacks , personal injury and damage to his vehicle in the face of relentless enemy action . " Afterwards . As of 23 September 2006 , as a result of his injuries , he still has severe pain in his back and head . He continues to be financially supported by the army despite being unfit for duty due to the serious nature of his injuries in combat . On 26 September 2006 it was reported that he has been promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal . In February 2007 his portrait was presented to the National Portrait Gallery in London by the artist Emma Wesley ( born the same year as Beharry ) and has since become part of the gallery ' s collection . On 19 May 2007 Beharry brought the FA Cup onto the field at the new Wembley Stadium before the final between Chelsea and Manchester United . On 11 November 2008 Beharry acted as an escort to 110 year - old Harry Patch , then one of only three remaining British survivors of World War I , at the Cenotaph in London ' s Whitehall to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the signing of the armistice which ended that conflict . On 11 November 2009 , Beharry , and Mark Donaldson – the first recipient of the Victoria Cross for Australia ( though not the first Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross ) – handed a wreath to the Queen during a service in Westminster Abbey which marked the deaths in 2009 of the last three veterans of World War I resident in the United Kingdom , Bill Stone , Henry Allingham and Harry Patch . The wreath was then laid on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior . In December 2008 he drove his car into a lamppost at 100 mph in a suicide attempt , having been plagued by demons due to his service . He escaped unharmed . On 1 June 2012 Beharry was promoted to Corporal and moved to a PR role with the Household Division . On 30 June 2012 Beharry carried the torch for the 2012 Summer Olympics through the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas . On the 12 November 2012 Beharry visited The Skinners ' School , delivering a speech and meeting with the school ' s CCF Unit . In late 2012 Beharry visited Thames Christian College school . On the 23 January 2013 Beharry visited St . James ' Senior Boys School . On the 19 April 2013 , he unveiled an engraved milestone in Kennington , Oxford for the charity Headway Oxfordshire as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations . On the 27 September 2013 he attended The Peterborough School Speech day at Peterborough Cathedral . He delivered an inspiring speech and presented awards . Publishing deal . On 18 September 2005 it was reported in the press that Beharry had obtained a publishing deal worth £1m to write an autobiography of his experiences . His book , entitled " Barefoot Soldier " , was written in collaboration with Nick Cook because he didn ' t attend school when he was younger and didn ' t know how to write properly . It was published in October 2006 . In the media . Beharry was interviewed for the 2006 television docudrama " Victoria Cross Heroes " which also included archive footage and dramatisations of his actions . According to " The Daily Telegraph " , a planned 90 - minute drama about Beharry was cancelled by the BBC allegedly because it was too positive and would alienate members of the audience opposed to the war in Iraq . He spoke out on BBC News on 28 February 2009 criticising the lack of support for ex - servicemen and women suffering from mental health problems , and revealing his own ongoing flashbacks and other symptoms . A description of his actions is also given in the book " Sniper One " by Dan Mills , and " Eight Lives Down " by Major Chris Hunter From 9 January to 20 March 2011 , Beharry competed in the 2011 season of " Dancing on Ice " . He was partnered with Canadian ice skater , Jodeyne Higgins . Johnson reached the semi - finals , broadcast on 20 March 2011 . On 11 November 2012 Beharry appeared on the " Aled Jones " " Radio 2 " show .