War hero sells bravery medals
A HERO Chinook helicopter pilot who kept his aircraft flying despite being hit 34 times by Taliban rockets and bullets is selling his bravery medals for £50,000, it emerged yesterday.
Squadron Leader Alex “Frenchie” Duncan’s brilliant skills and composure in landing the damaged helicopter saved the lives of the Governor of Helmand Province in Afghanistan and 15 diplomats on board.
He found one of the rotor blades had been taken out by a rocket-propelled grenade which had also passed through the fuselage.
He counted 34 holes in the aircraft from machinegun fire and shell blast.
Sqn Ldr Duncan was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his heroics in 2008.
And two years later he was awarded the Air Force Cross after he flew in complete darkness in the middle of a battle to rescue an injured six-year-old child. He has decided to sell his medals, which include four campaign honours, to fund his two sons’ education. The 42-year-old said: “I thought hard about whether to sell my medals. I am comforted by the fact these items are collected by buyers who will have a significant interest in them and a deep regard for the stories that sit behind them.” Sqn Ldr Duncan is in charge of the Oxford University Air Squadron and has written a book Sweating The Metal detailing his experiences. Mark Quayle, of London auctioneer Dix Noonan Webb, which is looking after the July 18 sale, said: “Chinook crews are too often the unsung heroes of 21st century warfare.”