Queen Presents First Ever Female Recipient with a Military Cross

Private Michelle Norris has become the first ever woman to be presented with a Military Cross, one of the highest awards for exemplary gallantry against the enemy on land.

The prestigious award was presented to Private Norris, from the Royal Army Medical Corps, by Her Majesty the Queen at an Investiture Ceremony held at Buckingham Palace on 21 March 2007.

During an operation to disrupt mortar and rocket attacks in Al Amarah, Maysan Province, a UK Warrior Armoured vehicle was disabled and during its recovery British troops came under repeated attack from rocket propelled grenades (RPG) and small arms fire from insurgents using large, hostile crowds for cover.

Private Norris, aged just 19 and deployed as a medical orderly with The Queen's Royal Hussars Battle Group, was in another Warrior involved in the recovery. When her vehicle came under attack, the commander took a potentially fatal shot to the head from a sniper. Private Norris climbed out of the vehicle to tend his wounds while the sniper continued firing and other small arms and RPG fire continued around her. With the help of a colleague she was able to get her commander back into the vehicle.

At the time of the incident her Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel David Labouchere, said: "Private Norris acted completely selflessly and, in the face of great danger, concentrated on her job and saved someone's life."

On receiving her medal from the Queen, Private Norris said: "It was brilliant, a really good day. I can't really explain how brilliant it was to be there to be honest. I was a little nervous but the Queen was brilliant. She told me she was proud to be presenting me with the award and asked me some questions about if I'd be going back to Iraq."

Private Norris is currently studying for her Class 1 Combat Medical Technician qualification at Aldershot and is due to return to Iraq in November 2007.

She was accompanied to the ceremony by her parents and sister and joined around 100 other people receiving awards at the Palace.

(PHOTO: Private Michelle Norris with her Military Cross[Picture: Sergeant Mick Howard RLC])