BF2S Forums Aussie soldier awarded Victoria Cross.

The Australian wrote:

Under furious enemy fire Trooper Donaldson moved rapidly between alternative positions engaging the Taliban with his M4 carbine and 66mm and 84mm shoulder-fired rockets.

"He deliberately exposed himself to enemy fire in order to draw attention to himself and thus away from wounded soldiers," the citation says.

"This selfless act alone brought enough time for those wounded to be moved to relative safety."

But, there was more.

With the wounded, nine of them Australian, piled onto the vehicles the convoy began to withdraw with covering fire provided by Afghan US and Australian special forces soldiers sheltering beside the vehicles.

Those soldiers still fit to fight had to jog alongside the vehicles.

There was no space onboard, due to the large number of wounded.

One of the last to leave, Trooper Donaldson, spotted the Afghan interpreter lying wounded in open ground more than 80m away. "His movement, once identified by the enemy, drew intense and accurate machine gun fire from entrenched positions," the citation says.

"Upon reaching the wounded coalition force interpreter, Trooper Donaldson picked him up and carried him back to the relative safety of the vehicles and then provided immediate first aid before returning to the fight."

Trooper Donaldson wrote:

"I don't see myself as a hero, honestly. I still see myself as a soldier first and foremost."