Mark, of 30 Commando Royal Marines, was on his second tour of Afghanistan in May 2011 when his patrol was ambushed by insurgents who shot one of the lance corporals in the chest, leaving him lying helpless between the two opposing sides. Taking no notice of the extreme danger he was in, Mne Williams raced out to his colleague under a hail of bullets and began treating the wounds before dragging him 30 metres to what he thought was a safer position behind a compound wall. Yet as he continued to treat his colleague, the pair come under further attack from another firing position and, once the stricken Marine was stabilised, Mne Williams picked up his weapon and returned to the firefight. The citation said he displayed ‘enormous strength of character, bravery and coolness of thought’ by acting quickly to save the life of a fellow Marine. His ‘selflessness, valour and tenacity in the face of a determined enemy’ were recognised as exceptional given his rank and limited experience [2].