The Victoria Cross stands as the United Kingdom’s highest military honor, bestowed only for acts of exceptional bravery in battle. Sadly, many recipients of this prestigious award do not survive to accept it, as their acts of heroism often require the ultimate sacrifice. Cpl. Bryan Budd was one such individual, losing his life while leading a daring solo assault against heavy Taliban fire.
With only five days remaining before his scheduled return home, one might expect Budd to be preoccupied with reuniting with his loved ones. Instead, his selfless actions safeguarded his comrades, epitomizing the unshakable courage of the British Parachute Regiment in his final moments.
Tales like Budd’s serve as powerful reminders to honor the fallen, and as the saying goes, to be thankful that such men ever walked among us.
Bryan Budd was a professional soldier
Bryan Budd was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 1977. From a young age, he knew he wanted to be a soldier. In 1996, he joined the Parachute Regiment, determined to be part of the elite forces that would lead the way into battle.
But Budd didn’t stop at being a PARA. He pushed further, passing the rigorous tests required to join the 16 Air Assault Brigade’s Pathfinder Platoon. This specialized unit, tasked with conducting reconnaissance deep behind enemy lines, allowed him to lead the charge in various combat zones, including the former Yugoslavia, Sierra Leone, Macedonia, Iraq and, ultimately, Afghanistan.
Increased Taliban activity in Helmand province
In 2006, Bryan Budd joined the 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment (3 PARA) as part of a British task force sent to Helmand province in Afghanistan. At that time, this region was a focal point of the war’s most intense combat, especially near the town of Sangin.
The Taliban, having grown more familiar with Western military strategies, had adapted their tactics to become a more resilient and formidable adversary. Whereas they had previously preferred engaging from a distance, they were now willing to confront their opponents up close, vying for control of Afghanistan’s rural areas.
For Budd’s final engagement, this shift meant fighting within mere meters in a cornfield with stalks reaching head-high.
His Victoria Cross citation details two notable events, the first of which occurred on July 27, 2006. When his section came under heavy fire from multiple Taliban fighters on a rooftop, several British PARAs were wounded and needed evacuation. Realizing the suppressive fire was preventing this, Budd rose to his feet, fully exposed to intense gunfire, and charged toward the building.
Budd’s charge forced the Taliban to retreat across an open field, where they met British PARA marksmanship. His actions facilitated his comrades’ evacuation and marked the first of two remarkably heroic acts.
Bryan Budd was just five days from home
Although deployment dates can change unexpectedly at the last minute, it was reported that Bryan Budd was scheduled to return home on August 25, 2006. On August 20, he found himself in Sangin, where his unit was assigned to defend a remote outpost. Due to its location, the outpost was frequently targeted by Taliban attacks, necessitating a robust defense that included regular perimeter patrols.
During one of these patrols, Budd was leading his men through dense vegetation, mostly tall corn. Despite the poor visibility, he noticed a large number of Taliban insurgents about 30 meters ahead. To preserve the element of surprise, Budd launched a flanking maneuver to neutralize the enemy.
However, the Taliban spotted the approaching patrol, leading to an intense firefight.
Taliban insurgents versus the British Parachute Regiment
With three of his men wounded, Bryan Budd, once again, recognized the need to regain the initiative and pressed forward with the attack – alone. He rushed through the corn and assaulted the enemy. Despite being wounded in the firefight, he continued the assault, giving his men the cover needed to reorganize.
As a result of this assault, the Taliban militants were silenced and the wounded able to evacuate.
However, there was no sign of Budd as his unit withdrew. He was initially listed as missing in action (MIA) while a quick reaction force assembled to search for him. As the reactionary forces pushed through the vegetation, air power beating back the Taliban, Budd’s body was discovered lying in the field next to three dead insurgents.
Bryan Budd met a tragic end
For his actions on August 20, 2006 and a few days prior, Bryan Budd was awarded the Victoria Cross. He was one of less than 20 to receive the honor since the end of the Second World War. A subsequent examination might have proven that the fatal shot came from a 5.56 mm NATO weapon, which indicated friendly fire. However, that only occurred because he saw fit to close in and destroy the enemy.
On not one, but two occasions, Budd deemed it advisable to launch a counterattack and gift violence to the enemy, rather than receive it. An unexpected counterattack disrupts enemy momentum, but often at a great cost to those who pursue it. Budd will rest in the hall of history that recognizes him as a warrior who understood that battle is fought one moment at a time, with little disregard for when you might be going home.
More from us: James Ashworth: The Victoria Cross Recipient Who Gave His Life to Take Out An Enemy Sniper
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If it’s indeed the case that Bryan Budd would have returned home with his family in just five days, then history owes him the recognition for conducting such a feat and sacrificing his life for his comrades.
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