Hero gunner honoured for saving dozens of soldiers from Taliban bomb

LANCE Corporal Mark Marvin, based at RAF Lossiemouth, spotted a man stopping outside Camp Bastion to dig in a roadside bomb and his actions managed to thwart a potentially horrific explosion.

Mark Marvin

AN EAGLE EYED gunner saved dozens of soldiers in Afghanistan after he foiled a deadly team of Taliban bombmakers.

Lance Corporal Mark Marvin was on sentry duty when he spotted a man on a motorbike stopping outside Camp Bastion to dig in a roadside bomb on a track used by American soldiers.

The biker was tracked to a compound where troops uncovered a Taliban bomb factory. Mark - normally based at RAF Lossiemouth - was given a commendation by US and British commanders for his quick thinking.

Mark, a member of 51 Squadron, RAF Regiment, was on duty in a watchtower on Bastion’s perimeter fence when he watched as a motorbike rider stopped twice on a prominent route leading from Bastion’s South Gate to a nearby road, often used by US forces.

He said: “Motorbikes don’t usually stop there and it looked like someone was digging on the other side of it so I sent a report.”

The motorbike and its rider were tracked to a compound where battery packs and other IED-making equipment were discovered. Several suspects were found to have traces of explosives on their hands.

Two suspects were detained and three IEDs were recovered. US Army Major General Scott Miller, commander of Regional Command Southwest, delivered the commendation.

Mark said: “I didn’t really expect anything. I was doing the job that I was supposed to do. The lads are pleased for me and I suppose it’s good for the squadron that I received the commendation.”

He was also given a commendation by Air Commodore Al Gillespie, commander of 83 Expeditionary Air Group, just before his squadron returned to RAF Lossiemouth.

Wing Commander Piers Holland headed up the force which provided security for Bastion Airfield. He said: “We did our job, we did it well and we did it with pride. We maintained a secure and undisrupted perimeter and maintained on-base security.

“And, importantly, we brought everybody home. We also ensured the safety of all fixed-wing aircraft operating to and from Bastion Airfield and had no ground-to-air attacks against them.”