Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The mounted group of nine miniature dress medals worn by Colour Sergeant D. Cutterham, C.G.C., 1st Battalion, The Rifles, formerly Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment

Conspicuous Gallantry Cross, E.II.R.; General Service 1962-2007, 1 clasp, Northern Ireland; N.A.T.O. Medal 1994, 1 clasp, Non-Article 5; Iraq 2003-11, no clasp; Operational Service Medal 2000, for Afghanistan, 1 clasp, Afghanistan; Jubilee 2012; Accumulated Campaign Service Medal 2011, mounted as originally worn, good very fine (9) £300-£400

Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, November 2020 (when sold alongside the recipient’s full-sized awards)

C.G.C. London Gazette 23 March 2012:
‘In recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Afghanistan during the period 1st April 2011 to 30th September 2011.’

The original recommendation states:
‘Conspicuous Gallantry Cross in recognition of your singular courage during Operation Herrick 14.
When your patrol was ambushed on 24 May 2011 you reacted instinctively and without hesitation to protect the lives of your men. Demonstrating the utmost bravery and a selfless disregard for your own safety, you took the conscious decision to run towards and pick up an accurately thrown grenade that had landed in an irrigation channel where your patrol was manoeuvring. Your cool composure and clarity of thought in throwing the grenade into the next ditch minimised the risks of airborne detonation and prevented serious injury. Your gallant and inspirational leadership made a telling contribution to sustained success throughout a demanding tour, upholding the fine reputation of your Regiment.’

Deacon Cutterham joined ‘the British Army on the 9th January 2000 at the age of 16 – It was my childhood dream to be a soldier and I counted down the days until my 16th birthday when I could finally sign up. My journey began at the Army Foundation College Harrogate (AFC). My intake started with 105 recruits, the course lasted almost a year and was tremendously challenging, both physically and mentally, by the end of the course there were only 23 of us left. Before I started basic-training I remember my father taking me to the train station and saying ‘This will be the hardest but the most fulfilling thing you will ever do’ – he was right!

I was the lightest boy on my intake (8 stone) and was incredibly quiet to begin with – probably as I was doing an arduous job that most grown men would struggle with. I knew even back then I had something a little extra than the rest and my instructor would say to me ‘you’re like a little piece of iron’ I took that as a compliment.

I went on to complete many overseas exercises, operational tours, arduous courses and compete in multiple sports for the British Army at a National level. The opportunities that the British Army gave me were incredible and have shaped me from a 16-year-old boy into the man I am today in so many positive ways. It has enabled me to live a life of excitement and do things most young boys only dream of.’ (Unpublished account of service provided by vendor refers)

Cutterham carried out training at the Infantry Training Centre, Catterick, and was posted to The Royal Gloucester, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry. In his second year at Battalion he deployed to Northern Ireland on Operation BANNER. Cutterham passed a Non Commissioned Officer cadre in order to become a Lance Corporal in 2004. He then almost immediately completed the Section Commanders Battle Course. On this arduous course he performed so well that he received a recommendation to return as an instructor. Cutterham only remained a Lance Corporal for a year, promoted to Corporal the following year - described as a ‘remarkable feat’ in his Certificate of Service.

Cutterham took the Commando Course in 2006:
‘The Commando Course was a childhood dream of mine and a course I’d longed to complete for my own development. My campaign didn’t start well as I broke my lower back on the pre-course training which meant I had to wait for the next course, which was really frustrating! Eventually, I started the course which turned out to be 11 weeks long. It did not disappoint, I really loved it and it was great fun from start to finish. The course didn’t test me much as I was exceptionally fit and already a seasoned section commander. The commando tests were great fun and I excelled at the endurance course breaking the course record. I even called in to see the camp RSM because he couldn’t believe that someone could run it that quick.’

The following year Cutterham deployed with the 1st Battalion, The Rifles to Iraq on Operation TELIC, and then almost immediately to Afghanistan on Operation HERRICK. As a section commander on these two operational tours he was at the very front edge of the action, leading a section of around 8 men into combat.

During deployment, Cutterham was selected to take the Platoon Sergeants Battle Course (PSBC):
‘This course was a defining moment in my life, I felt like I had something to prove and I wanted to excel. I wanted to transfer to the Engineers as there was some politics in the Rifles. I was then promised that if I went to Iraq they would push my transfer through quicker, sadly that didn’t happen and I was on Herrick 9. Two tours back-to-back! During Herrick 9 I was offered the Platoon Sergeants Battle Course (PSBC) to entice me to stay in the Rifles. I cancelled my transfer and prepared for PSBC best I could whilst on tour.

Upon returning from Herrick 9 and having some much-needed rest I went on the PSBC pre course. This is a two-week long course aimed at preparing soldiers for the PSBC. I was extremely happy to find out that I was the top candidate on the pre-course. I was determined to excel, I won everything and for 8 weeks and I made sure I was top, I went the extra mile and never faltered at any task given. I was resistant to the elements, to hunger and to the tiredness that fell due to the arduous nature of the course. At the end of the course we were all in the presentation room/cinema and they started to give out the awards, I’d finished 2nd overall and awarded a distinction. I was the first soldier ever from 1 Rifles to be awarded a distinction on PSBC. At that time, it was one of the proudest moments of my life. I returned into camp and the RSM stood me up in front of the CPLs Mess and promoted me on the spot!’

Herrick 14 - CGC

Cutterham returned for his second tour of Afghanistan in 2011, and he provides the following account of the actions behind the award of his Conspicuous Gallantry Cross:
‘I was a multiple commander on active operations in charge of Check Point (CP) Leverette with A-COMPANY 1 Rifles. I was initially a multiple 2nd in command (2ic) but due to the death of one my closest friends and confidants Kevin Fortuna [on 23 May 2011] I was given a battlefield promotion and took over command of the multiple (12 men & women) and the check point.

I remember that morning [24 May 2011] with great clarity. I woke up and immediately felt like there was something wrong, the atmosphere was tense. I remember briefing the multiple just before setting out on the days patrol. I told them to be extra alert and vigilant. I didn’t want to unnerve them, but I did turn to my 2ic quietly and say can you feel the tension in the air, he replied to me ‘no mate it’s just another day another dollar’. I’ve always had a great sixth sense and I’ve always acted on it – I think this is the reason I’m still alive.

We set off on patrol and strangely there weren’t many people around, it felt like the locals knew something was about to happen, everyone apart from my multiple. I remember walking through a small choke point/bottleneck which was manned by a local farmer, he gave me a clear look as if to say ‘don’t walk that way’. As I turned onto the track, I could see local children playing on the track junction which led back up to my Check Point which signalled to me the track was clear. As I approached the junction to turn left I heard a shout which made the locals at the junction rapidly disperse into different directions, leaving my multiple exposed and open to attack. At this point, my multiple were in a heightened state of alertness. I am very in tune to my surroundings and felt ready to act upon whatever was about to happen. We turned left to head up the track back to the Check Point, it’s more like a double stream than a track with a small bank between them. It was then I heard a familiar ‘ping’ noise and knew exactly what it was, I looked up and in slow motion I could see a hand grenade which had been thrown from the other-side of the wall and landed roughly a metre in front of me. I liken the sensation to a wasp flying down your top and you can’t move quick enough to get that t-shirt off – only if the grenade explodes, it’s not just a sting, it’s the life of me and my team. I had seen exactly where it had landed but couldn’t see it in the stream, I quickly placed my hand in the water to search for it and placed my hand directly on the grenade, shouted ‘take cover’ and posted it into the adjacent stream. My soldiers took cover and then the grenade exploded taking out most of the banking and my protection.

Thankfully no one was injured, and we extracted from the killing area with no follow up from the enemy. A contact report was sent over the radio and we moved back to the Check Point. I’ve never completely recovered from that day as the level of stress I felt during and after the event was so extreme that my feet went semi-numb for three days after and I couldn’t speak properly for a full day. Nonetheless, my multiple and I survived that attack.

A few months later, once we had returned from Herrick 14, my CO called me into his office at 13.30. I was nervous, as I didn’t know why I was being called in, so stood to attention outside and was marched into the office by the RSM. As I marched in, I could see the CO standing in front of me, a bottle of Champagne to the left and another Officer to the right. I halted in front of the CO, he then saluted me told me that I have been awarded the CGC for my actions in Afghanistan and handed me a glass of Champagne. I was overcome with emotion, lots of memories of the tour flowed back, it was an extremely tough tour where I had lost friends and it was overwhelming to be recognised for my actions on the battlefield. Roughly a year later, I was presented my medal at Buckingham Palace by Prince Charles in front of my family. I will never forget it, truly to this day the proudest moment of my life.’

‘Airborne’
The above had taken place near Tabila Village, Nahr-e-Saraj District. Cutterham had an even closer brush with death later on the same tour:
‘This incident was the closest arguably I’ve ever came to death. I was given the dangerous task of resupplying our most Southern Check Point which was called Check Point Anar.

I hated doing this as there was only one route to take and resupply could only be achieved by the use of Bergans and quad bikes, this meant that we had to use a long, windy lane which had high walls and so it was impossible to isolate and make clear of danger. The way I got around travelling down the dangerous lane was to understand the atmospherics and to ask the local Mullah (religious figure) to escort me down to the Check Point. This provided me and my multiple a safe passage down to the Check Point while carrying out some ‘hearts and minds’ with the local Mullah. When I moved into the area it was like walking into a giant fridge, and again the atmospherics became tense and cold. There were less locals than normal at the edge of the lane but the local Mullah was there waiting for me and my multiple. This time he was very reluctant to take me down the lane, I noticed the locals starting to disperse, a key sign that something was about to happen. I told the Mullah ‘I’m going down anyway, it’s up to you if you want to come’. He then made a phone call and then decided to escort me. He was not happy but we still walked and talked. This time I made sure we took our time and cleared the lane to the best of our ability.

I remember looking through a gap in the wall and watching a man in a brown dish dash jump off the wall and behind it. I thought this was very strange because Afghanis in general do not move fast mainly because of the extreme heat. We then parted company with the Mullah and I then moved into the Check Point Anar. I expressed my concerns to the Operations room and the Check Point Commander, however the Battle Captain was putting extreme pressure on me to return the quad bike because he needed to resupply another Check Point. We had a quick turnaround at Check Point Anar and then left following further discussions between me and the Check Point Commander, we decided that I needed to approach the lane with extreme caution. I gave my multiple a detailed brief and we ran through the extraction plan in the event of an incident. We left the Check Point and patrolled to the entrance of the lane, as we approached there was a little boy on a bike looking directly at us. Immediately my lead scout told the boy to ‘stop!’. It was as if the young boy was recceing us for a more sinister plan. It turns out he was, we asked him some questions then asked him what route he was taking, at the same time the Battle Captain (an inexperienced TA captain) was pestering us about the quad bike and ETA. I was very aware that something wasn’t right and that we might be walking into an ambush, my sixth sense was screaming at me to stop. My lead scout told me he could clear the lane and get us back, I firmly told him NO and commanded him to turn around and walk back to me. At this point half my multiple were in the lane and I was being slightly distracted by the Battle Captain. At this point, the young boy sprinted off on his bike and shouted loudly. Shortly afterwards the Taliban detonated three command wire IEDs in the lane blowing me and my lead scout approximately 3 metres in the air and 15 metres backwards. The explosion was so powerful that it made me spit out blood, I can still see my lead scout flying towards me in slow motion and me flying backwards. We both quickly got up and went straight into our extraction drill, only problem we had was turning the quad bike around in the lane. I can still remember trying to pry the hands of the quad bike driver from the handlebars as he’d gone into shock, he was with us because he’d already had some pretty nasty experiences on tour already. I suppose it was just one too many and sadly I never saw him again after that (PTSD). Once we’d extracted we moved back to the Check Point Anar where we regrouped, gathered our thoughts and planned a safer route back. Just to paint you a picture we were 40 metres from the blast and had walked over those devices on the way down, if we had been walking at normal speed those IEDs would have vaporised everyone! This gives me chills just writing this.’

Having completed his tour, Cutterham returned to the UK and in 2012 had his summer leave cancelled at zero notice, and was instead tasked to Operation OLYMPIC, the military assistance provided to G4S to ensure the security of the London 2012 Olympic Games:

‘This was a great career highlight and I was tasked with recruiting members of the public for security duties at the O2 arena during the Olympic Games in 2012. I remember being in Kenya covered in sweat, dirt, and mouldy cam cream when it was announced to me that we would be helping out G4S with security. It was a truly great and different experience, I was fortunate enough to watch the games first hand and even hold the medals before handing them back to the athletes after they’d be presented them. I also had the great pleasure of meeting heads of state from all over and immediate members of the Royal Family.’

Cutterham’s own sporting prowess came to the fore three years later:
‘In 2015 I represented the British Army at the highest level in competitive road and track cycling both at National and Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) level. This was a fantastic opportunity awarded to me by the Army. Having won the Army championships and dominating Army events with 1 Rifles regimental cycling team it was deemed that I had done more than enough to qualify for the programme and participated on the programme for 3 years of my career. Throughout my time in the Army Cycling Team, we dominated inter-services Championships.’

Cutterham also competed in triathlons and marathons for the British Army, having previously competed for the Junior Great British Cross Country Ski Team. He also completed the selection course for 22nd Special Air Service (SAS), before being posted to train new recruits at the Infantry Training Centre, Catterick. Cutterham advanced to Colour Sergeant in 2016, and his final posting was to the 5th Battalion, The Rifles:
‘The 19 years I served in the Army were the best of my life. I remember walking into the recruitment office in Bristol and meeting a man called Dave who was a Sgt in the 1RGBW and saying to him ‘I want to travel, do lots of sport and do a bit of soldering’ he said ‘well you do plenty of that here’ and that I did! I lived 100 lifetimes in the British Army, it felt more like one big adventure than a job, it’s fantastic organisation and I have a lot to be thankful to it for.’