Hero proposes at the palace

Signaller Marine Mark Jackson, from Newbury, proposed to his girlfriend after collecting a military gallantry medal

AN HEROIC marine from Newbury popped the question to his girlfriend on the steps of Buckingham Palace yesterday (Wednesday) after collecting a military gallantry medal second only to the Victoria Cross.

Signaller Marine Mark Jackson, aged 28, from Wash Common, was awarded a Conspicuous Gallantry Cross, the highest-ranking of 136 Operational Honours, by the Ministry of Defence in March after he selflessly dived on top of a colleague to shelter him from a grenade blast, saving his life, while in Afghanistan on his first tour of duty.

Disregarding the threat to his own life, Mr Jackson, a former pupil of John Rankin Junior and Park House secondary schools in Newbury, rushed forward, picked up the device knowing it was an improvised grenade, and hurled it back towards the enemy as he cried out “grenade!”

The explosion destroyed a wall such was the force from the shrapnel, but without hesitation Mr Jackson and his colleague returned fire on their attackers, who fled into the Afghanistan desert.

After receiving his bravery award from the Prince of Wales he went down on one knee to ask Rebecca Daniel, aged 29, from Devon, to be his wife.

The serviceman let the heir to the throne in on his secret proposal as he collected his medal during the investiture.

“I told him I was going to propose and he said, ‘Many congratulations in advance',” said Mr Jackson.

The serviceman, who recently injured his ankle, joked afterwards: “I went down on one knee. I fought through the pain.

“We've been together for two years and she was with me throughout that tour...I thought it would make it memorable.”

“I was just a baby marine when I went out there. The Prince read the citation and he just said he couldn't believe it,” he added.

“There are so many stories out there that are untold - so many lads that deserve this.”

His medal citation described how his only thought was for the life of his comrade who, had he hesitated for one moment, would have been killed.

Recalling the way he dealt with the grenade, he added: “I just thought that's going to hurt and ran over and launched it back.”