Captain Webb Medal

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Captain Matthew Webb was born at Dawley, Telford, in Shropshire

Webb was the first person to swim the English Channel. In 1875, he swam from Dover to Calais in less than 22 hours.

The Captain Webb medal was established in his honour by the Shropshire Society in London, to "recognise examples of extreme courage in saving life" by people in the county.

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Rifleman Benjamin Taylor saved nine of his fellow personnel from a submerged troop carrier.

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In 2009 bomb disposal expert Warrant Officer Hughes cleared a minefield, without protective clothing, to allow wounded soldiers to be rescued.

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The Ministry of Defence described the act as "the single most outstanding act of explosive ordnance disposal ever recorded in Afghanistan."

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Serving with 4th Battalion, The Rifles, Corporal Ferguson was awarded the Military Cross for rescuing wounded colleagues in four separate incidents in 2009.

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In January 2010 Corporal Ferguson lost both legs and an eye in a bomb blast.

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The then chairman of the Shropshire Society David Tudor said: "The outstanding bravery of these two soldiers in Afghanistan is an example to all.

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"Their courage in truly horrendous circumstances is something which we feel should be recognised in the civilian world as well as in the military. They are both heroes and Shropshire is very proud of them"

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