Kate Louise Nesbitt MC (born 21 April 1988) is a pharmacy technician in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by Kingdom of England, English and Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were foug ...

. Nesbitt was the first female member of the Royal Navy, and the second woman in the

British Armed Forces The British Armed Forces, also known as His Majesty's Armed Forces, are the military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests, ...

, to be awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC i ...

(MC). The award was a result of her actions in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bord ...

in March 2009.

Personal life

Nesbitt is from

Whitleigh Whitleigh is a district area and is in the electoral ward of Budshead of the city of Plymouth in the English county of Devon. It shares district borders with Southway, Honicknowle, Crownhill, West Park and St Budeaux. In the 2001 census the populat ...

Plymouth, Devon Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth' ...

and was educated at Sir John Hunt Community College in Whitleigh. Her father Clive Nesbitt is a former Royal Marine colour sergeant who served for 22 years, and two of her brothers are also in the armed forces. She is tall.

Military career

Nesbitt joined the

in 2005. She passed a Military Prehospital Emergency Care course run by the charity

British Association for Immediate Care The British Association for Immediate Care (BASICS) is an organisation which has the stated aim to encourage and aid the formation and extension of immediate care schemes. The ''British Association for Immediate Care'' was founded as a charity in ...

(BASICS) at the

Royal Marine The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marin ...

s base in

Arbroath Arbroath () or Aberbrothock ( gd, Obar Bhrothaig ) is a former royal burgh and the largest town in the council area of Angus, Scotland, with a population of 23,902. It lies on the North Sea coast some ENE of Dundee and SSW of Aberdeen. ...

in Scotland. After medical training, she served at the Commando Training Centre in

Lympstone Lympstone is a village and civil parish in East Devon in the England, English county of Devon. It has a population of 1,754. There is a harbour on the estuary of the River Exe, lying at the outlet of Wotton Brook between cliffs of red breccia.< ...

, followed by a posting aboard the Type 42 destroyer HMS ''Nottingham''. Nesbitt was deployed to Afghanistan for six months between October 2008 and March 2009 as part of the ongoing

Operation Herrick Operation Herrick was the codename under which all British operations in the War in Afghanistan were conducted from 2002 to the end of combat operations in 2014. It consisted of the British contribution to the NATO-led International Security A ...

, the British contribution to the

War in Afghanistan War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC) * Muslim conquests of Afghanistan (637–709) *Conquest of Afghanistan by the Mongol Empire (13th century), see al ...

which began in 2001. With the rank of

Able Seaman An able seaman (AB) is a seaman and member of the deck department of a merchant ship with more than two years' experience at sea and considered "well acquainted with his duty". An AB may work as a watchstander, a day worker, or a combination ...

Class 1, Nesbitt was a

Medical Assistant A medical assistant, also known as a "clinical assistant" or healthcare assistant in the USA is an allied health professional who supports the work of physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other health professionals, usuall ...

attached to

3 Commando Brigade 3 Commando Brigade (3 Cdo Bde), previously called the 3rd Special Service Brigade, is a commando formation of the British Armed Forces. It is composed of the Royal Marine Commandos, alongside commando qualified sailors, soldiers and airmen fro ...

, working in close support of C Company, 1st Battalion

The Rifles The Rifles is an infantry regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of four Regular battalions and three Reserve battalions, plus a number of companies in other Army Reserve battalions. Each battalion of The Rifles was formerly ...

(1 RIFLES). (The Royal Navy provides the medical support to 3 Commando Brigade, who are normally based in Plymouth.) On her return from Afghanistan, Nesbitt worked in the Surgical Assessment Unit at the Military Hospital Unit in

Derriford Hospital Derriford Hospital is a large teaching hospital in Plymouth, England. The hospital serves Plymouth and nearby areas of Devon and Cornwall. It also provides tertiary cardiothoracic surgery, neurosurgery and renal transplant surgery for the ...

, Plymouth. ( MDHU Derriford) Nesbitt qualified as a Naval pharmacy technician in January 2015 and transferred to the Medical Technician branch in April 2017.

Military Cross

Medal

The Military Cross is awarded to any rank of the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It include ...

Marines Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (ref ...

and

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ar ...

"in recognition of exemplary gallantry during active operations against the enemy on land". For her performance in the Afghanistan tour, including during an ambush on 12 March 2009, Nesbitt (then aged 21) became the first female member of the Royal Navy, and the second woman in the British Armed Forces, to be awarded the Military Cross (MC), after Private

Michelle Norris Sergeant Michelle Suzanne Claire "Chuck" Norris MC is a British Army soldier and medic noted for heroism in the Iraq War. She is the first woman to be awarded the Military Cross. Norris was awarded her medal personally by Queen Elizabeth II on ...

of the

Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. The RAMC, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, the Royal Army Dental Corps ...

, who received the MC for action in

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

in 2006.

Taliban ambush

The primary action for which Nesbitt received the Military Cross was for acts during a Taliban ambush. On 12 March 2009, while under fire from Taliban forces, Nesbitt administered emergency medical treatment which saved the life of

Lance Corporal Lance corporal is a military rank, used by many armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organisations. It is below the rank of corporal, and is typically the lowest non-commissioned officer (NCO), usually eq ...

John List, a 22-year-old soldier of 1st Battalion,

(1 RIFLES), from

Holsworthy, Devon Holsworthy is a market town and civil parish in the Torridge district of Devon, England, some west of Exeter. The River Deer, a tributary of the River Tamar, forms the western boundary of the parish, which includes the village of Brandis ...

. On that day, List's unit was undertaking a five-day operation in Marjah district,

Helmand Province Helmand (Pashto/Dari: ; ), also known as Hillmand, in ancient times, as Hermand and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, in the south of the country. It is the largest province by area, covering area. The province contains 13 ...

, securing the area for the forthcoming

Afghan elections This article gives information on elections in Afghanistan. Though Afghanistan has had democratic elections throughout the 20th century, the electoral institutions have varied as changes in the political regime have disrupted political continuit ...

. In the mid-afternoon, during a Taliban ambush and ensuing gun-battle, List was shot in the neck. Nesbitt, on being informed by radio of a "man down" and the location, ran 60 to 70 metres under fire and found List struggling to breathe, as the bullet had gone through his top lip, ruptured his jaw and come out of his neck. She administered aid for around 45 minutes, stemming the blood loss, and providing him with another airway. During treatment they were subject to gun and

rocket A rocket (from it, rocchetto, , bobbin/spool) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using the surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entire ...

fire from the Taliban forces. List was later airlifted to hospital by

Merlin helicopter The AgustaWestland AW101 is a medium-lift helicopter in military and civil use. First flown in 1987, it was developed by a joint venture between Westland Helicopters in the United Kingdom and Agusta in Italy in response to national requirement ...

. Nesbitt returned from Afghanistan three weeks after the ambush, at the end of her tour. Nesbitt next met List back in England in May 2009, at a medals parade for 1 RIFLES at their

Chepstow Chepstow ( cy, Cas-gwent) is a town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the tidal River Wye, about above its confluence with the River Severn, and adjoining the wester ...

barracks, the first time he was able to speak, and thank Nesbitt.

Award

Nesbitt's award was first announced on 11 September 2009. Both List and Nesbitt attended the Devon Festival of Remembrance at the

University of Exeter , mottoeng = "We Follow the Light" , established = 1838 - St Luke's College1855 - Exeter School of Art1863 - Exeter School of Science 1955 - University of Exeter (received royal charter) , type = Public , ...

on 5 November 2009. Nesbitt also read the citation during the

Royal British Legion The Royal British Legion (RBL), formerly the British Legion, is a British charity providing financial, social and emotional support to members and veterans of the British Armed Forces, their families and dependants, as well as all others in n ...

's Festival of Remembrance in the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

in London on Saturday 7 November 2009. Nesbitt was presented with her Military Cross by

Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...

on 27 November 2009 at Buckingham Palace. Nesbitt's citation read:

Nesbitt's actions throughout a series of offensive operations were exemplary; under fire and under pressure her commitment and courage were inspirational and made the difference between life and death. She performed in the highest traditions of her service.

Honours and awards

Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal

Ribbon - Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal v3

* She won the award for "Most Outstanding Sailor or Marine" at

The Sun Military Awards The ''Sun'' Military Awards (televised as ''A Night of Heroes: The Sun Military Awards'' since 2009) is an annual awards ceremony which honours members of the British armed forces and civilians involved with the forces. The awards are organised ...

on 21 December 2009.

Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nesbitt, Kate Living people Royal Navy sailors Female recipients of the Military Cross Military personnel from Plymouth, Devon Royal Navy personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) 1988 births Women in 21st-century warfare Women in the Royal Navy Women in war in South Asia Combat medics Recipients of the Military Cross