Tragic soldier James Munday awarded Birmingham Mail bravery honour

Mar 9 2009 by Paul Bradley, Birmingham Mail

Midland soldier James Munday was tragically killed, aged 21, while serving with the army in Afghanistan. Now, less than six months after his death, his proud parents have accepted the first ever Badge of Honour medal awarded on behalf of the Birmingham Mail and its readers. In their first newspaper interview, they paid tribute to a “fearless son” and urged other families to nominate their military heroes. Paul Bradley reports.

IF THE armed forces were looking for a model soldier, Trooper James Munday would surely have fitted the bill.

Brave and fearless to the end, he devoted his adult life to the Household Cavalry, receiving outstanding report after outstanding report from his senior officers.

His parents, Rob and Caroline Munday, from Coleshill, remember him as a perfect son and gentlemen who led by example.

The army obviously agreed, offering to sponsor James through university and turn him into an officer.

They even splashed his picture across their recruitment leaflets, a sure sign of how well he was regarded.

But he turned down promotion until he had completed an operational tour in Afghanistan.

He believed he could not have the respect of his men until he had served on the frontline, shoulder to shoulder with his comrades.

Tragically, just two weeks before he was due to come home, he was killed in an explosion while on patrol 23km north of a remote forward operating base in Helmand Province.

“James was not only well liked but extremely well respected by the soldiers he served with,” his dad, Rob Munday, said.

“When some of the lads were finding it tough out there they turned to him. James didn’t just treat them like any other soldier but treated them with immense respect and helped them through the difficult times. That was the type of man he was.

“But to me he was my best friend and I am proud of everything he did, not just in the army but in normal life too.

“He was a lovely, lovely son.”

Trooper Munday, a former pupil at Coleshill Comprehensive School, had two nicknames.

He was fondly known as Magpie, after his superior skiing skills saw him win trophy after trophy from under the noses of his senior officers.

While Prince William, who he trained with for more than two years, gave him the name “Hatches” after His Royal Highness was required to take him to hospital because he had chipped his tooth on the hatch of a vehicle.