MINEHEAD Royal Marine Sergeant Major Paul Ryan has received another accolade for his heroic actions in Afghanistan.

He has received a Mention in Dispatches (MiD) from the Queen in the Armed Forces Operational Honours List, which was published last Friday.

He is one of just 136 serving military personnel across the country to be honoured in the list and was decorated for his bravery when he put his own life at risk to save others in a helicopter crash in Sangin.

Before Christmas he was named Outstanding Marine in the Sun newspaper's annual Military Awards for his part in the same incident - the rescue of four aircrew from a downed Black Hawk helicopter.

Sgt Major Ryan - who is better known as Buck - serves with 40 Commando at Norton Fitzwarren in Taunton and lives with his wife Sarah and children William, 15, and Maisie, ten, in Minehead.

He had been on a six month tour of duty in Afghanistan when the Black Hawk was shot down in June last year.

The helicopter burst into flames and Sgt Major Ryan and his initial team of 15 men were quickly surrounded by over 100 people after racing to the scene of the crash.

At the time of his newspaper award, Sgt Major Ryan told the Free Press: "You never know who or where the insurgents are - one minute somebody can be holding a shovel and the next a gun.

"We were massively at risk but we knew we had to get straight there.

"The aircraft was on fire, the aviation fuel had caught alight and ammunition on board was exploding."

With only basic firefighting equipment, the marines tried to reach the trapped aircrew and managed to rescue the badly-injured pilot, co-pilot and the door gunner.

Four people died in the helicopter and the pilot later died from his injuries, but two survived thanks to the efforts of Sgt Major Ryan and his team.

His MiD honour specifically praises him for putting his own life in danger to save others.