Captain Brandon Bocian, pictured, is the US Marine whose injury prompted Lance Corporal Joshua Leakey to launch his death-defying rescue attempt

A US Marine who was saved by a paratrooper who became the first living Briton to win the Victoria Cross for his service in Afghanistan can be revealed today.

Captain Brandon Bocian was on his second tour of the war-torn country when he was shot under intense fire in Helmand Province by the Taliban.

Briton Lance Corporal Joshua Leakey, 27, ran through a hail of insurgent machine gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades three times to save the injured comrade.

Speaking about the event for the first time yesterday, Captain Bocian said: ‘I hadn’t met Lance Corporal Leakey prior to that day but am grateful for his actions.

‘The fact that he chose to leave his position to help me speaks to his courage and character.

‘I am happy to hear that he is being formally recognised. He deserves it.’ Captain Bocian, who has been serving in the US Marines since 2009, is an infantry officer currently serving as an instructor for entry-level Marine officers teaching leadership and combat skills.

He had been on his second tour and was over half way through when he came went out on his first combined operation with UK forces, including 1 Para.

He said: ‘I was part of the command element on a hill in an overwatch position for a UK/US clearing operation.

‘Our position began receiving effective enemy fire and we maneuvered to a different position.

‘Along the way, enemy fire intensified, we took cover behind terrain and I began directing fire onto the enemy.

‘That’s when I was hit’.

As he lay on the ground in agony, Lance Corporal Leakey showed ‘complete disregard for his own safety’ and ran to the wounded officer despite being under attack from 20 Taliban.

‘Lance Corporal Leakey arrived at my position and immediately started tending to my wound.

‘With the bleeding under control, he assisted me to a hasty landing zone and stayed until I was loaded on the medivac helicopter.

‘That was the last time I saw him.’ Lance Corporal Leakey became the first living soldier to be awarded the VC, the highest military decoration for valour, in ten years and only the second since 1969, in a ceremony held at Lancaster House in London on Thursday.

His cousin Sergeant Nigel Gray Leakey was a posthumous recipient of the VC in November 1945 for his gallantry while fighting in Africa in 1941 during the Second World War.

Lance Corporal Leakey, who joined 1 Para in 2007 and has served three tours of Afghanistan, said he was 'deeply honoured' but played down his heroism. 'The only thing I was really scared of was letting my cap badge down,' he said.

Afterwards he said: 'I am just a normal bloke. I happen to be in The Parachute Regiment and on that particular day at that particular time I was in that place'.

He insisted the award was 'going to be worn on behalf' of everyone in his regiment and battalion. 'It is very humbling that this has happened to me,' he said.

He will receive his medal for the role he played during a combined UK and US assault on a Taliban stronghold in August 2013.

Lance Corporal Joshua Leakey, pictured, received the Victoria Cross for rescuing Captain Bocian

According to the official citation, the 1 Para hero showed 'complete disregard for his own safety' as the force came under attack from around 20 insurgents armed with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades in Helmand province. The firefight lasted for around an hour.

'Displaying gritty leadership well above that expected of his rank, Lance Corporal Leakey's actions single-handedly regained the initiative and prevented considerable loss of life, allowing a wounded officer to be evacuated,' the citation said.

The US Marine Corps captain was shot and wounded and the force's communications had gone down.

First, Lance Corporal Leakey dashed across a barren hillside which was being raked with enemy fire and undeterred by the 'very clear and present danger', he gave first aid to the wounded officer.

But with the 'snap and crack' of enemy fire all around him, he realised that two of his group's machine gun teams had been surrounded.

Despite being the most junior member of the force he took control of the situation and began the casualty evacuation.

He went back up the hill and took control of one of the machine guns – with bullets ricocheting off the gun's frame – before running down again, drawing enemy fire.

His 'courageous' action spurred those around him to fight back with renewed ferocity.

But the firefight continued. Lance Corporal Leakey, 'with the full knowledge of the dangers', exposed himself to Taliban fire once more.

Weighed down with 60lb of equipment, he ran to the bottom of the hill, picked up a second machine gun and climbed back up the hill.

Drawing the majority of enemy fire, with rounds flying past his head, he opened fire. Then he handed over the machine gun to a comrade and supervised the evacuation of the wounded officer.

During the battle 11 insurgents were killed and four wounded. The Marine officer made a full recovery. Lance Corporal Leakey, from Hampshire, is single with no children. His father was in the RAF.

He said: 'It's part of the very nature of being in the Army, and especially the Parachute Regiment, that we have to adapt to situations you don't expect to happen.

'That's why I joined the Army – to be a paratrooper – I wasn't interested in doing anything else.