29/11/2020
Huge congratulations to all those who have received recognition in the latest Armed Forces Operational Awards. We would particularly like to congratulate Wiltshire based Capt Karl Williams Royal Logistic Corps (RLC), who has been recognised with a Queen's Commendation for Bravery. Please read Capt Williams remarkable story below:
The Queen’s Commendation for Bravery is open to both to civilians in peacetime conditions and to all ranks of the British Armed Forces for actions not in the presence of an enemy. It is denoted by a silver spray of laurel leaves.
The RLC Officer has been recognised for his actions one afternoon whilst shopping off-duty in Southampton city centre, whereby Captain Williams, without hesitation or regard for his own safety, acted with the utmost bravery to apprehend an individual with a firearm who was threatening the lives of others.
Describing the moment Karl said, “On hearing loud hysterical screaming nearby, I cautiously approached the incident and observed a highly agitated man pointing a firearm towards a crowd of people in a threatening manner. The crowd were petrified, and I was unable to intercept the aggressor immediately due to the potential for exacerbating the situation and placing the crowd in greater danger. I monitored the situation from a distance before engaging the aggressor as he began to back away from the crowd and reach into his bag. It was at that point that I took him to the ground, disarming and restraining him in the process. It was a fight or flight scenario, for a brief second I saw his attention wasn’t on anyone else and that this was the brief opportunity I could safely engage.”
With the danger having been removed the crowd dispersed visibly shaken but unharmed. Once Karl had completely restrained the gunman, he then went on to make the firearm safe. Whilst doing so he was able to Identify it as a replica, which he relayed immediately to the Police, who communicated it to the area Fi****ms Unit (FU). As a result of Karl’s actions, accurate and timely information enabled the small regional FU to divert their limited assets to one of the other fi****ms related incidents at that time.
Karl remained calm and in control it wasn’t until everything was over and done with and he continued on with the rest of his day the events started to sink in. Describing the sensation Karl added, “I’d walked about half a mile away from the scene, it was at that moment that the adrenaline kicked in and my legs started to turn to jelly, it was then that it dawned on me what had just happened.”
Capt Williams is the Quartermaster at 19 Tank Transport Squadron based in Bulford. The Squadron are part of 27 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps situated in Aldershot. Karl was born in Southampton, Hampshire but in 2014 moved to Salisbury in Wiltshire where he has set up home with his wife and integrated within the local community.
Karl enlisted in the British Army in 1997, wanting to make use of the opportunity and lifestyle training that the British Army offered. “I didn’t have much direction in my life at the time, I had been in the Cadets and I saw the army as the lifestyle and career choice for me” said Karl.
Karl is a Marine Engineer by trade, so has served much of his career with 17 Port and Maritime Regiment. He served 20 years making his way through the ranks as a non-commissioned soldier, promoting to Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) in 2018 before commissioning. His Grandfather served in the Light Infantry and was also a late entry Officer having commissioned through the ranks. Speaking about his Grandfather Karl said, “he died when I was very young, but I always wanted to make him proud. I am the only one on my generation of the family that has chosen a military career but as young boy, seeing military figurines on the side, the military has always been of interest to me.”
Captain Karl Williams’ citation states: “The unconditional bravery and selfless commitment demonstrated by Williams was truly remarkable as he instinctively focussed on the safety of everyone else around him. For acting so impressively in the face of danger, Williams is unequivocally deserving of formal and public recognition for his bravery.”
On learning of his commendation Karl said, "I am delighted and humbled to learn that I am to be awarded a Queen’s Commendation for Bravery. Since the day, knowing the individual had been detained in custody and then learning that he had been given a prison sentence, to me felt like matters were right, and to be honest I hadn’t heard or given thought to the event since. It was a complete surprise to me this morning when my Commanding Officer informed me of the news, I thought I was coming in for the normal day to day meeting. It is a strange feeling but a special moment because to me, I was simply doing something that felt right at the time. I remember my wife saying to me after the event that what I had done was stupid, I know she was only looking out for me but I did what my instinct told me and that was to dissolve the situation in the best and safest way I could.” The Royal Logistic Corps
