Chinook pilot rescued children amid chaos of mortar attack "In the space of 15 seconds we had to switch from getting the casualties out to protecting the guys on the ground," the officer of 27 Squadron said after the incident. It was a horrendous situation. They deliberately wounded the children, aged between four and nine, to get International Security Assistance Forces to come. The crew managed to evacuate four of the most seriously wounded children while an American helicopter took a fifth. One of the children had died. Flt Lt Anderson's citation read: "Anderson's courage, and his calm, highly professional display of captaincy enabled the entire crew to conduct a textbook helicopter medical evacuation in the face of a bold, determined and coordinated enemy." Speaking after the investiture at Buckingham Palace, he said: "It's fantastic to be thought of in this way." He spoke as another Chinook pilot became one of the most decorated serving RAF officers after he received a second gallantry award from the Queen. Flt Lt Alex Duncan was awarded the Air Force Cross for flying under heavy fire to rescue a severely wounded soldier who had stepped on an explosive device. As the officer from 27 Squadron approached the base he was told to "hold off" landing as the outpost was under attack last year. But with the soldier's condition worsening and his fuel running low, Flt Lt Duncan decided to fly in. "Despite the knowledge that the landing site was under fire, Duncan committed the aircraft," his citation read. He executed a textbook approach and landed in no more than 200-metre visibility and with zero illumination, safely picking up the casualty who was then safely recovered back to Camp Bastion hospital. Two years ago, he was given the DFC after he saved the lives of his crew and the governor of Helmand when his helicopter was hit by a rocket in 2008.