And Cpl Hayden's Squadron Commander, Squadron Leader Jason Sutton, stood with him at Buckingham Palace after he (Sqn Ldr Sutton) received the OBE for his leadership under attack during an intense fire fight which has become known as the Battle of Al-Waki.
Despite withering fire from more than a dozen rooftop locations after 1 Squadron RAF Regiment came under a hail of gunfire that lasted 90 minutes, the Regiment gunners, among them Cpl Hayden, fought their way out carrying a shot comrade and another who had been mortally wounded.
Leading Aircraftman Martin Beard died during the battle - shot by insurgent gunmen firing from the flat roofs of buildings surrounding the market place at Al-Waki, a small village a few miles north of Basra Air Station that lay within the Area of Operation assigned to the RAF Regiment.
The Regiment's task, then as now, is to protect the air station by patrolling the several hundred square miles of desert around the base. As well as patrolling the immediate area, the Regiment conducts hearts and minds and reconstruction patrols in a wider area which takes in dozens of villages and communities - the aim being to foster good relations, demonstrate resolve to insurgents and improve the lives of ordinary Iraqis.
As a result of the action - the first major foot patrol battle involving the RAF Regiment since UK forces arrived in Iraq in 2003 - three of those involved in the "ferocious fire fight" at Al-Waki have received operational awards and two received their medals at Buckingham Palace yesterday, Wednesday 7 May 2008.
Cpl Hayden was awarded the Military Cross for outstanding gallantry, selflessness and personal example during the ferocious battle. He is the first airman to receive the Military Cross.
Commanding Officer of 1 Sqn RAF Regiment, Sqn Ldr Jason Sutton, 42, from Watford, received the OBE for his outstanding leadership over a relentless six month detachment last year helping to make safe and secure the area around Basra Air Station.
He lost three of his gunners on 19 July last year when a rocket attack struck his Squadron's accommodation. A further six were injured, but in the months that followed he motivated his men to continue delivering all tasks, including lethal use of snipers. At Al-Waki he placed himself in the thick of the fire fight which tested his resourcefulness to the full.
Senior Aircraftman Benjamin Wharton, 24, from Daventry, was Mentioned in Dispatches for courage and determination in the face of the enemy by providing covering fire from his Land Rover despite being hit in the chest with a bullet which knocked him off his vehicle.
The Battle of AL Waki
It was in encroaching darkness on 7 August last year when a 40-man patrol from 1 Sqn left Basra Air Station on a routine foot patrol in the market place of Al-Waki village to show presence and reassure local people that they were being protected by British forces and were safe to go about their business.
Although relations with the locals in the area were good overall, earlier in the tour 1 Sqn snipers killed an insurgent who had been caught in the night sights of their rifles unloading equipment ready to fire off a rocket. Also in the days running up to the 7th there had been a large contact to the north of Al-Waki where, with great skill and courage, RAF gunners had defeated an attack on their patrol. In addition, there was intelligence that the insurgents were claiming to have re-taken the area around Al-Waki and to have pushed out UK troops.
Sqn Ldr Sutton said: "We had arrived later than planned at Al-Waki because on the way we had come across a suspect command wire that might have been linked to a bomb. But on arrival in the village my unit had just started talking to local stallholders via an interpreter about how we could help them apply for grants to build their businesses when the first shot was heard. It sounded like it came from Qarmat Ali, a village to the north.
"The market starts to come alive at this time of the day because it is cooling off, but still the temperature was in the mid-40s. I remember being offered fruit by one of the stallholders just as the shooting began. It was an unremarkable start to a routine patrol with no foretaste of what was to come.
"At first the firing was sporadic, but suddenly one of my corporals was hit in the leg and within moments heavy fire was coming in from all directions and we took cover and we returned fire. We called for assistance from our back-up, but all radio communications went down."
Suddenly the cry "man down" was heard and Cpl Hayden, aided by one of his men, ran out into the open to bring LAC Beard, who lay mortally wounded, into cover. As he did so he took on enemy gunmen, accounting for at least one in the process. The remainder of the patrol deployed rapidly to assist the withdrawal and, after a pitched battle lasting over 30 minutes, the enemy had been suppressed, though many were still firing.
Although being constantly exposed to enemy fire Cpl Hayden carried LAC Beard a further 200 metres to safety. With absolute disregard for his own safety he repeatedly risked his life in order to rescue a wounded comrade and rally his men to extract themselves. He also further exposed himself by returning to LAC Beard's location to pick up his kit.
Cpl Hayden said: "I reacted instinctively when I realised one of my team was down and had to be rescued - although there were rounds whistling all around I heaved a deep breath and ran 200 metres across the danger zone with him on my back."
During the sprint Cpl Hayden was able to shoot down a gunman firing at him and after putting down his colleague he ran back to rally the rest of his 'multiple' and lead them to safety"
"There were at least a dozen firing points. We felt the enemy were so close that we would have fixed bayonets had we had them to hand," he continued.
Cpl Hayden's Military Cross citation read:
"Without a second thought for his own safety, Hayden volunteered to carry the injured man out of the fire fight. He dashed across open ground under a hail of enemy small arms fire. Hayden ran fully upright with the man on his shoulders to safety, having been exposed to enemy fire for the whole distance. His bravery was of the very highest order."
Eventually all the men involved were accounted for: "We estimated there were about 50 insurgents attacking us during the sustained assault," Sqn Ldr Sutton added. "They were very organised. But we estimated that we were able to take out at least 16 of them. Tragically we lost LAC Beard but he displayed the same courage as the rest of the patrol until he was hit. We drew some comfort from his falling, weapon in hand, fighting for and alongside his comrades.
"I am honoured to have received the OBE for my part in the tour, but I have nothing but unstinting praise for my men who were magnificent throughout this most demanding time."
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