THE first woman in the Royal Navy to be awarded the Military Cross said that collecting her bravery medal at Buckingham Palace was "the proudest day of my life".

Medical assistant Kate Nesbitt braved Taliban fire to tend to a comrade shot in the neck during a gun battle on her first tour of Afghanistan in March. She repeatedly demonstrated courage under fire as she rushed across open ground to the aid of injured colleagues from 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines.

The incident happened in Nawa, near Lashkar Gah, just three weeks before she was due to return home after a six-month deployment.

The Able Seaman Class 1, of Whitleigh in Plymouth, dressed the wound and kept the soldier from losing blood while bullets and rockets flew overhead in the Marjah district of Helmand province.

She said: "When it all happened, we were in the middle of an operation but I wouldn't in a million years have thought anyone would follow it up. It was the biggest shock when I got the news (of the award)."

"It made it all seem real being here today. It has been so special. When I looked over and saw my mum and dad in the audience, it was the proudest day of my life."

The soldier she saved was Lance Corporal Jon List, from Holsworthy, North Devon.

The 22-year-old, who still has the bullet scars on his neck, tattooed the attack date 12.03.09 on his arm, with the slogan "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger".

He said: "I felt the impact go through my jaw, and the next thing I knew, I was on my back. I thought that was it.

"Kate appeared from nowhere, reassuring me everything would be OK."

He added: "Kate says to be called a hero is too much, I say it could never be enough."

His mother, Debbie Merritt, told the Western Morning News: "We are so thrilled for Kate that she has received the recognition that she deserves.

"Without her aid, we would not have Jon with us today, and there are no words to explain our gratitude to her."

The sailor is only the second woman in the armed forces to receive the medal but said: "It doesn't really make a difference. I was really overwhelmed that they trusted me to do the job and never doubted me at all, that's what was important."

"I just did what I'm sure everyone else would have done for me."

Her citation said: "Under fire and under pressure, her commitment and courage were inspirational and made the difference between life and death. She performed in the highest traditions of her service."

The 21-year-old, who stands 5ft tall, is now working in the surgical assessment unit at the Military Hospital Unit Derriford.

She said: "In the UK, we are receiving terrible injuries on a daily basis and it is a tough job, but nothing compares to having to treat one of your colleagues that you have worked alongside for weeks."

The modest medic was born into a military family. Her father Clive served in the Royal Marines for 22 years and her brother Dan is serving on HMS Ocean while her other brother Lee is undergoing medical training with the Royal Marines.

After attending Sir John Hunt Community College in Plymouth, she joined the Royal Navy in 2005 and, after medical training, served at the Commando Training Centre in Lympstone, Devon, followed by a deployment on the destroyer HMS Nottingham.