Soldier probed for ‘inventing Taliban tale of bravery to win top honour’ before selling medals for £140,000

MILITARY police have launched a probe after a soldier was accused of inventing his tale of bravery to win a top honour.

At least two Special Forces soldiers are among dozens of witnesses due to be grilled.

Ex-Rifles Serjeant Deacon Cutterham was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross — second only to a Victoria Cross — for grabbing a Taliban hand grenade and throwing it away from his men in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province in 2011.

The citation called his actions “phenomenally brave and incredibly selfless” and “saved lives”.

But comrades accused him of lying when he sold medals, including the CGC, at auction for £140,000.

The Army insisted Cutterham’s story had been “rigorously scrutinised” before Prince Charles pinned the gong on his chest at Buckingham Palace in 2012.

No one disputes a grenade went off on Cutterham’s May 24 patrol, but his fellow Riflemen said they believe it was one of their own.

An ex-comrade told The Sun: “It never happened. No one saw it. When we got back to camp we realised there was a hand grenade missing.”

He added: “We put up with him saying how brave he was, but when we saw he was profiting by selling the medals it was too much.”

Cutterham, 38, of Bristol, who served with 1 Rifles regiment, said no one witnessed his derring-do because they dived for cover when he yelled “grenade!”.

In 2020, when the claims first surfaced, he told The Sun: “The action happened as per the citation and I stand by those events.”

An Army spokesperson said: “As the matter is the subject of an investigation it would be inappropriate to comment.”