AN Oxfordshire Army officer said he was embarrassed after being awarded one of the military’s top honours.

Captain Robin Bourne-Taylor, 29, of the Life Guards, has been given the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross, the highest award for courage after the Victoria Cross., for his service in Afghanistan.

The former Abingdon School head boy said he had not thought about the medal much and instead paid tribute to his “incredible” soldiers.

Last night his mother, who lives near Bicester, said she was “very proud” of her son.

Capt Bourne-Taylor’s citation said the award was for “gallant and distinguished services” during the regiment’s Afghanistan tour from October last year until this March.

In February, he was leading a reconnaissance patrol when they came under fire.

He led an attack which saw off the Taliban insurgents after a 45-minute fire-fight.

Days later Capt Bourne-Taylor’s unit pursued Taliban gunmen for more than a mile to prevent an ambush.

He said: “I haven’t really thought about the award much. A huge number of people have done quite exceptional things in Afghanistan.

“It’s slightly embarrassing to get an award when every single day my blokes were doing incredibly brave things.”

Capt Bourne-Taylor added: “So many people are doing great jobs at all levels of the military. In every part there’s great leadership involved, and that’s very important.”

In 2007 Capt Bourne-Taylor lost his girlfriend, Second Lieutenant Jo Dyer, when she was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq. Lt Dyer, 24, who trained at Sandhurst Military Academy with Prince William, was Capt Bourne-Taylor’s university sweetheart.

His mother, Sarah Bourne-Taylor, 51, of Paines Hill, Steeple Aston, said: “Robin is doing an exceptional job out there. We’re all so very proud of all his achievements.

“He’s currently preparing for redeployment in Windsor.

“Of course you get nervous when he’s out there, but Robin is doing the job he loves.”

In 2008, Capt Bourne-Taylor competed at the Beijing Olympics as a member of the Great Britain coxless pair in rowing.

He was a pupil at Abingdon School from 1993 to 1999, before reading engineering at Christ Church, Oxford.

Headteacher Felicity Lusk said: “The school is very proud of him”