Step aside Jill Stevens. The Bits have their own beauty queen hero, Katrina Hodge.
A female soldier who once fought off a suspected Iraqi insurgent has won a place in the final of Miss England.
Katrina Hodge, 21, will participate in the contest in July, having already won the Miss Tunbridge Wells crown.
L/Cpl Hodge was nicknamed Combat Barbie in 2005 after being given a bravery commendation for saving the lives of members of her regiment in Iraq.
They were held at gunpoint when their vehicle overturned but L/Cpl Hodge punched the gunman and took his rifles.
She said: “I was in complete shock at first. The force of the accident caused our vehicle to roll over three times and threw us off guard.
“As I came round, the Iraqi suspect was standing over us with the rifles. I knew if I didn’t act fast then our lives would be in danger.
“I punched him and the force startled him enough for me to retrieve the rifles from him.”
Private Katrina Hodge, 18, wrestled TWO rifles from a prisoner and then floored him with her bare hands.
The amazing act of bravery came after the vehicle they were both travelling in went out of control and crashed.
Clerk Katrina ” given her nickname because of her love of “pink girlie stuff” ” used her Army training to subdue the insurgent as he tried to flee.
She was rewarded with a commendation from the CO of her unit, the 1st Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment.
And last night she said modestly: “I was surprised when I was given the commendation but also very proud of myself ” I don”t think I”ve ever held my head so high.”
The drama happened after Katrina”s unit had searched a house and were taking a suspected rebel fighter back to Shaibah Logistics Base, near Basra, for questioning.
Their vehicle flipped over three times and as the other soldiers lay stunned the suspect grabbed the rifles and ran for it.
Katrina responded instantly ” grappling with him in hand-to-hand combat, restraining him and checking the loaded weapons were safe.
She said: “After the crash everyone was in a state of shock, then I saw the prisoner had the guns.
“I only had a split second but with the adrenalin pumping it was like slow motion.
“For a moment I thought I was going to die, so I screamed at him to give me the rifles.
The Sun
By RICHARD WHITE
and Tony BONNICI
