The latest soldier to earn a Victoria Cross has been congratulated by the Sheppey father of the previous, posthumous recipient of the medal.

Last week, L Cpl Joshua Leakey, 27, of the Parachute Regiment, was given Britain’s highest military honour after he helped rescue a joint US-UK team that was under siege from the Taliban in Afghanistan.

He crossed an exposed hillside three times while under fire to help start casualty evacuation, re-site machine guns and return fire to turn the tide of battle and prevent considerable loss of life.

He joins L Cpl James Ashworth who became only the 10th member of the British Army to receive the Victoria Cross since the Second World War in March 2013.

The 23-year-old Grenadier Guardsman died in Afghanistan in June 2012 when the grenade he was preparing to throw to protect his colleagues detonated after he was shot by the Taliban.

His father, Duane Ashworth, who runs the Beach pub in Minster, called L Cpl Leakey’s actions, “an amazing act of bravery”.

He said: “To do what he did in that amount of heavy fire was a true act of selflessness.

“Congratulations to him on the award. His life is going to change forever.”

The 46-year-old added there were not many families with more than one VC but a relative of L Cpl Leakey was given the honour 70 years ago.

Mr Ashworth hopes to work with him in the future in his capacity as a trustee of the Victoria Cross Trust.

In November, the charity opened a British military museum in Doncaster called Ashworth Barracks, which it hopes will have the biggest First World War display in the country.

On Saturday, the Beach, in Seaside Avenue, will launch the Victoria Cross ale with 30% of the proceeds going towards the maintenance of the graves of VC recipients.

Ex-England rugby international Mickey Skinner will be there from 1pm to 3pm and Camra members will receive a 10% discount on the £3 pint.

It will be the only pub in the country to stock the drink, although bottles and gift sets can be purchased from the brewer, Yorkshire Drinks Company, or from the trust.