Matthew Croucher, GC, VR (born 14 December 1983) is a member of the Royal Marines Reserve and a recipient of the George Cross, the highest British and Commonwealth medal for gallantry not in the face of the enemy, for his extreme valour in risking his life to safeguard the lives of his comrades.

Due to the intensity of the firefight, the company medical assistant was pinned down and could not help for over 20 minutes, during which time Croucher stabilised the casualty until he could be evacuated.

He was thrown some distance by the explosion, but due to the protection offered by his rucksack and body-armour, suffered only a nose-bleed, perforated ear drums and some disorientation.

Of the other three members of his patrol, the rear man managed to take cover by retreating round the corner of a building; the patrol commander threw himself to ground, and received a superficial face wound from a grenade fragment; and the final team member did not have time to react, and remained on his feet, and would have been within the lethal range of the grenade but for Croucher's action.

The explosion breached a large lithium battery which was in Croucher's pack to power the patrol's electronic countermeasures equipment, causing it to burst into flames.

[2][6] Croucher was initially put forward for the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest decoration for valour in the British Armed Forces.