Soldier who lost both legs in Afghanistan wants to return to frontline

Published: 8:00AM GMT 06 March 2010

L/Cpl James Simpson: "I was innate to be in the Army" Photo: Ross Parry Syndication/Yorkshire Evening Post

L/Cpl James Simpson, 23, became a stand in amputee and had piece of a palm blown off when he triggered the device in Helmand Province last Nov during his second debate of the nation as a sniper.

He was left with distressing injuries and has outlayed months in sanatorium recovering.

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He additionally told how he longed for to travel again on his new synthetic legs by the time of his 24th birthday in Jul and has dismayed his family by already commencement the perfected process.

L/Cpl Simpson, from Leeds, West Yorks, who met Prince Harry in Afghanistan, said: "I love Afghanistan and I would go at the behind of tomorrow. I suffer being a infantryman and being the majority appropriate infantryman I can be.

"I wouldn"t shift a thing. Someone could have stepped on it after me. I competence have stepped over it and the chairman at the behind of me could have finished it.

"Your hold up is not over. It is a new challenge. I am still me and that is the majority critical thing. I instruct to be out there. A lot of my friends are still out there and I only instruct that I could be with them.

"I was innate to be in the Army and all I have ever finished with them I have only thrown myself in to and finished well.

"I unequivocally instruct to stay in the Army but at the impulse with the record I won"t get at the behind of out on the front line.

"The Army has since me opposite ethics about how things should be finished and I have experienced things that a little people will never get the possibility to experience. It is the majority appropriate thing I have ever done. I am still the same person.

"I lost my legs but I have not lost my marbles."

Recalling the distressing blast that happened at the finish of a six-hour patrol, the inspirational infantryman said: "I recollect being rolled over since I had finished up on my front. That was the initial time I saw everything. I checked my right leg first. My feet was left and the bone in my leg was indicating upwards.

"My left leg was additionally left and it looked similar to my palm had only gone. My initial greeting was that I indispensable help.

"The lads proposed operative on me and put ligatures around my legs to stop me losing blood. Without perplexity they bandaged both my legs and palm and gave me hypnotic injections."

Within mins James was taken by helicopter to Camp Bastion, where he was put in an prompted deep sleep and taken the subsequent day to Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham.

He was in Selly Oak for 9 weeks prior to he was changed to Headley Court, the counterclaim reconstruction unit, nearby Surrey.

When he was changed he was since a span of small fake legs called stubbies but right away he has a some-more worldly leg with a knee joint.

His mother, Pauline Rogers, 51, said: "You only can"t put it in to difference how I felt about what happened to James. Nothing prepares you for it. Prior to the blast we spoke about what would occur if he died and came at the behind of in a box and what song he would instruct at his funeral.

"For a little reason you never think about them entrance at the behind of injured. You can lose a primogenitor or someone comparison but zero can hope for you for the injuries of a child. It is the misfortune thing in my total life."

L/Cpl Simpson, who will go on to be treated with colour at Headley Court prior to returning home, saluted the life-saving diagnosis he had from his infantryman colleagues.

"It was positively amazing. The people on the belligerent didn"t demur and a little of the people I have never spoke to worked so tough to save my hold up they were people in their late teens.

"One of the lads that saved my hold up got shot dual days after and finished up in the subsequent bed to me in hospital. I pronounced appreciate you to him."