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‘I want to stay in the army’
Determined: Dave Watson at the charity event for Help For Heroes
A soldier who lost both his legs and an arm in a bomb explosion in Afghanistan today pledged: “I’m determined to stay in the Army.”
Brave Dave Watson, 23, a soldier in the Scots Guards 2nd Battalion, had been in the country for just more than two months and was on patrol in Helmand Province when he was hit by the blast from an improvised explosive device.
His patrol was approaching a bridge and had just trekked through water when the bomb went off.
The soldier, from Bamber Bridge, lost both his legs below the knee as well as his right arm.
He was flown home from the conflict zone and has battled back from his devastating injuries at Selly Oak Hospital, in Birmingham.
Today, speaking for the first time about the incident, he said: “I remember everything. I turned round and it has just blown and knocked me back. But it was that quick, I didn’t think anything had happened to me. I was underwater and I tried to get myself out but I couldn’t because of my arm.
“Two of my colleagues came and dragged me out and that’s when I looked at my arm. It was still hanging on.
“They lifted me on to the stretcher and they said, ‘Don’t look down’.
“But I looked down anyway and that’s when I saw both of my legs had gone. But I didn’t feel any pain, it was just all the adrenaline ground through my body.”
Mr Watson was speaking at a charity music and comedy event in his honour at the Brownedge Catholic Club, Bamber Bridge, in aid of Help For Heroes.
The event, part organised by his grandfather Francis Watson, is just one of a number of fund-raising events which have been organised by his friends and family since he was injured on May 27.
Hundreds of people turned out for the event, which organisers expect to raise thousands of pounds for the Army Benevolent Fund.
Mr Watson joined the Army two years ago after work in his previous job as a bricklayer dried up. Afghanistan was his first operational posting.
But today he revealed it was always his dream to sign up and he is now determined to battle back.
The former Brownedge St Mary’s Catholic High School pupil added: “I wanted to go in the Army as soon as I left school. I had a word with my mum and dad and they said you are a bit too young at the moment, get a trade behind you.
“The credit crunch happened and I was not very busy and I wasn’t bringing a lot of money home. I decided I still wanted to join the Army and that was it.
“It hasn’t affected me. I’m determined to stay in the Army.
“I do miss being out there, I miss being with my mates, all the lads.
“We had a laugh out there as well. We were doing a serious job but we were trying to have a laugh and a joke.”
To cap his remarkable recovery from his injuries he competed in the Amputee Games in Stoke earlier this month, winning gold medals in power lifting and rowing and a silver in shooting.
Mr Watson’s dad Kevin Watson, 43, described the moment he and his wife Angela, 47, learned of their son’s injuries.
He said: “My wife came home from work and they told her. She phoned me when I was working and as soon as she phoned me I knew.
“I got home and someone from the Army was there. I knew it was bad news.”
Mr Watson’s grandfather Francis Watson, 72, who himself served as a trooper in the Royal Dragoon Guards from 1956-58, helped organise the charity event on Sunday.
He said: “My wife Pauline was devastated. Us blokes try to be strong but even I had tears.
“You don’t think it is going to happen to one of your own. You hear about it, but it was such a shock.”
To support the campaign contact helpforheroes.org.uk or 0300 2001066.
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Tuesday 07 February 2012
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Haven
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 at 01:02 PMGood on you Dave. I hope that your wish to stay comes true. There are a lot of people out there who are not a hundredth as bad as you who are willing to sit on their backsides and let the state keep them. Keep your spirits up lad there are a lot of people want you to succeed. Best wishesfrom a former serviceman 1955-60.
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