Some news from the heros at the front line…

3 RIFLES solider tackles live Taleban hand grenade

A soldier of 3 RIFLES has been talking about his decision to pick up a live Taleban hand grenade and throw it back in an attempt to save himself and his comrades.

Rifleman James McKie from Recce Platoon, 3rd Battalion The Rifles was under fire from three directions when the hand grenade hit his Platoon commander and landed at his feet.

“My first thought was I hope this doesn’t hurt too much” he said. “That, and I’ve really only got one chance to do this. If it fails, either way, doing nothing, I’m going to get the same amount of hurt. So I picked it up and threw it off the roof”.

The actions of Rifleman McKie helped to save the lives of his Commander and one other soldier who were engaging the enemy in a fire fight, from a compound roof, in the Sangin area of Helmand Province.

…Rifleman McKie sustained fragmentation injuries to his right arm and face as the grenade exploded mid air, close to where he stood.

Fragmentation also hit his Platoon Commander Captain Graeme Kerr who sustained injuries to his leg and who is recovering at Selly Oak Hospital in the UK.

…“In retrospect, people keep telling me how brave I am, which I’m slightly embarrassed about. I’d like to think that anyone in that situation would have done the same or something similar because you can’t just sit there and let yourself or other people get hurt. I don’t feel particularly brave. I thought: I have to do this to survive. Not just for myself but for the guys around me as well. I’m not expecting anything from them, I don’t want any thanks from them, I just don’t want them to get hurt.

:)