Honoured Bristol solider helped save the life of his friend

Bristol solider Damiene Britton has return home to be honoured after helping to save the life of a wounded friend on the battlefield.

Damiene, 23, will receive a medal for his part in Operation Herrick 10, the tour of Afghanistan that reached its conclusion at the end of October with some of the fiercest fighting the British Army encountered in Helmand Province.

Seventy men from the 19 Light Brigade Task Force were killed in action as Taliban forces used Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) to devastating effect.

Damiene's battle group lost 24 men, 13 of them riflemen from 2 Rifles and more than 80 soldiers wounded in action.

Each riflemen, wounded or not, stood to attention as the names of the dead soliders were read out during a private thanksgiving and memorial service at the battalion's home base in Abercorn Barracks, Ballykinler earlier this month.

Damiene was in the same vehicle as his friend Adrian Sheldon, the first rifleman to be killed during the tour.

He said: "The platoon was very badly affected by his death – it's like losing a brother because you rely on each other so much. Having your friends with you is what gets you through.

"You always think that your platoon will be safe, especially as ours had so many experienced soldiers in it.

This was Damiene's third operational tour and he said: "It doesn't matter how good a soldier you are sometimes, but it has a lot to do with luck.

"I've been very lucky. I've been in two vehicles that have driven over IEDs."

In the second incident, Damiene helped save the life of another friend travelling in the vehicle behind his that was blown up by an IED his own vehicle had driven over unharmed.

Damiene said: "The days blur, so I can't remember the date, but everything you are taught just happens. We ran back to give first aid and secure the wounded while we waited for support. We were on our own, and the Taliban were so close around us they could hear the wounded cry. You need to get them to safety but there is always the threat of a secondary device.

"The doctor said what we did saved his life though, which makes all the training we do worthwhile – to know that you can do something to make a difference.

"I've been a very lucky man, but everyone is lucky at times. It happens to everyone there, and all the soldiers do amazing things that make that difference."

Now safely back in Britain, Damiene plans to marry his fiancé Connie in Bristol. "We've planning the wedding for over a year, but wanted to wait till I got back from Afghanistan."