Modern War Heroes

Despite her injuries, Lance Corporal Clarke stayed in the danger zone to help injured comrades

This story hit the internet yesterday via the Daily Mail.co.uk website. It never ceases to amaze me how these men and women can bravely put their well-being, or even their lives, on the line to help out a fellow soldier or an innocent civilian. In this story of heroism, Lance Corporal Sally Clarke put her team members before herself and was able to save seven fellow soldiers. Oh, and did I mention she had several pieces of shrapnel lodged in her shoulder and back the whole time?

Lance Corporal Sally Clarke, of 2 Rifles, ignored the searing pain caused by the shards embedded in her shoulder and back and set about treating the rest of her patrol.

The worst hit was Corporal Paul Mather who incredibly managed to radio instructions for jets circling above to open fire on Taliban insurgents despite bleeding heavily from wounds the size of his fist.

Corporal Mather, 28, and Lance Corporal Clarke, 22, from Cheltenham, were on patrol south of Sangin when insurgents fired rocket propelled grenades over a wall as soldiers dealt with an anti-tank mine.

Hot flying shrapnel sliced open Corporal Mather’s body, leaving gaping holes across his arms, legs and buttocks.

He said: ‘It hurt like hell, but once the explosions stopped and my hearing came back, I managed to climb through a ditch towards a group of soldiers treating other casualties.

‘I had a hole in my left bicep, so the medics applied a field dressing and tourniquet to stem the blood flow.’

Despite being entitled to get out as soon as she was hit Lance Corporal Clarke refused, insisting she would not leave the patrol without a medic.

She said: ‘I didn’t feel like my injuries were bad enough to go back to the hospital, particularly as I was the only medic on the ground at the time.

‘I couldn’t leave them on their own – I came out here to support the troops on the ground and give them medical care when they needed it the most.’