I would go back tomorrow, sayssoldier injured in Afghan blast

LANCE Corporal James Simpson lost both his legs and part of a hand when he stepped on a roadside bomb in Afghanistan and has spent the last four months learning to walk again.

Now the 23-year-old from Guiseley, Leeds, wants to remain in the Army and said: “I love Afghanistan and would go back tomorrow.”

A sniper with First Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment, L/Cpl Simpson has no regrets and in some ways counts himself as lucky.

He said: “I wouldn’t change a thing. Someone could have stepped on it after me. I might have stepped over it and the person behind me could have done it.”

After stepping on the IED (improvised explosive device) he remained conscious.

“I think because I was conscious after the explosion it helped me to deal with it because I knew straight away what had happened to me.

“When I woke up I had a hand which I was happy about because I didn’t think I would have it.”

His mother Pauline Rogers, 51, said: “You just can’t put it into words how I felt about what happened to James. Nothing prepares you for it. Prior to explosion we spoke about what would happen if he died and came back in a box and what music he would want at his funeral. For some reason you never think about them coming back injured.”

Although L/Cpl Simpson wants to stay in the Army, he realises it won’t be on the front line.

“I really want to stay in the Army but at the moment with the technology I won’t get back out on the front line... A lot of my friends are still out there and I wish that I could be with them.”