Soldiers hail new helmet as lifesaver

A NEW army helmet has been credited with saving the lives of three British soldiers from the same regiment in just over a month.

By The Newsroom

Published 7th Nov 2010, 20:34 BST

Updated 7th Nov 2010, 20:34 BST

Ranger Silbert Wilson, 20, Corporal Tommy Creighton, 25, and Ranger Alan Hawthorne, 23, all escaped injury when Taliban bullets hit their "Mark 7" combat helmets during operations in Helmand province in Afghanistan.

The soldiers, all from Northern Ireland, serve with the 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment.

The "Mark 7" helmet came into use earlier this year. Last month another soldier from the regiment – Ranger Ryan Boyd – suffered only bruising when an insurgent bullet was stopped by his body armour.

The 26-year-old from Bangor, Co Down, was thrown off his feet by the impact but the round failed to penetrate his Osprey protection kit. After the incident, he said: "I think it just shows what a fantastic piece of kit the Osprey body armour system is."