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An Army Officer from the Royal Regiment of Scotland has had a lucky escape after surviving a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) attack in Afghanistan.
Lieutenant David Robertson, a member of B Company 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (The Highlanders), who is currently serving with the Helmand Task Force Warrior Company, was supporting an Afghan National Army (ANA) advance on a Taliban position in the countryside around Musa Qaleh when the attack happened.ANA troops on foot were leading the operation when they identified a Taliban position ahead in tree cover beyond open ground. The Afghan soldiers pulled back to advance on foot behind the armoured Warrior vehicles for added protection. As they came over the final rise of the undulating, open ground the British and ANA forces cam under a volley of fire from the Taliban position. Vehicle commander Lt Robertson recalled:
Lieutenant David Robertson, a member of B Company 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (The Highlanders), who is currently serving with the Helmand Task Force Warrior Company, was supporting an Afghan National Army (ANA) advance on a Taliban position in the countryside around Musa Qaleh when the attack happened.ANA troops on foot were leading the operation when they identified a Taliban position ahead in tree cover beyond open ground. The Afghan soldiers pulled back to advance on foot behind the armoured Warrior vehicles for added protection. As they came over the final rise of the undulating, open ground the British and ANA forces cam under a volley of fire from the Taliban position. Vehicle commander Lt Robertson recalled:
"We were advancing on an old graveyard, up on some high ground. There were some trees after a small village, as I crested the last hill before the trees, several RPGs were fired at us. I just saw this one coming head on."
The RPG bounced off Lt Robertson's body and detonated nearby, leaving him with injuries to his arm and side:
"I didn’t get my life flashing in front of me," he continued, "but it did slow down. The thing split into three parts, bouncing off and then detonating. It must have just skiffed off me and went to my left and detonated on the fully open gunners hatch.
"I was knocked backwards I hit the back of the turret pretty hard. I remember a big bang and a heat wave and then felt burning in my arm and side. I radioed back to report what had happened and then we started to extract some of the ANA casualties who had been injured.
"One of my lads took a look at my arm which was stinging and felt hot and sore, he whacked a dressing on it and we carried on. We went forward again with the wagon and brought back another ANA casualty and then supported with fire support. In the end an air strike was called in."
The Medical Emergency Response Team extracted Lt Robertson as well as three Afghan casualties: "I was knocked backwards I hit the back of the turret pretty hard. I remember a big bang and a heat wave and then felt burning in my arm and side. I radioed back to report what had happened and then we started to extract some of the ANA casualties who had been injured.
"One of my lads took a look at my arm which was stinging and felt hot and sore, he whacked a dressing on it and we carried on. We went forward again with the wagon and brought back another ANA casualty and then supported with fire support. In the end an air strike was called in."
"At the time I was just cheesed off that I was being extracted. Last night I was just constantly replaying it and thinking how incredibly lucky we were."
Source - Mod website
