Last updated: 8 February 2012
'Walking Tall' is the working title for a book written by Corporal Andy Reid, 3rd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment. At about 6.00am on Tuesday 13 October 2009 whilst leading a patrol near Forward Operating Base (FOB) Nolay, Helmand Province, Afghanistan he was blown to pieces by a Taliban-manufactured pressure plate improvised explosive device (IED).
Evacuated back to the UK that evening in a specially fitted out Boeing C17 Globemaster to the specialist military wing of Selly Oak Hospital, it was 'touch and go' whether he would survive. He had lost both legs, the left one above the knee, and his right arm. His left hand had the index finger almost completely removed. Yet survive he did and on Remembrance Day 2009, less than a month after being blown to smithereens, he was re-united with his patrol back in his home base in Warminster.
From there he went on to have a pair of prosthetic limbs fitted at the Defence Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court and this allowed him to go on a world cruise with his fiancé Claire in 2010. On the cruise he was an instant hit with his fellow passengers and, at their request, agreed to take on two evening question and answer sessions where there was not a seat spare.
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In the same year he was nominated for and won the Sun newspaper’s Military Award. In between times he has cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats, sky dived and made a number of appearances on behalf of service charities.
Even amongst those who have managed similar heroic recoveries his has been quite spectacular and his story demonstrates how, with patience, courage and determination, hope can triumph over despair. But, above all, it shows the ability of love and the support of friends and family to pull someone through the worst of times and experiences.