Taliban bomb injuries won’t keep Phillip down

A HEROIC Ballymena soldier injured in a roadside bomb while serving in Afghanistan, has been speaking to the Ballymena Times about his experience.

Twenty-year-old Phillip Gillespie, from Galgorm, a member of the Support Company with 1 Royal Irish Regiment, lost part of his right leg in a roadside bomb while on tour last month.

A former Cullybackey High School pupil, Phillip has just begun his first few weeks of rehabilitation and will shortly be travelling to England to start his intensive rehabilitation treatment at the military medical facility at Headley Court,

In the blast Phillip lost the lower part of his right leg and his left leg was broken while pieces of shrapnel were lodged in his body. He will have to wait until his legs heal a bit more before he can commence his treatment.

Speaking to the Times shortly after a session of physiotherapy yesterday (Monday), Phillip said that he sees his recovery as just another challenge to overcome.

He added: “Back in Afghanistan you would have to face challenges and different enemies, but with this the real battle is with yourself.

“It is a case of being motivated to overcome it, I will start my intensive physio when I go to Headley next month and I am looking forward to it.”

The explosion happened during what was Phillip’s third tour of Afghanistan and he can remember everything about the bomb going off. He said: “I can remember the pressure of putting my foot down on the device and the two plates connecting together. There was a bright flash and a bang, it left a ringing in my ears and blew me back three or four feet in the air.”

His training taught him not to panic and instead he checked himself for injuries and this is when he realised the extent of the damage caused.

Phillip added: “When I landed, my training kicked in straight away .I checked my body, then my left leg, and then I looked down at my right leg and it was a mangled mess.

“One of the younger soldiers was straight over to me treating my badly damaged leg, he hadn’t been with us long but he knew what to do and the team made sure I got out of there safely.”

Phillip was taken to Camp Bastion where the lower part of his right leg was amputated, he was then flown back to Birmingham for further surgery.

Here he was reunited with his girlfriend Kirsty Crawford who had been flown over specially to be at her boyfriend’s side.

“It was amazing seeing Kirsty again, I was so thankful the Army sorted it out. She landed in England the same day as I did but my surgery took so long we didn’t see each other until the next morning. I have had so much support from Kirsty and my family, it was great to have them there,” he said.

Kirsty told the Times that it was a relief seeing Phillip after spending five months apart, she said: “It was a worrying time and it was a relief when I finally got to see him. He was in very good spirits, he has always been a very positive person and this won’t defeat him.

“When talking about his rehab, he is always positive about what he needs to do, he hasn’t let this get him down.”

The couple are now enjoying time together before Phillip returns to England for his rehabilitation, Kirsty said: “Having been away for five months it’s good spend time with each other.

“Since he has been back we have been spending time as a couple, going out for meals and enjoying each other’s company.

Of course he has had plenty of visitors, the door rarely stops and it’s great to see the kind support from friends and family.”