CAIRNGORM HIKE – Sunday 15th June 2008
I am the Assistant Regimental Secretary of The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons) based at Home Headquarters in Inverness.
This year most of the Scottish Infantry Battalions (including the local north and north-east lads and lasses) will be serving on Operational Tours in either Iraq (Basra) or Afghanistan (Helmand Province). Therefore it is very likely they will sustain some serious casualties. I am therefore trying to raise money through donations for some of the Service related Charities who are heavily involved in the aftercare of our servicemen and women who come from our communities.
I am 58 years old and have been assessed as 30% disabled through previous military service. However I fully intend to reach the top of the Cairngorms on the 15th June 2008.
My injuries I hasten to add were not caused through operational service but through wear and tear over a period of 28 years. I have a dodgy left ankle having had torn ligaments on at least five occasions, both my knees are knackered and I suffer Spondylitis in my upper spine. I therefore can not carry any weight, so I have persuaded my younger sister Val (50 Years young) to act as my pack mule, carrying the rations and water. I am in receipt of a “Disability Pension” and have donated £100 to start the fund off.
The Charities that we hope will benefit from our efforts are:
Army Benevolent Fund
This charity made grants to our service men and women last year of about £5 Million.
These payments go in the main to support Regimental Associations with individual cases.
Combat Stress
The Trustees paid out £6.5M in the last financial year which included the refurbishment of Hollybush House in Ayrshire. The charity is dedicated to helping those men and women who have suffered injury to the mind as a result of military service. Medical treatment does not come cheap. They had 996 new referrals in 2007.
St. Dunstans
A remarkable organisation who offer help and assistance to those who have lost their sight through military service. They are totally dependent on public donations.
The Highlanders Regimental Association
Our local regiment is currently on operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. This year to date we have assisted with welfare grants totalling £6.5K before approaching the Army Benevolent Fund and Poppyscotland.
I realise that you are probably inundated with requests such as this, but if you can donate anything at all, it will be appreciated by those who require assistance.
Cheques payable to "The Highlanders Association" please and donations can be sent to:
Mick Low
HHQ The Highlanders
Cameron Barracks
Inverness IV2 3XD
This extract from a soldier’s story typifies the type of injuries sustained in combat.
Soldier X
I lost my left leg in Helmand in 2006 when I stood on a mine. The massive blast caused serious injuries to my right leg but thanks to the skills of the medics, they managed to save it.
My mate applied a tourniquet to my stump and in the chaos that followed was caught in two further explosions. Me and the boys were in a minefield. Eventually I was winched out by a US Black Hawk Helicopter and then transferred to a Chinook where I received my initial treatment from the medics. One of my mates was also injured but died whilst on our way to the Field Hospital. Here I received further treatment for two days to stop gangrene and the doctors opened up my stomach fearing internal injuries. Luckily none were found. I was then flown back to Birmingham and Selly Oak hospital. The staff cleaned my wounds and applied skin grafts to my right leg, eventually saving my right foot. Being treated with other war casualties definitely helped, but only fellow service personnel understand what we had been through. My best friend visited, he’d bought me a toy parrot, an eye patch and a copy of Runners Weekly. That was good and was typical of the humour required to come to terms with my injuries and assist in my recuperation.
What an inspirational example to us all. He is back serving with his Battalion.
Thank you for taking the time to read my letter of appeal.
Yours sincerely
Mick Low
