Cleethorpes soldier injured in Afghanistan bomb explosion
A CLEETHORPES soldier has been injured in a roadside bomb blast in Afghanistan.
Ryan Rowbottom, 21, sustained severe neck and arm injuries in the blast which blew up the Jackal personnel carrier his group was travelling in, killing his commanding officer and seriously injuring another of his colleagues.
-
'Cracking lad': Soldier Ryan Rowbottom who has been injured in Afghanistan. His loving partner Fay is currently at his bedside, this picture, taken in happier times, is from her Facebook page.
The mine was planted on the roadside closest to the passenger side of the vehicle and was detonated on Friday as the Jackal went along the road in the Nahr-e Saraj District of Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
Grenadier Guard Lance Corporal Duane Groom, 31, of the The Queen's Company, 1st Battalion, was pronounced dead and two other soldiers, including Ryan, were seriously hurt.
Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk
View detailsOur heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.
Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk
Contact: 01858 468192
Valid until: Sunday, May 26 2013
A gunner on the top of the vehicle suffered minor injuries. An MoD spokesman said the Guards had been on their way back from a successful operation.
Ryan, a former pupil at Louth's Cordeaux School, was due to return to Cleethorpes in just three weeks at the end of his second tour of duty in Afghanistan.
He joined the Army after leaving school.
He and his girlfriend, Fay Ellison, moved to Cleethorpes from their home village of Holton-le-Clay just four months ago.
She and Ryan's parents, Nigel and Jenny, were at his beside at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.
Yesterday, he underwent surgery after being flown there from Camp Bastion.
A family friend said: "He is a cracking lad.
"He was able to speak to us before he went for his operation but he is in a lot of pain. He said the journey was a struggle."
A neighbour in Holton-le-Clay said: "Ryan is a tough cookie and we are all thinking of him and his family."
Cordeaux headteacher Peter Kubicki told how Ryan's younger brother Reece had stood up in assembly last year and told the school how proud he was of his older brother serving in Afghanistan.
Mr Kubicki said: "We are all saying prayers and send our best wishes to Ryan and his family.
"We have been immensely proud of the way he has served his country and the way many young people have looked up to the example he has set."
He added: "There was a big round of applause when Reece stood up in the assembly last year when people talked about the person they most admired.
"He chose his brother and everyone immediately recognised the respect Ryan deserved."
Mr Kubicki said: "Ryan is a lively outgoing guy who is good at rugby and football."
Comments
by AfricanMeggy
Thursday, September 20 2012, 11:25AM
“Look at countries like Switzerland.You never hear of Swiss soldiers dying in foreign wars.It is an extremely wealthy peaceful country.Should n't the U.K. take a back seat and let other countries send their soldiers to fight these wars? We no longer have an Empire and we are no longer a wealthy country.Why can't we just concern ourselves with our own problems .This country has built railways and infrastructure across the world in India,Africa,South America,Australasia,Asia and Canada.We have given many countries the benefits of the language of Shakespeare and Tennyson,civilisation and Democracy.We have done our bit ! No country on this earth has done as much .It is time to stop sending money to third world countries and look after the people of THIS country.Look after our old people who have inadequate pensions,NHS,hospitals,education,and jobs.We must STOP thinking that we are still important and accept that we are just a small European country .”
by grimoldie
Thursday, September 20 2012, 8:41AM
“AfricanMeggy
I was simply pointing out that the whole region is dominated by tribal feuds and religion,the Taliban and Alkieda and intrinsically linked to most of the atrocity's in the middle east as well as at home.
Perhaps it never came across that well but thanks for the geography lesson anyway.”
by EWW01
Wednesday, September 19 2012, 7:36PM
“markus250666.Re the Americans,during WW2 they poured over 1.3 million men into the european battle field and suffered heavy losses,likewise in the Pacific,any complaint about that.? ditto in WW1.
Without their manpower and equiptment we wouldn't have come through.
Okay we had to pay them back financially for munitions,ships,tanks supplied etc,better a financial loss than the loss of liberty.”
by AfricanMeggy
Wednesday, September 19 2012, 1:34PM
“Afghanistan is NOT in the Middle East! It is in South West Central Asia! It is not an Oil producing country either.It is a landlocked very mountainous country.It seems to me that there is NOTHING good about Afghanistan! There is nothing that anyone can say is good about the place.Horrible country, horrible people, horrible customs!It does not produce anything useful ! It's only export is Opium and misery.It's a pity we can't just tow it into the ocean and sink it! R.I.P. the eight South African Air Engineers and pilots blown up in Kabul yesterday morning.What had they got to do with that stupid film?????”
by MarinerBen
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 9:33PM
“All the best for a speedy and full recovery Ryan!!
Ben Lovelock & Lads at RAF Cosford”
by grimoldie
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 9:30PM
“The whole of this area is a complete mess the middle east will never be settled never has been and never will be.
Why aren't the Saudi's getting involved they have the money and influence plus big ties with the west it's their back yard not ours.
Afghanistan is a inhospitable place with tribal chiefs always at war, we interfere and make matters worse. Pakistan seem unable or unwilling to prevent alkieda (sp) training camps.
Israel is the most unpopular middle east neighbor spawned by us and the yanks
is the catalyst of everything the middle easa hate.
Israel play their hand superbly using the excuse that you put us here now look after us and protect us by providing weapons etc.”
by Big-Hat-Harry
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 3:40PM
“Well said Mechanix.”
by markus250666
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 3:24PM
“Why is it when the Americans mostly start these wars, We the british always get roped into it? it sickens me. Its about time the Yanks started to stand on there own 2 feet and not rely on us the british to fight there wars for them.
remember its not OUR war We didn't start it!!”
by Mechanix
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 3:12PM
“Whilst I agree with the previous postings, let's not turn this story into another politcal debate. Instead let's all send our best wishes to this brave young lad and his family and pray he makes a full recovery.”
by Big-Hat-Harry
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 2:22PM
“As a former officer in the Army, I want to see our lads back home. We have fought there since the days of the empire, the Russians have fought there, none of us have been able to conquer and bring peace to Afghanistan. It is time for us to leave. Keep our lads safe, get them out now.”