Soldier Neil Carrington relives experiences in Afghanistan on visit to Pendine Park care home in Wrexham

Oct 1 2009 by Lois York, Wrexham Chronicle

A SOLDIER has revealed how he survived being blown up by a massive roadside bomb in Afghanistan.

Private Neil Carrington was speaking during a visit to the Pendine Park care organisation in Wrexham.

A builder by trade, Neil, 40, is in the Territorial Army, the 3rd battalion of the Royal Welsh, based in Wrexham.

He is engaged to Sarah Jones, the daughter of Ann Chapman, the manager of Pendine Park’s Cae Bryn Care Home.

He said life had been ‘a bit frenetic’ in Afghanistan, where he has just completed a six-month tour of duty, and there were a couple of times when he thought was going to be killed.

He described how a 65 kilogram Improvised Explosive Device or IED in a yellow plastic container had blown up the Warrior armoured personnel carrier he was driving.

Private Carrington said: “The commander smashed his nose a little bit and where my seat sprung up I hurt the back of my neck and had a graze on my arm.

“The warrior wasn’t in a very good state but it protected us, it did the job it should have.

“It’s a bit surreal to say the least. One minute you’re driving along, the next there’s this massive bang.

“At times it can be scary. Unfortunately, we lost one lad called Chris Hackett in the first month that we were there. He stood on an improvised explosive device and it killed him instantly. He was a good lad.”

Staff and residents at Pendine Park are sending goodie boxes to the squaddies on the front line in Helmand province.

According to Private Carrington, the goodie boxes from Pendine Park, which were inspired by him, kept them going during the tour.

The boxes are packed with items such as crisps, shower gel, toothpaste, packs of cards, travel games and personal letters for the soldiers.

He said: “I was quite fortunate anyway because Sarah [my fiancee] was sending me parcels anyway but a lot of the lads weren’t so fortunate.

“It’s been fantastic. All together, we had more than 350 parcels from Pendine Park and in the end everybody received a parcel. It’s like receiving a piece of home.”

Among the residents who have been helping out is 93-year-old Margaret Ellis, who served as a nurse amid the carnage of Northern France during the early part of the Second World War 70 years ago.

She was nicknamed Sister Spitfire by German Prisoners of War because of her forthright attitude and indomitable spirit.