In April 2004 David and his brigade were stationed in Iraq. Based in Basra, they had to work with the local population to try rebuild their shattered city while at the same time facing regular mortar, rocket and machine gun attacks as the Islamist insurgency gathered pace.
This culminated on 9 August when a British patrol was cut off in the centre of Basra and David and his company were tasked to save them. In a three-hour battle the patrol was saved but one of the company was killed and seven wounded, including David.
With severe wounds to his chest, right eye, hand and shoulder the surgeon in the field hospital only gave him a five percent chance of survival. However, after emergency surgery he returned to hospital in the UK and started on the long road of physical rehabilitation and recovery.
After four years’ rehabilitation, including six months in Headley Court and over 20 operations, David was medically discharged from the Army and, embracing his life, went on to complete the Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race – one of the toughest marathon canoe races in the world – and raised tens of thousands for Help for Heroes.
Before he left the Army David had been invited back to Sandhurst to talk to the cadets about leadership in combat. This started an interest in speaking on the subject that has led to him addressing both military and civilian audiences about the importance and principles of leadership and personal motivation.
