He will be awarded the Brigade Commanders Commendation for Bravery at their passing out parade on the 15th August at Sandhurst.

---

Private Daryn Liddle, a South African national serving in the British forces with 1st Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland (1 SCOTS)

K.O. Daryn Liddle (27), 'n Suid-Afrikaner in die Britse weermag. Foto: Britse Weermag
Erika Gibson

'n Jong Suid-Afrikaanse soldaat wat in die Britse weermag dien, is onlangs nie net vir dapperheid vereer nie, maar sy span het tweede geëindig in 'n militêre vaardigheidskompetisie teen van die beste soldate ter wêreld.

Kandidaat-offisier (ko.) Daryn Liddle (27), oorspronklik van Kaapstad, het die dapperheidstoekenning gekry nadat hy en sy makkers in 'n ontploffing in Afganistan beseer is.

Liddle se groep was die betrokke dag voor middagete reeds in drie vyandelike skermutselings betrokke voordat die ontploffing plaasgevind het.

Die gesagvoerder van die voertuig waarin Liddle gery het, se been is in die voorval ernstig deur skrapnel beskadig. Liddle is deur die geweld van die ontploffing van die voertuig afgeslinger. Sy oortrommel het gebars, beentjies in sy oor het gebreek en hy het inwendige beserings opgedoen. Tog het hy sy gewonde makker te hulp gesnel, die wond verbind en tussendeur op die aanvallers geskiet totdat hulp opgedaag het.

Liddle se droom was om 'n valskermsoldaat in die Britse weermag te word. Hy is gekeur en die valskermbataljon het hom vir offisiersopleiding aanbeveel.

Voor dít egter kon gebeur, moes hy drie jaar as "gewone" soldaat dien. Weens sy goeie prestasies is dié termyn in sy geval tot twee jaar verkort.

Dit was in dié tyd dat hy vir ses maande ook in Afganistan diens gedoen het.

Hy is onlangs as een van die 25 top-kandidaatoffisiere gekeur om aan die vaardigheidskompetisie by West Point in die VSA saam met spanne van Kanada, Australië, Taiwan, Chili en Afganistan deel te neem.

Die Britse offisiersakademie, Sandhurst, het twee spanne ingeskryf. Liddle moes weens drie van sy spanmaats se beserings op kort kennisgewing die kapteinskap van een van dié spanne oorneem. Sy span het tweede in die afdeling vir internasionale deelnemers geëindig. Liddle, wat aan die Wynberg Boys' High School gematrikuleer het, sluit in Augustus as offisier by die valskermsoldate aan.

Private Daryn Liddle, a South African national serving in the British forces with 1st Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland (1 SCOTS), explains how he'll be exchanging Afghanistan for the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst this Autumn.

I am spending my last few months as a private soldier in Afghanistan.

No, I am not giving up the Army.

I am going home from here to Sandhurst to train to become an officer.

I always wanted to join the ranks first, just like my Dad did. And I am glad I did. But now I am ready for a new challenge.

Being in Afghanistan is hard but amazing. I am South African so I am used to the heat. But it can even get to me when I have thirty to forty kilos on my back.

We trained all over the world to get here and it was invaluable. But you never know how you are going to handle it until you do it for real.

I live in a patrol base in the Sangin valley with 7 other 1 Scots soldiers, about four dozen ANA soldiers, or "warriors" as they prefer to be called, and the only girl amongst us, our female medic, Michelle. It is pretty basic but we have tried to make it home. We work, cook, eat and sleep in one huge room which is a bit like a mechanics depot. We sleep on camp beds under mosquito net pods (malaria is prevalent here).

We do have a really big yard inside the base walls which is great because we can play football and cricket all together.

The Afghan soldiers are really good at both.

We have all become good friends.

When we go on patrol we are lucky enough to have with us the guy who has found the most improvised explosive devices Helmand-wide. He's called Ajab. He was featured in the papers back home. He has been in Helmand for nearly three years and is our resident expert. It makes us feel pretty confident when we go out with him.

I learned Dari before I came and I can now chat with the Afghan soldiers. I am learning more and more all the time. We go for tea every evening and I try to understand all their stories.

They do have a really good sense of humour, especially for men who have been fighting for so long.

I will have to go home early from this tour in time to go to Sandhurst. I know already I am not going to want to leave. This place gets under your skin.

The Operational Service Medal (OSM) for Afghanistan (formerly known as the OSM for service on Op Veritas)

OSM Afghanistan
Medal
Silver and circular in shape. The obverse of the medal shows the crowned effigy of Queen Elizabeth. The reverse (shown here) bears the Union Flag, surrounded by the inscription 'For Operational Service' and the four major points of the compass, with four Coronets: Royal (top left), Naval (top right), Mural-Army (bottom left), and Astral-Royal Air Force (bottom right).