A FLINTSHIRE veteran wants to show his support for the Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal, after he experienced their invaluable help.

Lance Corporal Terry Jones, from Flint, was just 21-years-old when he was faced with both the loss of his father and his own life-changing injuries from a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. But the determined Welshman refused to allow the injuries to hamper him, and qualified for Team UK at the Invictus Games in 2023 in Dusseldorf.

Supported by the Royal British Legion, Terry, now 34-years-old, went on to perform incredibly at the Games and secure a bronze medal for the Men's 1T7 1500M Final and a bronze medal in the Mixed Relay.

 

Terry Jones at the 2023 Invictus Games in Dusseldorf.

Terry Jones at the 2023 Invictus Games in Dusseldorf.

 

Terry's journey to his Invictus Games success began when he joined The Second Battalion, Parachute Regiment (2 PARA), at the age of 17. He was due to go on his second tour of Afghan in October 2010, but got a call to say his 60-year-old father, Charlie, was dying in hospital. He returned to Afghanistan just weeks after the funeral in January 2011, but was injured a few days later.

Terry's platoon had been sent to recover casualties from a bomb blast in the middle of the night, but the recovery operation went badly wrong, as two further bombs exploded, devastating the recovery team.

Twenty one-year-old Scott Meenagh (now one of the country's top Paralympians) lost both legs above the knee when he stood on an IED (Improvised Explosive Device). Terry and his colleague Martin Bell went to assist Scott with a stretcher, but Martin stepped on another device and was killed.

Terry said: "It all happened very quickly. We were getting ready to move Scott but as we prepared to move the stretcher, Martin sadly stepped on the IED which claimed his life.

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"I had no helmet, my clothes had been blown off, my left arm was down to the bone, my right arm was burnt on the inside, the left side of my face was shredded, my neck, my lips, and I'm now 70% blind in my left eye. I lost consciousness on the air lift to Camp Bastion and then they flew me to Birmingham where I ended up in an induced coma for 10 days. I spent four weeks in hospital then 10 weeks in rehab at Headley Court."

Despite his injuries, Terry carried on working in the 2 PARA recruitment team for four years, before leaving Service.

Inspired by his good friend Scott Meenagh, he decided to compete for Team UK in athletics, swimming and indoor rowing.

Adaptive sport, such as the Invictus Games, adventurous training, theatre and art are all ways the RBL can support an individual's recovery journey and the money raised from the Poppy Appeal in Wales can make a vital difference to people in the Armed Forces community.

 

Terry Jones at the 2023 Invictus Games in Dusseldorf.

Terry Jones at the 2023 Invictus Games in Dusseldorf.

 

Terry added: "The Poppy Appeal means everything to me, because it gave me the opportunity to represent Team UK at the Invictus Games as part of my recovery. Wearing your poppy shows you care, and that the service and sacrifice of our Armed Forces community will never be forgotten."

This year's Poppy Appeal also sees the new plastic-free poppy become available - the first redesign of the iconic symbol of Remembrance in a generation and is the latest in a series of designs since the poppy was first used to raise funds in 1921.

• Anyone wishing to donate to the RBL, can visit: www.rbl.org.uk