Erskine Holmes

FOUR TIMES, CORPORAL RICKY FURGUSSON MOVED TOWARDS WOUNDED COMRADES DESPITE THE THREAT OF FURTHER EXPLOSIONS. THEN AN IED TOOK BOTH HIS LEGS—BUT IT COULD NOT TAKE HIS DETERMINATION. From Telford in Shropshire, Ricky joined the British Army at approximately 16 years old and began training in September 2001. He initially served with the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Green Jackets. When The Rifles was formed in 2007, he transferred to its 4th Battalion. Ricky served in Northern Ireland and Iraq before deploying to Afghanistan in 2009. By then, he was a corporal and section commander with A Company, 4 RIFLES—responsible not only for leading his Riflemen, but for bringing them safely through some of the most dangerous territory in Helmand Province. His company operated in Sangin, where improvised explosive devices presented a constant and often hidden threat. During four separate incidents in late 2009, British soldiers were wounded by explosions. Each time, Ricky moved towards the casualties. Despite knowing that further devices might be waiting, he entered the danger area, provided emergency first aid and organised the evacuation of the wounded. His actions helped save lives, although one grievously injured soldier could not be saved. Ricky repeatedly placed the survival of his comrades before his own safety. Then, on 13 January 2010, the danger found him. While withdrawing from a compound in Sangin, Ricky triggered an explosive device concealed near the exit. The blast caused catastrophic injuries. He lost both legs above the knee, his left eye and five fingers. His face and head were also terribly wounded. Ricky spent weeks in intensive care and underwent numerous operations. What followed was a long and painful rehabilitation during which he had to rebuild his life and learn to walk using prosthetic legs. Yet less than eleven months after the explosion, he achieved something extraordinary. On 7 December 2010, Ricky walked forward using two sticks to receive the Military Cross from Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. The decoration recognised the courage he had shown while repeatedly going to the aid of wounded comrades in Afghanistan. His name had been included in the Operational Honours and Awards List announced that September. But Ricky’s determination did not end with the investiture. In 2012, he carried the Olympic flame through Shropshire. Two years later, he competed at the inaugural Invictus Games—standing among fellow wounded service personnel who had refused to allow injury to define the limits of their lives. He also continued supporting other injured veterans, using his experience to help those beginning their own difficult journeys through recovery. Ricky’s Military Cross recognised what he did for others before he was wounded. Everything that followed revealed another form of courage: the determination to rebuild a life after losing so much. 🎖️ Corporal Ricky Furgusson MC — 4th Battalion, The Rifles. 🦿 A section commander who repeatedly risked his life for wounded comrades and then fought his own way back from devastating injuries. 🇬🇧 His courage in Sangin and determination throughout recovery will always command respect.