I am reviewing the inspirational autobiography Barefoot Soldier by Johnson Beharry VC which is an excellent book that I bought from a local secondhand bookstore. Johnson received the highest accolade the British Army can bestow the Victoria Cross and was the first living person to win it in 40 years. He saved his comrades from ambushes twice in the space of one month. The one time he had never done it before but had to drive a tracked vehicle over another vehicle which he did by ramming the tracks abainst the radiator of another vehicle and then driving it over. He had shrapnel explode 6 inches away from his head which caused life threatening injuries and he slip into a coma and it was very much touch and go whether he was going to survive. He saved the lives of 30 men in the process. The Iraqis shot the driver and then were picking the men off who were trapped by the stranded Warrior vehicle. Before slipping into a coma he drove the vehicle out of the ambush. With his head injuries they couldn’t fly him to Britain initially to get treatment because they feared the change in air pressure caused by the cabin would kill him. They did later send him to Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham for treatment later. He originally came from Grenada in the Carribean and his father left when he was very young. He was part of a big family. His mother remarried and was offered to buy her home which was made of wood for £500 which she thought she was getting a bargain and worked and went into debt to buy it. Later they discovered there was problems with the timber and they had been ripped off. Johnson travelled to Britain in his late teens and thought his best option for employment was the British Army. I think that often happens especially in inner-city areas. It is a very inspirational story.
