Brave Wirral soldier tells of moment he lost his limbs in bomb blast

Apr 24 2011 By Laura Jones

Danny Oxley with his dad Brian

A WIRRAL soldier spoke for the first time about the devastating moment he lost three limbs in an Afghanistan bomb blast – and his determination to run again. Birkenhead-born Private Daniel Oxley was 22 when an explosion in Babaji, southern Afghanistan, at 10am last June 12, changed his life forever.

Reliving the terrible events, the Mercian soldier said: "I was blown up crossing an irrigation ditch, it was an IED (improvised explosive device).

"I remember being inside the irrigation ditch and trying to keep myself above the water, kicking. I heard ‘man down’ behind me in the field. 

"I got out of the irrigation ditch and as I got out I was told to stop and take it easy. I knew then I had lost my arm."

Another Mercian soldier was killed in a bomb blast close by. As his colleagues rushed to help Daniel – who was only two months into his first tour of duty – another device exploded. 

Daniel said: "A TA bloke obviously stepped on one IED, but it only partially detonated so he only had minor frag (shrapnel) wounds.

" I can't remember whether he crawled back to camp – I think that's what he said.

Daniel added: "I was put immediately on a stretcher and taken into a place called King’s Hill. It was a patrol base and there I was administered morphine."