Morley: Veteran shot by sniper to join march at Cenotaph

Simon Brown will join 40 other blind veterans at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday

A veteran who lost his sight when he was shot during a rescue mission will march to the Cenotaph to mark Remembrance Sunday.

Simon Brown from Morley, West Yorkshire, was serving as a corporal in Iraq when he was shot in the face by a sniper.

Mr Brown, 43, said his life "fell apart" but charity Blind Veterans UK gave him back a "sense of belonging".

He said "Remembrance is one of the most important days of the year for me."

Mr Brown joined the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in 1997 and worked as a mechanic servicing and maintaining armed vehicles.

He served in Germany, Kosovo, Poland, Canada and Iraq.

In Iraq while leading a mission to rescue six colleagues he was shot, with the bullet entering his left cheek and exiting the other side.

Mr Brown woke up 17 days later in a Birmingham hospital to learn he had lost all sight in his left eye and had around 20% vision in his right eye. He also underwent several operations to reconstruct his face.

"When I found out that I'd lost my sight, my world fell apart," he said.

"I'd lost my career; I'd lost my job and I'd lost my future. Blind Veterans UK gave me the training and support to move forward with my life."

'Sense of belonging'

The charity helped him learn practical skills, including using email again and cooking meals, he said.

"Being a member of Blind Veterans UK gave me back that sense of belonging that I had when I was in the Army, it's this unwritten sense of understanding that comes from being in the military."

He now coaches Physical Disability Rugby League and commentated on the recent World Cup final for the BBC.

Mr Brown also coaches a junior community team and said it is the "most rewarding" work he has ever done.