War hero postman nominated for Royal Mail bravery award

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A HERO postie injured while serving in Afghanistan has been nominated for a bravery award.

Iain MacDonald, 38, was on tour with his TA unit in the Helmand province when he was hit by flying shrapnel from a grenade.

The brave delivery man brushed off his injury by refusing to fly home and was back fighting the Taliban within 10 days of being wounded.

Now the sergeant is to be honoured by his employer after his manager nominated him for a Royal Mail 1st Class People Award.

Iain, of Burntisland, Fife, was posted to the troubled war zone with fellow members of A Company - 4th Paras in May last year.

He said: "We knew how dangerous it would be and we were ready."

But the married dad-of-two was attacked with rocket-propelled grenades and struck in the chest by a large piece of flying shrapnel.

Iain was rushed back to the unit's base for treatment and his wound was thought to be so severe he was flown to the medical centre at Camp Bastion where doctors considered surgery.

But because the metal was lodged so close to Iain's major organs, the medical team decided to leave the shrapnel in his chest.

Iain was flown back to the front line 10 days later to finish his tour of duty.

He said: "When I joined the TA in 1996 I didn't expect to go to war. But with all my first-class training, it didn't faze me when I got the call."

Iain remembers being injured very clearly. He said: "I was on guard duty and knew instantly I had been struck.

"It was incredibly painful but the adrenalin pulled me through. I was more worried about my colleagues who were more seriously injured."

After recuperating, Iain had no hesitation in heading back to the front line. He said: "My mates were there and they needed help."

Ian McKay, Royal Mail's Director of Scottish Affairs, said: "Iain's actions demonstrate exactly why our postmen and post women are such highly valued members of their local communities."

Iain is up for the Scottish Bravery category and will get £500 and a trophy if he wins.

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