AN HEROIC soldier from Basingstoke, who was caught up in an horrific minefield tragedy in Afghanistan, has spoken about the harrowing ordeal.

Sergeant Jamie Davis, known as Jay, who grew up in Bramley, is being played by British actor Paul Luebke in Kajaki: The True Story, which is released in cinemas on Friday.

The film tells the story of a real-life event when members of the 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment found themselves trapped in a minefield in 2006.

A small unit of soldiers were overlooking the Kajaki dam in northern Helmand, defending the area from being captured or destroyed by the Taliban.

Sgt Davis, a father-of-two who is currently based in Colchester, said: “It’s a beautiful place. We were in the mountains on top of high ground, and thought we were pretty much safe.”

At around 11am on September 6, a three-man patrol set out to disable a Taliban roadblock, but one of the patrol – Lance Corporal Stuart Hale – detonated an old Soviet landmine.

Sgt Davis said: “I remember that day as if it was yesterday.” He recalled eating porridge with Corporal Mark Wright when they heard the explosion, and they and others went to assist.

Sgt Davis told The Gazette: “Seeing one of your men on the floor with his legs blown off, you have no choice but to help him.”

The group walked back with Lance Cpl Hale on a stretcher, but as they made the journey Cpl Stu Pearson triggered another mine.

Sgt Davis said: “Stu Pearson got blown up about five metres from us. That’s when I thought ‘we are in a minefield here’.”

With two severely injured men at risk of bleeding to death, the group realised they were trapped in an unmarked minefield and any movement could result in further explosions.

A Chinook was sent to help, but Cpl Wright feared the downdraft of air could detonate another mine, and so waved it away. But as Cpl Wright shielded himself from the downdraft, a mine detonated, fatally ripping open the left side of his chest, severely wounding his face and also injuring two other paratroopers.

A total of seven paratroopers were wounded by the mines that day, three of whom lost their legs, as the men heroically negotiated the minefield to save each other.

Sgt Davis said: “With so much going on, I didn’t think about my own life. I was concentrating on keeping Stu Hale alive. When I got out and went back to Camp Bastion, and I had time to take it all in, I thought: ‘I’m lucky’. There must have been someone watching over me.

“We were all hyped up and the adrenaline kicks in. It was my job and we get paid to put ourselves in danger, and you have to expect the unexpected.”

Sgt Davis recalled hearing the final words of Cpl Wright, and said: “He said, ‘Tell my uncle I was a good soldier, and tell my fiancée I love her’ and that was it.”

Help finally arrived when a Black Hawk helicopter reached the scene to rescue the men.

Sgt Davis said: “Every day I think about what happened. The explosions weren’t exactly quiet – people were screaming. Of course, you think about it. I lost a good friend of mine and was covered in blood – it was like a horror movie.”

The 30-year-old, who attended the London premiere of the film in Leicester Square on November 12, said he is pleased with the way the incident has been portrayed on the big screen.

He added: “It was weird to see it all again. It was strange to see someone playing me.

“It was emotional towards the end, seeing my friend getting blown up. Mark and I were close, and we were in Iraq together. I had known him since 2001. We went to war together a few times. Watching the film brought it all back to me. I thought: ‘I was lucky to get out of there’.”

Sgt Davis’ family and friends are going to watch the film in Basingstoke on Friday. He said: “I want to thank them all for their support.”