Fusilier Andy Barlow, from Breightmet, lost a leg after a landmine exploded when he went to the aid of a badly injured comrade in Afghanistan last month.

Yesterday he was the guest of honour at a naming ceremony for the Lancashire Fusilier Tram - and he had a seat on its first journey into Manchester.

Andy's patrol found itself in an unmarked minefield, dating back to the Russian occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s. A landmine blew off his left foot, causing him to lose his leg above the knee.

He was flown back to the UK three days later, and taken to Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham.

He was permitted leave from the hospital for yesterday's ceremony, where he was given the honour of naming the tram.

Andy said: "It was an honour to represent the regiment. I started off as a Fusilier in Bury as a drummer, and then worked my way up into the battalion as a machine gunner."

The tram is a tribute to the soldiers who have served with the Fusiliers since its formation in 1688.

Representatives from Metrolink, the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive and the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority were present to honour the regiment at yesterday's ceremony.

Drummer Andrew Barlow
2RRF
Andrew named the Lancashire Fusilier Tram
The front page of The Bolton News on Saturday 7th Oct 2006

Bolton soldier loses leg in Afghan landmine horror
By Paul Keaveny
A YOUNG Bolton soldier lost a leg after a landmine exploded when he went to the aid of a badly injured colleague in Afghanistan. Seconds earlier, Andy Barlow, aged 20, from Breightmet, had been hit in the arm by shrapnel from another mine. As he turned round to pick up a water bottle, he stepped on the mine that blew off his foot. Two other soldiers lost a leg that day - September 6 - and another died. Andy was flown back to England three days later and, after treatment in hospital in Birmingham, he came home to Bolton last week.
Yesterday his father William told of the young soldier's ordeal. Machine gunner Andy was part of a patrol making its way to secure a dam in Kajaki in the southern province of Helmand. They had set up an observation post to keep watch for Taliban militiia and were providing cover for a foot patrol of half-a-dozen soldiers who were climbing a hill in searing heat to search for a suspected Taliban position. Suddenly the foot patrol walked into an unmarked minefield, probably left over from the Soviet invasion in the 1980s Then Andy had heard a loud explosion. Mr Barlow said Andy received a call on his radio asking for help and he and nine others ran to the scene."When they got there, they saw a soldier on the floor. His leg had been blown off by a mine," Mr Barlow said. A helicopter was scrambled to carry the injured man to safety. "Andy was just providing cover for those attending to the injured soldier when another soldier stepped on a mine and lost his leg."Andy ran over to him to apply first aid."Then another mine went off just centimetres away from him and he got a load of shrapnel in the arm."He turned round to pick up a bottle of water and stepped on another mine."Andy looked down and saw that his left foot had been blown to bits.Still conscious, Andy managed to apply a tourniquet - a tightly tied band used to stop bleeding - above his knee on his left leg.He then waited for medics and another helicopter to arrive. Corporal Mark William Wright, from the 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment, died of landmine injuries that day after taking charge at the scene of the explosions. The 27-year-old from Edinburgh is now being considered for a posthumous medal. Mr Barlow spoke of his son's bravery after Andy's leg was amputated above the knee. He and Andy's 19-year-old girlfriend, Mel Makin, went to Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham to see Andy after he had been flown home and found that he was laughing and joking with them immediately. "He knew he was going to lose some of his leg. He just didn't think he would lose that much," said Mr Barlow. "But he was laughing and joking in hospital and he said the other lads who had lost their legs had dealt with it in the same way. He is just happy to be alive." Andy and the two other paratroopers who lost legs were invited to meet Prince Charles in London last week. He thanked them for their service to their country - and presented them with a bottle of 11-year-old whiskey. Andy's 18-year-old brother, Matt, said: "We were all upset when we heard what had happened to Andy. People were crying and emotional. "We knew it was bad in parts of Afghanistan and you used to worry when you saw the news. But we didn't think something like this would happen to him." Andy, a former Thornleigh College and St Osmund Primary School pupil, ,joined the Army at the age of 16. He served in Belfast and Cyprus before going to Afghanistan. Ministry of Defence instructions prevent Andy, a member of the 2nd Battalion of Fusiliers, from talking about the landmine incident. But Mr Barlow said his son was already looking forward to rejoining the Army and would be going back into service on October 23 when his rehabilitation would start. Andy will get a prosthetic leg and plans to stay in the army and work in recruitment. Mr Barlow said:: "It was a scary time but at the end of the day he went there and it's his job. The whole family is really proud of him." He also said that Andy, who is a big Bolton Wanderers fan, was particularly happy with a signed get-well card he received from the team.
A spokesman from the Ministry of Defence said: "With any incident like this our thoughts are with the families and friends of those concerned."