Lance Corporal
Craig Lundberg
My name is Craig Lundberg, but everyone calls me Freddie because of Freddie Ljungberg the footballer, that was my nickname in the Army. I was a Lance Corporal, qualified sniper and Warrior driver with the 2nd Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment. I got shot in Iraq in 2007, on 23rd March. I was Section Commander, and we were fighting on a rooftop in a place called Al-Karmah. I was hit by two rocket-propelled grenades. The rocket blew me across the roof; I remember a flash and a thud and getting thrown across the roof. I actually got up and tried to carry on fighting.
I was at my mate’s wedding last week; he was one of the lads who helped me up. He said that when he came over to me, he thought I was dead but I was coughing and spluttering. My left arm was in bits and my left eye was practically hanging out and there was blood everywhere.
He tried to pick me up and he couldn’t, so I told him to roll me over on my side. I did a one-handed push-up as he was pulling me, and eventually he got me up. I remember asking for my rifle. He picked my rifle up, but it was bent in a U-shape where the grenade had hit. He knew that if he’d given that to me, I would’ve thrown it back at him. So he got one of the other lad’s rifles and gave it to me. Obviously I couldn’t do anything with it, so I held it for a bit and was still giving fire control orders, and then I dropped it and he helped me off the roof.
I lost my sight pretty instantly. I remember lights and I can remember seeing a bit, I could see vague shadows and see the outlines of people. I remember walking off the roof, holding my mate’s hand. I was saying, “Oh lad, I can’t see, I can’t see” and he was saying, “Don’t worry about it, just close your eyes, just close your eyes, it’s just sand and shite in your eyes.” Then he said, “Right, we’re coming to some steps” and as we were coming to the stairs, I could feel my legs going, and I said to him, “Lad, I can feel my legs going”, and he said, “No you’re all right, just get down some steps and you’re all right.” We sat at the bottom of the steps and waited for help. We’d arrived in the area before our support, because we went by helicopter, so there was no one to come and take me away. I had to wait a bit. The medic then came over and tried to sort me out. I had my day sack on, with my radio, my warm kit, my water, my food and all the rest of it. He was trying to take my arm, my arm that was nearly falling off, through the strap of this day sack. And I was screaming, “Just cut it off!”
My mate had to go back on the roof and take over command of the section, a very brave thing for him to do. He said that there was a lull in the battle, and everyone started asking him if I was all right. Then the next minute all he heard was me saying, “If you don’t get the fuck off me, I’m going to wire your fucking jaw for you!” Basically, I was going to break this medic’s jaw because he was still trying to take my arm through the day sack. My mate told me later on that when he heard me shouting at him, he knew I was all right.
Then the Warriors finally did come and gave us loads of support. I got put on the back of a Warrior, and sent to a Helicopter Landing Site, where I was then put on a helicopter and sent back to Basra Air station. But, there were no surgeons there who could deal with eye injuries. I went from there to a place called Balad, which was just north of Baghdad. I was meant to be pronounced dead on arrival. They said I was lucky to be alive, the shock should’ve killed me. I was operated on for twelve hours solid in Iraq and then I was sent to Germany, where I woke up three days later. My mum and dad came out to Germany to see me. From there, I went to Selly Oak.
After Selly Oak, I had to make a choice whether I went straight to Headley Court. At that point I couldn’t use my arm and I needed physio, but at the same time I couldn’t see. Blind Veterans UK approached me and explained what they do. I made the decision of going to their centre first because I thought, I can live without using my arm but if I can’t walk around and go to the bog myself then what’s the point in me going to Headley Court—I didn’t want to be just a cabbage in a bed. I got Blind Veterans UK to arrange a physio who came to see me there. Then I learnt my blind skills so I could walk around.
I was gutted when I realised I was blind. Gutted because it meant that I couldn’t go on with things that I wanted to do, like the SAS. I wanted to be back in Iraq with my mates, especially ’cos two of my platoon were then killed. I thought, “What right have I got to be here stuck in a bed alive back home in Britain when my lads are out there getting smashed? I should be there.” But actually losing my sight, I just took it in my stride. I played the game and unfortunately I got caught out. I’m not the first blind person and won’t be the last.
Getting Hugo was a big decision, because when I was first blinded I said that I wouldn’t get a guide dog. I wanted to learn my long cane training skills first, and see how life was without a guide dog. And then I just thought, I’ve had enough now and I wanted to see what the benefits of getting a guide dog might be. I tried one out and it was easier to get around. I like dogs anyway, I’ve always liked dogs, they’re great company and I love Hugo to bits. He makes life a lot easier.
I met Carla in November 2007, and we got together in March 2008. I hadn’t been blinded that long. One of my mates was like, “Right, come on then, blind or not, we’re getting out and we’re getting on it.” So we were out one night and we just got talking. We became mates really, we’d go out a lot as a group of friends. On 17th March, St Patrick’s Day, I threw the lips on her, do you know what I mean? Four years later, I can’t get rid of her.
Since I left the Army officially in January 2009, I’ve done loads. I’ve invested some of my money in property, climbed Kilimanjaro for charity, I’ve done a 350-mile bike ride for charity, I’ve run the London Marathon, I’ve played blind football for England. I’m training for the Paralympics at the moment, I’ve played in the Euros, played in a couple of other competitions for my country, which was great. I’ve been in a Ken Loach film, been on every news channel. I’ve had documentaries made about me.
The last four years have been really, really hectic and I’ve had great, great opportunities. So it’s a bit mad that, on the one hand, a lot was taken away from me, but on the other I’ve been given a lot. I’ve got off my arse and tried to make something of myself and make something away from the Army. Taking advantage of these opportunities starts right from getting off the couch, not sitting there thinking, “Why me?” and not blaming someone else for the way I am. I didn’t come home in a box, so I count myself very lucky that I am the way I am. My mum’s still got someone to hug. I hope that being blinded hasn’t changed me as a person. It’s obviously changed the way that I live my life, but hopefully the core values of me are still here.