An interview with Darren (Daz) Hammond, by Cllr Dawn Kelly.
Republished with his kind permission – thank you Darren.
The day is here for us to commemorate VE day, so it seems fitting to focus on a local parishioner who has served our country in the armed forces.
Darren (fondly known to everyone as Daz) Hammond agreed to my interviewing him, and what a pleasure it was!
Daz met with me accompanied by his lovely wife Pam. My first impression was how wonderfully open he was prepared to be as I set the scene for disclosure of memorable events, some very painful, and how he wanted these events shared.
Daz served on, in total, five tours: three in Iraq, the others in Bosnia and Northern Ireland, in the Coldstream Guards, rising through the ranks, finally retiring as a W02 warrior Sergeant Major.
In total he spent 24 years of his life serving our country.
Q Glad you did this? Yes
Q Would you do it again? Yes
Q What was one of your most memorable moments?
It was during my stay in Basra. At the time communications with Pam were undertaken via a phone in the complex following text exchanges determining what time was best. I was on the front line so to speak, having been called to assist an American convoy who had been in difficulties. I was lay face up lying flat out beside a high curb in order to stay low, with active firing near to us, awaiting a vehicle to rescue us. My mobile phone started humming, in my top chest pocket, which accidently found itself with me in a rush to get kitted out. I grappled with my combat kit to locate it and saw it was my wife ringing. Given the circumstances I decided to delete the call but because of my thick gloves, pressed connect instead! When I realized what I had done, I told Pam I’d call her later but in an absolute rage (not hearing what I’d said) she immediately said for me to speak to their teenage daughter as she was being very very difficult. Then my daughter began to rant about an argument with Pam. I tried to tell her I was in a very tricky situation but she would not listen. At this point I hung up. Our vehicle arrived, and we made the decision to run to it quickly, with the enemy firing on us. When I got into the vehicle following what seemed like an eternity, shouting commands and running for our lives, I could hear my daughter on the phone screaming dad are you all right? She’d heard everything: the yelling, the sound of an automatic rifle bellowing out bullets, and the chaos whist accessing the vehicle.
Suffice to say, she never displayed any teenage tantrums like that one again. She had literally heard her dad in combat and thought the worst when the noise faded.
Q – Was there ever a funniest moment?
There were quite a few actually. The most memorable one occurred during my first tour of Iraq. Telec 2, 2003, to be precise. We had already been there for 2½ months, and we were on desert duty. We were a convoy of about 140 men, it was a hot sunny day, and we were travelling on a makeshift road with all but rocks and gritty sand for company. Suddenly from nowhere a vision shimmering in the sun emerged, we thought it was a mirage at first, the realized it was a man in his 40’s carrying a large plastic canister. We asked him if he was ok. We were told he was walking to the town we had left for water….. approx 50k away! We had plenty with us so we offered to take him to his home. It seemed like forever when we finally arrived at his home….a wada (dry riverbed) where tents were pitched. His family (50 strong) had been there for 2 months, feeding their goats etc. In gratitude he insisted we stop and offered hospitality as was their custom. So we stayed and camped for the night. Sounds quite a story which it was but will always be remembered by the actions of one of the lads who lay his head down in his sleeping bag only to find he was positioned on top of a disused cesspit! As he began to sink, and the more we tried to rescue him, the bigger the diameter of this enormous cesspit became!
Q – What was the hardest time for you in all of your days in service?
Leaving my family, saying goodbye, it used to hit me hard, as too loosing comrades. I recall after the tour of Bosnia, Sophie, my daughter, didn’t recognize me. That was hard, really hard.
Q – What made you decide to retire Daz?
I was tired of being shot at, and could see the cumulative effect it was having on my wife Pam. I was on edge all the time
To put it in perspective, WW2 British Tommys were rotated off the frontline battle after about two days for two weeks or so. During my last tour we were homed in the centre of Bosnia for seven months … and sent out on combat every day. I now have PTSD …… but at least I’m alive.
Dawn – I’m not sure how I held the tears back. I could see the pain in his eyes, and in Pam’s too. What bravery. So, just to remind you of this extraordinary man’s tenacity I’ll repeat the questions I shared with you all at the beginning………
Q – Glad you did this? Yes
Q – Would you do it again? Yes
Daz now lives his life to the full with Pam. They are enjoying fabulous holidays, good friends a fabulous family, and are grateful their marriage has been strong enough not to succumb to the wrath of army life, and active service which kept them apart for many many long and hard days.
Daz and Pam, are strong supporters of our local British Legion, which, along with the parish hall committee in Littleworth (Worcestershire) were scheduled to hold a big VE remembrance event at the parish hall on Friday 8th May. So now we will all remember and celebrate VE day in our own homes instead.
Lest we forget.
Daz on behalf of us all I salute you….. And your lovely wife Pam.
Cllr Dawn Kelly