Soldier hails star’s portrayal of life on frontline
message across that the women who do this job are strong, independent and have got balls.
“She has taken the role seriously and, yes, she was a soap star and FHM hottie but she has also shown she can take on a much more intense role.
“What I liked about her was that she wanted to do right by us and was more concerned about what we would make about the performance.”
Victoria, who is in charge of training at the 22 Field Hospital at Keogh Barracks in Surrey, added: “I know there are some people who have questioned the reality of the drama but it’s very easy for soldiers to criticise a programme with soldiers in it.
“Of course the action is over-dramatised but then it is an entertainment show and it needs to be action-packed and move quickly.
“Overall, the show is realistic in its portrayal of a woman working as a medic on the frontl ine and I hope it wi l l encourage more young women to seek a career in the Army.”
Victoria always knew she wanted to be in the services and was just 15 when she jumped on a bus to Dundee and went to the recruitment office to join up. She said: “I wasn’t enjoying school that much and felt I was wasting my time. I told my mum I was off to see about joining the Army and she thought I was joking until I came back with the paperwork to become a combat medic.
“I got called up for selection in Edinburgh. I was just 16 and tiny. I remember a big burly soldier asking me if I thought I would be able to carry him off the battlefield? I told him, ‘Not now but in the future.’
“I joined the Army in January 2005 and have never looked back. It was the best decision I ever made and, true to my word, despite being only 5ft 4in, I am able to stretcher casualties off the battlefield.”
The soldier, who has just returned from an IED-clearing mission in Kenya, has done two tours in Afghanistan and one in Iraq.
She said: “I was 18 and childlike when I did my first tour in Iraq and I had to hit the ground running. Luckily our training was intense and when something happened you just dealt with it and kept going. But nothing prepares you for the loss of friends and colleagues. I will never forget being woken up the morning my friend Eleanor Dlugosz was killed in a roadside bomb. We were all shocked and devastated but there was no time to grieve as we had to get on with the job.
“They could not send the whole regiment home for her funeral but when we were all back we attended lots of memorial services. It’s been seven years but I still think about her every day.
“I’ve lost many friends over the years, the most recent being Corporal Channing Day in 2012 in Afghanistan. At the time, as a medic, you can’t cry and wallow but that doesn’t mean you don’t carry the pain of their loss with you.
“I suppose the hardest thing about being a medic on the frontline is returning home after a tour. When you’ve been living life at 100 miles per hour in a high- octane environment, coming back to normality is difficult.
“I feel really bad for my family too. It’s harsh for soldiers when we are away on tour but it is worse for the families left behind.
“My mum worries from when I go till I come back and sits glued to every news bulletin. I have put them through hell but they accept it because they know I am doing the job I love.”
Victoria, whose dog Maximus Decimus Meridius has become the barracks’ mascot, added: “I have no regrets and am so glad I took the bus to Dundee.”