AN Army officer has been honoured for helping to save the life of an injured soldier during a firefight in Afghanistan.

Major Alasdair Grant treated the soldier at the scene and got him on a helicopter in 18 minutes and in hospital within 38 minutes – all while under sustained enemy fire.

His group was in the Bowri Dashte area of Nad-e Ali, near Lashkar Gah, when it was ambushed in a boggy field.

Maj Grant, 30, recalled: “The soldier in front of me was shot in the top of his leg, so I gave him an immediate first aid assessment, but the priority was to get him out of enemy fire.

“One of the other soldiers helped me to drag him to a compound wall where we had some cover, then I got on to the radio to our headquarters to alert them that we needed a quick evacuation by helicopter.”

Maj Grant, who comes from North Yorkshire and serves with 9th/12th Lancers, has now been awarded a Mention in Despatches, an award presented for gallantry during active service.

A captain during his extended, eight-month tour in Helmand province, he was second-in-command of the 7th Armoured Brigade Reconnaissance Force at the time of the incident.

Out on the ground, his four-man headquarters moved around Lashkar Gah providing vital tactical information for commanders on the ground, as well as coordinating air and land assets, often under fire and at maximum radio range.

The injured soldier made a full recovery and is now back with his unit while Maj Grant is a company commander at the Army Foundation College at Uniacke Barracks in Killinghall, Harrogate.

His citation states: “His decision-making and bravery under fire have belied his rank and experience, and for this he deserves formal recognition.”

Despite now being back in the UK Maj Grant is not taking things easily – and is now in training for one of the toughest races on Earth.

He and three fellow officers from the regiment will be taking part in Marathon des Sables next month, running 156 miles across the Sahara desert in six days.

“It has been difficult to prepare ourselves for the desert when it’s the middle of winter in Harrogate. We’ve had to wear lots of layers of warm kit to make up for the lack of sun,” he said.

By competing in the Marathon des Sables, Al and his fellow officers are raising money for ABF The Soldiers’ Charity. To donate go to justgiving.com/2015MDSTeam