Coming home for Christmas took on an extra sparkle for a Hereford soldier who met his baby son for the first time during leave from Afghanistan, where he and his twin brother are currently on a tour of duty with the 3rd Battalion The Rifles.
Despite a lengthy 24-hour journey, 20-year-old James Jackson, who joined the Army with his identical twin Dean four years ago – on their 16th birthday – was over the moon to be back home to see his fiancee Amanda Mchernan and their baby, Lewis Ryan, born just two weeks before his proud father’s two-week home leave.It was a very special moment, reports the twins’ dad, Paul Jackson from Newtown Farm in Hereford’s South Wye. “It took the tension out from him being so far away,” he said. “Both my sons have been engaged in heavy fighting while being in Afghanistan and both have had scary moments.”
He explained that James was involved in an ambush and his patrol had to call for reinforcements. His brother was part of this operation, and was in a convoy when one of the vehicles was hid by an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) which resulted in some casualties.
Last week Dean lost his best friend in a separate explosion caused by an IED. “When they’re 3,500 miles away all you can do is offer sympathy on the phone,” said Paul, who lives at the family home with the boys’ sister, Celine.
“Both my sons have approximately four months’ remaining in Afghanistan,” said Mr Paul. “I still remain very proud of them both but it doesn’t get any easier when someone knocks on my door.”
The twins made headline news in the Journal when they left for active service in Afghanistan last September, just a month after Dean’s marriage in Edinburgh to Caroline Mchernan. This coming April, the boys will be “keeping it in the family” when James and Caroline’s sister Amanda are due to be married. Little Lewis Ryan is a new cousin for Dean and Caroline’s 19-month-old daughter, Alicia.
Educated at the former Haywood High School, the twins joined the Army on their 16th birthday and completed their 17-week army development course at Brassingbourne, Cambridge, before progressing to the Infantry Training Centre in Catterick and then joining The Rifles.
“I’ve always wanted to join the Army – it’s something I fancied since I was a boy,” said James.