By Ian Getty

Twenty-five years ago, I was taken hostage in Sierra Leone.

Eleven of us - ten British soldiers and our interpreter - were captured by the West Side Boys militia during the country’s brutal civil war. We were held in a jungle camp, surrounded by chaos and uncertainty, where the threat to our lives was constant.

When negotiations broke down, the British Army launched Operation Barras, a high-risk rescue mission carried out by the Parachute Regiment and Special Forces.

It was fast, fierce and successful - but it came at a terrible price. One British soldier, Brad Tinnion, was killed, and several others were badly wounded. We were brought home, but none of us were the same.

For years, I tried to put it behind me. Like many veterans, I........

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