RAF doctor honoured for Iraq bravery
10 May 08
An RAF doctor has won a prestigious award at a ceremony in Glasgow in recognition of his bravery and skill while he was working as part of an emergency medical response team in Iraq.
![Squadron Leader Sam Potter [Picture: MOD]](GenerateThumbnail.aspx?imageURL=/NR/rdonlyres/8EB9EC22-90CD-4EFA-BE75-09802887DDC6/0/SqnLdrSamPotter.jpg&maxSize=210)
Squadron Leader Sam Potter
[Picture: MOD]
Squadron Leader Sam Potter, the Senior Medical Officer at RAF Leuchars in Fife, won the Our Forces Hero category at the Daily Record Our Heroes 2008 awards ceremony which took place at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow last night, Friday 9 May 2008.
He faced stiff competition from an Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team who assisted at last year's Glasgow airport bombing and also a Royal Navy Search and Rescue team who lifted three climbers to safety from Ben Nevis during a blizzard.
Sqn Ldr Potter served in Iraq in 2007, at a time when attacks by rogue militias on UK troops had increased dramatically resulting in significant casualties. As the Medical Officer with the helicopter borne Immediate Response Team (IRT), he was regularly tasked to attend incidents in Basra City which involved delivering his life-saving care under hostile fire and a constant threat of surface to air missile and Rocket Propelled Grenade attack.
Sqn Ldr Potter received a standing ovation as he collected his award from Scotland's First Minister, Alex Salmond. Mr Salmond described Sqn Ldr Potter as a "truly deserving winner and an inspiration to those who served with him and to all of us".
"I am absolutely flabbergasted," said Sqn Ldr Potter. "This award is for all of us. Remember, there are 11 people on every IRT helicopter that goes out. We didn't know from day to day if we were going to be there at the end of that day."
Sqn Ldr Potter also paid tribute to Group Captain Paul Burt, Station Commander at Basra Air Station during his time in Iraq, who Sqn Ldr Potter described as an 'outstanding leader'.
On his return to the UK Sqn Ldr Potter received a Mention in Dispatches for his bravery and calmness while in Iraq. Three incidents in particular during his tour of duty in Iraq stand out. These include Sqn Ldr Potter attending the scene of a roadside bomb attack; the administering of life saving first aid (while under fire) to a number of RAF Regiment gunners during a fierce gun battle at the Al-Waki market near Basra and also providing emergency medical care to a number of wounded personnel following an insurgent rocket attack on the main base at Basra Airport which left three Servicemen dead and many others injured.
See Related News>>> to read the full story of the Battle of Al- Waki Market and see video footage
Recalling the incident at Al-Waki Sqn Ldr Potter said:
"By going in by helicopter to rescue them we knew we could get shot down. But we felt compelled to give it our all. The guys know that if ever they are hurt, we are there for them. I was angry more than anything else that somebody had done this to these young lads. It was pitch dark and there was a lot of screaming. I didn't even notice I was being shot at. I always give my best, not just for the patient but for their parents and their family, too. That's why I became a doctor."
"A truly deserving winner and an inspiration to those who served with him and to all of us."
Alex Salmond
The competition for the Our Forces Hero award was stiff. Team Rescue 117 are the helicopter search and rescue crew of HMS Gannet who braved high winds, blizzards and treacherous terrain in an all-night operation to rescue three climbers from Ben Nevis. There were 25-knot winds and only 500 metres of visibility during the gruelling nine-hour rescue mission last May. Eventually, pilot Lieutenant Commander Martin Lanni was able to skilfully control the aircraft just above the mountain to allow winchman Lieutenant Commander Martin Ford to descend and get the trapped climbers safely on board.
The Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team also displayed incredible bravery and skill when terrorists struck Glasgow airport in July last year. The team played an essential role in ensuring public safety after scrambling from their Edinburgh base within minutes of the first reports.
Omagh bombing
Sqn Ldr Potter previously served in the Royal Army Medical Corps. In August 1998 he was tasked to help in the aftermath of the Omagh bombing, reaching the scene within minutes of the explosion which killed 29 and injured over two hundred.
"In the space of 40 minutes I had to declare life extinct on 20 bodies and one part of a body," he explained. "You can't imagine the chaos. It was harrowing and took me years to get over. I helped a lady whose eye had come out. A year later when I was at a parade in Omagh she came up to thank me. That sort of thing makes the job and I have kept in touch with the lady."
Married with three children, Sqn Ldr Sam Potter, 41, was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He completed his medical training at the University of Dundee. He is a General Practitioner by training but has considerable experience in Accident and Emergency / Immediate Care type medicine and is recognised as a trainer in relation to battlefield medicine. He was posted to RAF Leuchars in the Autumn of 2006 in the role of Deputy Senior Medical Officer.