Barrow soldier collects sword of peace on behalf of regiment's work during Ebola crisis

Lance Corporal Danielle Pattinson, 31, who works as a combat medical technician for the 5th Armoured Medical Regiment, was presented with the Firmin Sword of Peace by the Countess of Wessex at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst yesterday.

In October 2014, L Cpl Pattinson began two months’ work in Sierra Leone in Africa to provide medical facilities for those affected by the outbreak of ebola as part of Operation Gritrock. In March 2015, she took part in the Askari Serpent live exercise in Kenya.

She said: “It was quite nerve-racking going out to Africa and it felt like I was going into the unknown.

“We weren't going out there to treat ebola but we had to put measures in place to make sure that people weren't at risk of getting the disease so we were constantly monitoring people's temperatures and checking their vital signs.

“It was so rewarding but also equally hard to get through to people because of the language barrier. It was also quite upsetting to see what the disease had done to the country.”

The sword, which has been awarded to troops since 1966, recognises the efforts of units of the Armed Forces whose activities have gone above and beyond the unit's normal role and have improved relations with the community, either within the United Kingdom, or overseas.

L Cpl Pattinson’s medical regiment is only the second ever to be presented with the sword and she admitted that she was nervous about going up to receive the award from royalty.

She said: “They were looking for a junior soldier so that is why I was chosen. I was quite worried about it but I will never get the chance to do this again.

“I also got the chance to speak to Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, who was absolutely lovely. It was great to hear about how concerned she was about the ongoing medical concerns in Africa.”

Africa was declared ebola-free in November 2015.