Phil Ashby
Encyclopedia
Major Phil Ashby QGM
(born 1970) is a former Royal Marines
Commando
officer, notable for his escape and evasion in the jungles of Sierra Leone
in 2000.
on the West Coast of Scotland and educated at Glenalmond College
. Sponsored by the RM, he read engineering at Pembroke College
, Cambridge.
as part of the UN peacekeeping force, tasked with disarming the rebel fighters from the Revolutionary United Front
led by Augustine Gbao
. However, the situation became hostile and the house where Ashby and three other officers were staying was attacked. After a narrow escape, they sought refuge at the Kenyan army outpost where they helped defend the camp against several days of attacks. Eventually a decision was taken to escape through the jungle. Fighting dehydration and hunger, the 3 men survived close encounters with the enemy and, assisted by local tribesmen, were eventually rescued by the British Army.
After returning, Ashby was awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal
.
from the waist down, though he has since regained movement in his legs. Despite his disability he continues to enjoy rock climbing
.
, The Daily Mail and The Lancet
.
The story of his escape is narrated in one episode of the TV series Locked Up Abroad.
Queen's Gallantry Medal
The Queen's Gallantry Medal is the third level civil decoration of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth.It was instituted on 20 June 1974 to replace the Order of the British Empire for Gallantry, the British Empire Medal for Gallantry, and the Colonial Police Medal for Gallantry...
(born 1970) is a former Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
Commando
Commando
In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
officer, notable for his escape and evasion in the jungles of Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
in 2000.
Early life
He was brought up in HelensburghHelensburgh
Helensburgh is a town in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Firth of Clyde and the eastern shore of the entrance to the Gareloch....
on the West Coast of Scotland and educated at Glenalmond College
Glenalmond College
Glenalmond College is a co-educational independent boarding school in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, for children aged between 12 and 18 years. It is situated on the River Almond near the village of Methven, about west of the city of Perth. The school's motto is Floreat Glenalmond...
. Sponsored by the RM, he read engineering at Pembroke College
Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college has over seven hundred students and fellows, and is the third oldest college of the university. Physically, it is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from almost every century since its...
, Cambridge.
Sierra Leone Deployment
In January 2000, Ashby was deployed to Sierra LeoneSierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
as part of the UN peacekeeping force, tasked with disarming the rebel fighters from the Revolutionary United Front
Revolutionary United Front
The Revolutionary United Front was a rebel army that fought a failed eleven-year war in Sierra Leone, starting in 1991 and ending in 2002. It later developed into a political party, which existed until 2007...
led by Augustine Gbao
Augustine Gbao
Augustine Gbao also known as Augustine Bao is a former Sierra Leonean paramilitary commander of the RUF. In February 2009, he was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity by the Special Court for Sierra Leone and sentenced to 25 years in prison...
. However, the situation became hostile and the house where Ashby and three other officers were staying was attacked. After a narrow escape, they sought refuge at the Kenyan army outpost where they helped defend the camp against several days of attacks. Eventually a decision was taken to escape through the jungle. Fighting dehydration and hunger, the 3 men survived close encounters with the enemy and, assisted by local tribesmen, were eventually rescued by the British Army.
After returning, Ashby was awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal
Queen's Gallantry Medal
The Queen's Gallantry Medal is the third level civil decoration of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth.It was instituted on 20 June 1974 to replace the Order of the British Empire for Gallantry, the British Empire Medal for Gallantry, and the Colonial Police Medal for Gallantry...
.
Post Sierra Leone Deployment
In September 2000, Ashby was to learn that he had contracted a virus (probably from drinking contaminated water); it had entered his spine and left him paralysedParalysed
Paralysed or Paralyzed may refer to:*the state of paralysis, the complete loss of muscle function for one or more muscle groups- In music :*"Paralyzed" *"Paralysed", a song by Gang of Four from their 1981 album Solid Gold...
from the waist down, though he has since regained movement in his legs. Despite his disability he continues to enjoy rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
.
Current Life
His autobiography, entitled both Unscathed: Escape from Sierra Leone and Against All Odds: Escape from Sierra Leone was published in 2003. He has also written for other publications including The Sunday TimesThe Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
, The Daily Mail and The Lancet
The Lancet
The Lancet is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal. It is one of the world's best known, oldest, and most respected general medical journals...
.
The story of his escape is narrated in one episode of the TV series Locked Up Abroad.