Crawling Out of Hell: The True Story of a British Sniper's Greatest Battle

Description

Lance Corporal Dean Bailey was just 22 when he was sent to Afghanistan as a Sniper Section Commander. Craving the opportunity to finally see some action after a disappointing tour in Iraq, he now had the chance to put his elite marksmanship training to the test. To his disappointment, the Taliban proved to be nothing like a traditional enemy and their hit and run ambush tactics mean that more often than not Dean and his men are cooped up inside a Viking armoured personnel carrier, desperate to get out and take the fight to the Taliban on the ground. During one such ambush, Dean's Platoon is attacked from all sides, and Dean's Viking is immobilised. Going up on top of the carrier to fend off the assailants with his rifle, an RPG explodes next to him, covering him with burning diesel. Continuing his stubborn defence, and enabling his men to scramble out the back door of the stricken vehicle, Dean takes a direct hit from an RPG ending his brave covering fire. Dragged from the burning Viking, he is flown back to England with little expectation of surviving the flight home. Dean's next battle was the hardest he ever had to face.

Dean Bailey was born in Lincolnshire in 1984. At the age of 5, following the breakdown of his parents' marriage, he moved with his mother to Essex. Dean struggled through school, and after a succession of dead end jobs he joined the army, discovering that the disciplined lifestyle was what he needed. He quickly gained promotion to Lance Corporal, successfully passed sniper training and was made Sniper Section Leader at the age of 22. In 2007 a Taliban RPG ended his career. After several years of physical and mental rehabilitation, Dean has a loving partner, a young son, and runs a successful property development business.