Elite commando and double amputee heads Poppy Appeal to help war veterans

THE importance of selling poppies is not lost on Coogee’s Damien Thomlinson, an Afghanistan war veteran who had both legs blown off by the Taliban.

Afghanistan war veteran and double amputee Damien Thomlinson is hoping people will dig deep to support the Poppy Appeal to help modern day veterans in lead up to Remembrance Day. Picture: Craig Wilson

THE importance of selling poppies is not lost on Coogee’s Damien Thomlinson, an Afghanistan war veteran who had both his legs blown off by an explosive planted by the Taliban.

As the face of this year’s Poppy Appeal, the 35-year-old former elite Australian Army commando said the annual fundraiser helped modern day veterans who returned from active service with physical or mental illnesses and injuries.

Mr Thomlinson said he had no memory of the night patrol incident in April 2009 when the vehicle he was in ran over an improvised explosive device and he suffered horrific injuries.

Damien Thomlinson has followed his passion and learned to snowboard with purpose built legs. Picture: Stephen Cooper

Both his legs had to be amputated, his arms were severely injured, both hands and wrists were broken, he had a dislocated shoulder and a broken nose but no mental images from that night.

“Look at the 10 or 20 people who were around me and involved in saving me,” Mr Thomlinson said. “They’ve got that in their heads.

“They have families and children, there are all these different flow on effects.”

He said that after he woke up in hospital, hazy from morphine, his first question was whether he still had his “manhood”.

After being reassured that he did, Mr Thomlinson said: “Okay, keep on saving me”.

“It was a miracle that they could do the work and save me,” he said.

“All I could think of was what the guys saw. I could not remember anything from the night but knowing the boys had to see that ...

“My injuries did not really come into my mind.”

Wedding bells were in the air recently when Damien Thomlinson married his fiance Madison Burgess. Picture: Stephen Cooper

Thomlinson at the Australian premiere of Mel Gibson’s World War II epic Hacksaw Ridge. Picture: Getty

He said being a private serving with the 2nd Commando Regiment in Tarin Kowt District of South Afghanistan was a “surreal experience”.

“We were in very rural areas,” said Mr Thomlinson, who is now an inspirational speaker and actor who starred in Mel Gibson’s new World War II epic Hacksaw Ridge.

“There were towns and stuff but generally most of the fighting would be in isolated spots.

“The Taliban liked hiding in holes in mountainous regions.

“Part of what we were doing was strategic and gaining intelligence about how they operate.

“We’d spend some time being the bait.”

Private Thomlinson competed as part of the Australian Invictus team during this year’s world competition in Orlando, Florida. Picture: Peter Cronin

The 35-year-old Afghanistan veteran was the inspiration behind Adelaide artist Cera James’ entry into the 2015 Archibald Prize.

After learning to walk on prosthetic legs, Mr Thomlinson has trekked the Kokoda Track, competed as a paralympic snowboarder and took part in this year’s Invictus Games in Orlando.

“I wanted to train and train,” he said. “The physio kept saying you can’t do that. I would say: ‘Don’t tell me I can’t do that. I will prove you wrong’.

Mr Thomlinson, who recently married his fiance Madison, said many ex-defence force men and women ‒ some who have physical injuries or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ‒ found it difficult to adjust to civilian life or get new jobs.

“It’s always a challenge coming back from working at a high level, especially in the defence forces,” he said.

“When you have to reintegrate into the workplace, your skills are not directly transferable and you have to retrain. It’s hard to adjust.”

Coogee’s Damien Thomlinson is the face of the Poppy Appeal, the major fundraiser for RSL NSW and RSL DefenceCare, to raise awareness of why poppies are sold every year in lead up to Remembrance Day. Picture: Craig Wilson

He said the Poppy Appeal was the main fundraiser for RSL NSW and RSL DefenceCare which helps people returning from active service and half of the money raised goes into local projects.

In 2015, RSL DefenceCare received 4737 calls for help and provided $617,448 in direct financial assistance to veterans and their families across NSW with 60 per cent of clients from the Sydney metropolitan area.

“The work they do is inspirational,” Mr Thomlinson said.

This year’s campaign will be bigger than ever and runs up until Remembrance Day on November 11 when a field of poppies will be projected onto the Sydney Opera House, following a year-long campaign by Mascot RSL sub-branch president Paul Graham.

The special role of animals in war will also be marked with people able to purchase purple poppies for their pets.

To donate to the Poppy Appeal, look out for volunteers or visit poppyshop.org.au.

Artist’s impression of the Sydney Opera House lit up with a field of poppies to mark Remembrance Day after a year-long campaign by president of Mascot RSL sub-branch president Paul Graham. Artwork: Mark Nulty

Watch the trailer for Hacksaw Ridge