Gavin cleans up on his first Army tour

Jun 24 2009 by David Hedley, The Journal

CLEARING unexploded bombs and dodging wild animals is all in a day’s work for intrepid North East soldier Gavin Newey.

The Sapper, from Seaham, County Durham, has just completed a daring tour of duty in sun-scorched Kenya, Africa.

Gavin, 18, of the Royal Engineers, was deployed on the Army’s Exercise Pine Apple, tasked with finding and clearing unexploded arms in the country.

The plains and jungles are heavily used by both the British and the Kenyan army for infantry training, but often mortars, grenades and other munitions can fail to explode.

Sapper Newey and the team spent weeks searching and picking out the bombs, which are then dismantled or exploded away from areas populated by indigenous tribes.

Meanwhile, elephants and giraffes roam the wilderness, and the searing heat and exotic landscapes combined to make for a hugely-rewarding experience – which was Gavin’s first tour with the Army. Gavin, who touched down back in the North East yesterday, said: “It’s been amazing. It’s the first time I’ve been out of the country with the Army.