A hero soldier kept blazing away at Taliban... despite being shot in the neck.
Courageous Rob Weeks, just 19, refused morphine because it would weaken him and mean Commando comrades would have to carry him off the battlefield.
Despite his horrific wound, he gave fellow Marines covering fire when they finally helped him to safety Rob, from Weymouth Dorset, told last night how he and his comrades came under attack while on patrol in Helmand, Afghanistan.
He said: "I was peering round a wall and the next thing I knew I was on the ground - knocked down by a bullet through my neck.
"My mouth was full of blood but I managed to say 'man down' into my radio.
"A Marine near me gave first aid. He said the bullet was millimetres from my jugular vein.
"I found out later they could see the vein pulsating in the hole in my neck. They wanted to give me morphine but I refused.
"If I had taken it I wouldn't have been able to walk and it would have taken four men to carry me out. There was only eight of us and we were taking so much fire there was no way they could have afforded to use four people to help me.
"I was patched up and then while my comrades gave covering fire I ran back towards our base.
"I stopped and started giving them covering fire as they moved away.
"I think it was anger. I was full of adrenalin."
Marine Weeks, from 45 Commando based in Arbroath, Scotland, was offered the chance to recuperate at home after two operations in Afghanistan but turned it down.
Rob said: "I wanted to get back with my pals so I opted to stay."
Courageous Rob Weeks, just 19, refused morphine because it would weaken him and mean Commando comrades would have to carry him off the battlefield.
Despite his horrific wound, he gave fellow Marines covering fire when they finally helped him to safety Rob, from Weymouth Dorset, told last night how he and his comrades came under attack while on patrol in Helmand, Afghanistan.
He said: "I was peering round a wall and the next thing I knew I was on the ground - knocked down by a bullet through my neck.
"My mouth was full of blood but I managed to say 'man down' into my radio.
"A Marine near me gave first aid. He said the bullet was millimetres from my jugular vein.
"I found out later they could see the vein pulsating in the hole in my neck. They wanted to give me morphine but I refused.
"If I had taken it I wouldn't have been able to walk and it would have taken four men to carry me out. There was only eight of us and we were taking so much fire there was no way they could have afforded to use four people to help me.
"I was patched up and then while my comrades gave covering fire I ran back towards our base.
"I stopped and started giving them covering fire as they moved away.
"I think it was anger. I was full of adrenalin."
Marine Weeks, from 45 Commando based in Arbroath, Scotland, was offered the chance to recuperate at home after two operations in Afghanistan but turned it down.
Rob said: "I wanted to get back with my pals so I opted to stay."
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