LATEST: A New Zealander serving in the British Army is being hailed as a hero after he saved two colleagues' lives when a hand grenade was thrown in front of them.Rifleman James McKie was under fire from three directions when the hand grenade hit his platoon commander and landed at his feet.He picked up the grenade and hurled it back at the enemy moments before it exploded."My first thought was I hope this doesn't hurt too much," he told British media.The grenade exploded mid-air a split second later, sending fragments into Rifleman McKie's face and arm, and injuring his commander's leg. The third soldier escaped unharmed.His actions helped to save the lives of his commander and one other soldier who were engaging the enemy in a fire fight, from a compound roof, in the Sangin area of Helmand Province."There was no way you could throw yourself off and not get injured, so I made a decision to pick up the grenade and throw it off the roof," Rifleman McKie said."My platoon has taken a lot of casualties. I really didn't want to see anyone else get hurt."The 29-year-old has been serving in Afghanistan for five months.He recently joined the British Army, having previously served in the New Zealand Army.Commanding officer Captain Graeme Kerr said he owed his life to Rifleman McKie's brave actions."Bearing in mind you only have three seconds when it lands by your feet and half a second to make a decision and another three seconds to throw it, that's pretty heroic in my book," he said.Standard procedure was to jump away from the grenade, Captain Kerr said."He's one of those very brave people that has a complete disregard for his own life and a high regard for other people's."Captain Kerr, from Recce Platoon, 3rd Battalion The Rifles, was recovering in hospital in Britain.Rifleman McKie continued to fight on the front line and is now in line for a bravery award.His father, Andrew McKie, told One News he was proud of his son."I think he understates everything but he has been in the reconnaissance platoon, been at the forefront of a lot of really fierce fighting, and just reading his letters, we're very proud of him," he said.
