Mark Sutcliffe (born 29 July 1979 in England) joined the British Army in 1997 aged 17, enlisting into the 2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment The Poachers, initially joining C (Northamptonshire) Company. In 1999 he was selected to join the Close Reconnaissance Platoon (Recce Platoon), over the next 9 years Sgt Sutcliffe served with the Battalion in Cyprus, Northern Ireland, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan.
In spring 2006 2 R ANGLIAN deployed to Iraq as part of OP TELIC 8 forming Basra City South Battle group. On July 18 2006, the Recce Platoon were conducting offensive Operations around the area of Al-Hadi and 5 mile market with-in the city confines of Basra. The patrol was initially contacted by a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG), directly hitting Sgt Sutcliffe on the leg. The blunt trauma was severe taking his leg off at the point of impact, although having failed to detonate continued on its flight path injuring a young Iraqi child.
Despite massive blood loss, Sgt Sutcliffe life was saved by the quick thinking, bravery and true grit of the patrol commander and the soldiers under his command.
Sgt Sutcliffe was flown to the British Field Hospital located within Shaibah Logistics Base and underwent immediate surgery, then transferred to the United Kingdom for further treatment. In November 2006 he took his first steps using a Prosthesis whilst posted to DMRC Headley Court. ic Sgt Mark Sutcliffe is one of the patrons of Help for Heroes, a member of Blesma and now one of four Military Liaison Officers posted to Selly Oak Hospital, looking after the needs of injured soldiers and their families.