I was relatively shy at 16, very immature. I played a bit of rugby but didn’t take advantage of the talent I had. I wish there had been greater focus in school on helping people make decisions, rather than focusing on ABCs and one-two-threes. Some teachers told me I was thick and I knew I wasn’t.
My mam was an outstanding mother. She was a single mum, my dad had left and she was working two jobs. I was an idiot that made poor decisions but she always stood by me, was always disciplined. She was amazing. My home life was wonderful in many ways.
I left school around 14 or 15 to work with metal fabricators. Even though it was illegal [at that age] it was far more rewarding. I was working with men who demanded I was able to do the job. It could kill people if you didn’t do it properly. I got into a spot of bother when I was 14, going down the wrong path, and needed to get away from where I was. The military came at just the right time.
When I joined the army I realised I wanted to make my mother proud. Everything I’ve done, I always think: what would your mother think about you doing this? I would tell 16-year-old Simon the feeling of letting someone down is awful and you never want to do it again.
I served in Berlin, Kenya and Northern Ireland before the Falklands. It was an incredible experience. Each was so different, with unique problems. Northern Ireland added a lot to my life and taught me a lot about tolerance, understanding, not hating people for some perceived difference.
I’d tell my younger self: after the injury, there is a light at the end of the tunnel [Simon suffered 46 per cent burns after his ship, Sir Galahad, was bombed in the Falklands War in 1982]. Don’t feel despondent, don’t become depressed. There are ways and people that will help you but you must know how to ask. Don’t beat yourself up because you survived.
