Royal British Legion supports former Teesside soldier who lost his leg
49 year-old Tony McGlone says the Poppy Appeal's helped turn his life around
A former soldier from Saltburn says the support of the Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal has helped to turn his life around after his military career was cut short by injury resulting in a leg amputation.
49 year-old Tony McGlone had his left leg amputated last year, almost three decades after an army training injury shattered his foot and ankle.
Despite serious psychiatric issues and living in constant pain for nearly 30 years, Tony worked as a joiner, until the pain in his leg became unbearable.
The Royal British Legion say they were so moved by Tony’s plight, that the charity stepped in to provide a new boiler and a new kitchen as Tony could no longer continue renovating his home.
The RBL also supplied vouchers for food and clothes, as Tony and partner Brenda were unable to work after the operation. The charity even supplied logs so they could have a real fire over the winter.
Tony, originally from Manchester, said: “I shattered my left foot and ankle on a training exercise, running over a cattle grid near Strensall Barracks in York in 1995, and the legacy is having my left leg amputated last year.
“After the initial incident, I was in the Duchess of Kent Military Hospital for several months and had numerous operations, but the leg deteriorated and the pain got gradually worse over the decades, culminating in the amputation in March last year, but now I have a prosthetic and I’m pain-free. In many ways, it’s the best thing that’s happened to me!”
For Tony, missing out on a military career was a crushing blow. He said: “I loved it, being on exercise, I was just a teenager, I was immaculate and super-fit. The Army was my life, I was raised on a base in Germany and my grandfather served at D-Day, so it was in my DNA.”
But his early release had a devastating effect on Tony. He said: “The medics said I could never go back to being an infantry soldier, which was a real kick in the teeth. It affected my mental health.”
Tony contacted the RBL in July 2023 after the amputation left the couple virtually penniless. He said: “Financially, losing the leg has been a strain, because neither of us can work now, but we get by, even though we don’t have much. And when we really hit rock bottom, the RBL was there to help us.
“We didn’t have enough to pay for food or heating, and when you’re an adult having to go cap-in-hand to your parents, it’s difficult. When we were working, we had both been earning good money, but that suddenly stopped because of the injury, and it’s taken months to get the right benefits.
“I always said I would never ask for anything, but we had to. A lot of army people are stubborn and would rather starve, but people support the Poppy Appeal every year so they can help people like me who’ve served their country.”
Proud partner Brenda said: “He’s been through so much in the last few years, everything that has been thrown at him, I have the utmost respect and love for Tony, he just hasn’t stopped.”
Case Officer Jennifer Jones from the Royal British Legion said: “We are very proud to have been able to support Tony since his amputation. He has worked despite significant pain throughout his life since being forced to end his military service prematurely, and deserves the chance to live safely and securely in his own home.”