It took a few minutes for them to arrange the papers then I was off again, the return trip was worse I could barely weight bear let alone walk and I dragged myself up the stairs with the aid of the hand rail, sliding myself up the stairs to get my kit.

I packed the few things that I had with me and said my good-byes before leaving the ward with my wife by my side.

I was expected to walk without the aid of crutches leaving me with no support at all.

I managed to get back home to Nienburg with the help of my wife, and the duty vehicle from camp, and proceeded to book ferry tickets to go back to the UK.

I instructed the travel agent that I required a double cabin and that I was unable to climb any stairs aboard the ship due to my surgery, so a cabin was needed on the boarding deck.

On our arrival on the ferry we were informed that our cabin was 3 decks down which did not please me at all and this was made clear to the staff. I stated that due to surgery to my leg I was unable to climb the stairs and therefore unable to use that cabin, unless they where prepared to carry me up and down as and when I wanted them to.

This I feel did not go down well and after a while I was informed that they had found me a bunk in another cabin but my wife would also have to share with someone else.

I again was not happy about his arrangement but was informed that apart from that there were only sleeper chairs left, so we took it.

There was then a period of around 2 months when I was unable to get around much due to the knee continually swelling and causing me pain. This had given me extended leave so it was bearable, I was later informed that a nerve had been damaged during the operation and this is why I was experiencing so much pain.

On my return to the unit I was taken off driving duties and given a desk job for a while, that was a killer, how people could spend all their working lives stuck in an office beats me, with no fresh air or sunshine or even the rain on their skin.