SPECIAL REPORT: Middlewich soldier's true tale of terror deep behind enemy lines

But now David Blakeley’s story could become a Hollywood movie.

The former soldier, who grew up in Middlewich, told the Guardian that he has been speaking to film producers about his ‘real life black ops’ book, Pathfinder.

It is about his remarkable career in the army when he led an elite unit of nine men on a reconnaissance mission to Qalat Sikkar airfield in 2003. He was just 25.

The aim was to determine whether the area was suitable for an airborne insertion of paratroopers.

This meant David’s secret Pathfinder unit - also known as ‘The Ghost Platoon’ - had to work alone, 50 miles ahead of the US Marines position.

Intelligence reports claimed that the area was free from enemy units.

But it was swarming with around 2,000 hostile troops, including Sadam Hussein’s feared Republican Guard.

At first, David and his soldiers thought they would be able to make a hasty retreat as they were not wearing uniform and were driving similar vehicles to the Iraqi forces.

But they were spotted by Iraq’s secret police - and that is when bullets started to fly.

“In every fight I thought I was potentially going to die,” said David, who lived in Heaton Close until he was 16.

“Two RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades) went over the bonnet of my vehicle. It’s like a huge rocket right in front of you and it went off like a giant firework.

“People say in these situations it’s fight or flight. If you’re frightened it endangers the lives of the people around you so you have to do the job to the best of your ability.”

A terrible situation was then made worse when David called higher command and was told that no air support was available.

David, who attended Middlewich Primary School, added: “The intelligence was woefully inadequte and when the mission went wrong we were abandoned.”

His men were surrounded on all sides and knew if they were captured they would likely be tortured and executed.

So they decided to make a daring escape in three Land Rovers by fighting their way back to the front line.

David, who was chosen as a representative for NATO’s Partnership in Peace programme, said: “We were hoping it was the last thing they expected. We were stirring up a massive hornets’ nest.”

When they got back to the front line, their Land Rovers were riddled with bullets.

A bullet went right through the vehicle and ripped through David’s trousers while another of his men had a bullet hole on a pistol he had strapped to his body.

He added: “Call it divine intervention if you’re religious but these crazy things do happen. Sometimes it’s possible to make it out of these situations against all odds.”

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DAVID Blakeley broke almost a decade of silence to tell his story after a struggle with the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

He was initially told that the book breached the Official Secrets Act.

But as he was no longer a serving soldier and had not signed a non disclosure agreement, Pathfinder managed to see the light of day.

“It was pretty much an untold story until now,” he said.

“It was clearly not in the MoD’s interest to expose the fact that nine of these elite troops were out there and they wouldn’t send in air support.

“I knew I had a battle on my hands. Nine years after the mission I don’t feel that the book poses any danger to operations and the public have a right to know.”

In fact, Dan Jarvis, the former Shadow Culture Secretary, said David’s mission changed the course of the Second Gulf War.

This was because when he got back he knew where all the Iraqi positions were in the area which helped the Americans plan a series of air strikes.

David, 34, added: “The first thing we did when we got back was jump in air and hug each other as we were amazed we were alive.

“But then we started pointing at a map and planning strategy.”

The operation also earned the unit two Military Crosses.

David said: “You try and keep out of the politics of whether or not we should have gone to Iraq but on a human level I know we made a difference to a lot of lives.

“It’s difficult to imagine what it’s like behind enemy lines but what brings you comfort is the complete trust of the men around you.”

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AT 21, David Blakeley became the army’s youngest captain since Sir Ranulph Fiennes.

His swift rise through the ranks started when he left Middlewich at 16 to train at Welbeck College in Nottinghamshire.

David, who lived in Hurdsfield Close until he was six, went to Sandhurst at 18 and became an officer the next year with the Parachute Regiment.

He served in Northern Ireland, Kosovo and Sierra Leone and was among the first British soldiers to be sent to Afghanistan post 9/11 to negotiate with Afghan warlords.

David said: “It was intense but even in the time we were there we began to see change.

“I always wanted to go into war zones and deal with complex situations in life and death scenarios.“If I didn’t do my job properly people could die so it gave me a clear and distinct purpose.”

One of his specialist skills was doing HALO (high altitude low opening) skydives to go undetected in enemy territory.

David added: “It was the James Bond style skydiving that people still see in Hollywood films.

“Sometimes when you’re falling at 150mph you think to yourself: ‘I can’t believe this is real’.”

But David had to leave the army after a serious injury in 2003 almost claimed his life.

He and his troops were searching for Iraqi artillery positions when his vehicle was flipped over, leaving him trapped with eight broken ribs and severe nerve damage in his right arm.

“It was like a vivid nightmare - I thought I was dead,” he said.

There was a hurried attempt to rescue him in total darkness as any light could alert the enemy.

David added: “I was told I was seconds away from death when I was rescued. Hearing that was very emotional.”

He recuperated at Headley Court and left the military in 2006.

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FREDERICK Forsyth inspired David Blakeley as a youngster - and now he has the ‘dream’ job of being the famous writer’s official consultant.

The Day of the Jackal author is working on what is thought to be his final novel and has asked David to help with some of the military details.

“It’s amazing, an absolute dream,” he said.

“Back in Middlewich I remember my dad giving me a copy of The Dogs of War. It was the most exciting book I read as a kid.”

The deal was made official when Frederick Forsyth took David to lunch at the Special Forces Club in Knightbridge.

David added: “It was one of the proudest days of my life. The first thing I asked him to do was sign a copy of The Day of the Jackal for my dad.”

David, who now lives in London, is signed to Independent Talent, the same agency as Daniel Craig, and works as a consultant to TV, film and video game companies.

He even has a TV show in development which he describes as being like ‘Bear Grylls with guns’.

Fans can also expect a follow-up to the Sunday Times bestseller Pathfinder when Maverick One comes out on May 13, 2013.

It will be about the selection process for becoming a Pathfinder trooper.

David Blakeley with Frederick Forsyth 42mdavidblakeley ===============

PRINCE Charles is among David Blakeley’s fans who paid tribute to his bravery and even sent him whisky as ‘medicine’ after his injury in 2003.

In a letter, he said: “I heard of the terrible accident that befell you in Iraq and just wanted to send you my very best wishes for a speedy recovery.

“My spies also tell me you had a narrow escape from a carefully aimed Iraqi bullet just the other day before your crash and that you were saved only be a lucky pair of trousers!

“The good Lord is obviously still smiling on you! I hope that despite your setbacks, you remain in good spirits and that the enclosed ‘medicine’ might help to raise them a bit...”