A BRAVE injured serviceman from Great Missenden is the first to enjoy a well-deserved family getaway to the sun under a scheme set up by the charity Afghan Heroes.

Captain Anthony Harris, 31, flew to Sunningdale Village resort in Tenerife last weekend with his wife Elizabeth and two children, Felix, 5, and Emily, 3. The holiday was courtesy of holiday company Club La Costa World (CLC World) and made possible by the Give Us Time project, an initiative launched last June.

Capt Harris, of 2nd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, served his sixth tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2009. Seriously wounded after an improvised explosive device (IED) hit his Jackal armoured patrol vehicle, Capt Harris lost his lower left leg.

Give Us Time, set up by Afghan Heroes, encourages holiday home owners and companies to donate weeks of holiday for armed service families to recuperate from the traumas of combat. Since its database launched, nearly ten years’ worth of holiday time has been pledged.

CLC World managing director Martyn Aldridge said: "We warmly applaud this initiative and are delighted to play our part. It is important to show our appreciation for the difficult work carried out by our service personnel, and to support their families."

Capt Harris himself is deeply committed to raising funds for service charities. Thanking them and his unit, he called his selection a "great privilege", describing Give Us Time as a "great initiative".

He added: "It allows families time and space to bond again after often life-changing situations. When I was injured it was a huge shock. After the tumultuous last three years, this will be a welcome break for us."

Denise Harris, founder of Afghan Heroes, lost her son Lee in Afghanistan. She welcomed the "fantastic response and generosity" to Give Us Time, commenting: "The holiday that Captain Harris and his family enjoys will be just the first. We can now help a huge number of service families whose lives have been affected to spend quality time together."