Veteran takes on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins to prove RAF aren't just 'civilians in a blue suit'
An RAF veteran whose military career was ended when he lost his left arm in a mortar attack in Iraq has said he took part in Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins to prove that someone from the Royal Air Force "can cut it out there".
Speaking before the new series aired, retired Senior Aircraftman Jon-Allan Butterworth, who is now a paralympic cycling gold medallist, said many people saw him as just a "civilian in a blue suit" during his time in the RAF.
Some people he spoke to would assume his role as a Weapons Technician meant he was not in harm's way and his work was easier than someone in the Army.
He explained: "They find out you're RAF, they kind of go 'Oh, well, that's not the real military, you're basically a civilian'.
"So I suppose I kind of wanted to show that someone from the RAF can cut it out there."
SAC (Retd) Butterworth was keen to explain that he had become an engineer immediately after his basic training, so hadn't had any sort of special training that would give him an advantage over his competitors on the show.
He said of his time in the Vietnamese jungle: "I haven't done it before. I won't ever try and pretend that I'm something that I'm not."
SAC (Retd) Butterworth joined the RAF at 16 and trained to be a weapons engineer.
He lost his left arm in Iraq in August 2007 after a mortar exploded while he was driving down a road inside his base nicknamed 'Rocket Alley' in Basra due to the number of attacks.
The severely wounded airman was transferred back to the UK to begin a series of operations and rehab.
As the first British military athlete to win a gold medal in cycling at the Paralympics, SAC (Retd) Butterworth wanted to take on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins to encourage others with a disability to think outside the box and take on a challenge.
He said: "Losing my arm was the best thing that ever happened to me.
"I wanted to see whether I have what it takes to survive in a world the DS [Directing Staff] think is normal.
"It was a once in a lifetime opportunity that showed me that I have the mental strength to go further than I ever thought.
"And after losing my military career when I did, it was a nice reminder to just be back in that world again, to feel that camaraderie with the others."
For many who take part in SAS: Who Dares Wins, it's not the physical aspect of the brutal course that fazes them, but the toll it takes on their mental health.
This was one area SAC (Retd) Butterworth felt confident he would have an advantage, saying: "I didn't think I would get to any challenge and feel mentally it'd be too much for me or I would fall to bits.
"I think mentally I'm quite resilient.
"It was interesting actually because it almost took me back to that 16-year-old me doing basic training."
The veteran was in good company as the DS are all former members of the Armed Forces.
Chief instructor Billy Billingham is a jungle warfare expert, having run the course himself for many years, while DS Chris Oliver is a former Special Forces operator with 16 years' combat experience.
However, while the DS showed their respect for what SAC (Retd) Butterworth had endured since his injury, amputation and subsequent recovery, they didn't treat him differently from his fellow competitors.
The veteran wanted to prove himself to them, as he was in awe of what they were capable of, saying: "I was an engineer. In my eyes they're kind of on a pedestal, they are gods in a way.
"I've proved myself in sport, but then I was in their world, in their environment, so I wanted to prove myself in front of them."
And he was given plenty of opportunities to demonstrate his abilities.
At one stage, the recruits were tasked with fighting each other, and SAC (Retd) Butterworth was pitted against comedian Zoe Lyons, something he was unsure about at first because he said he would have preferred to fight a man.
However, his military training kicked in and got on with the task at hand, saying: "I do know that if that was in real combat and there was an enemy that was a female or a child, it's not a nice thing to do, but you kind of have to do it.
"I did have a laugh with Chris before about putting boxing gloves on, and I joked 'Do you have to put one on my little arm?'
"He laughed, and was like 'Stop it, get your head in your game' and then his last words were 'kill or be killed, just get it done' so that's what I did."
Channel 4's Celebrity: SAS Who Dares Wins starts on 26 September at 9:30pm. Future episodes will air on Sundays at 9pm from 1 October.
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