He may have spent his time on the frontline dodging bullets and roadside bombs, but Shrewsbury soldier Mike Hubbard also managed to develop his photography talents on the most graphic stage of all.
The 31-year-old rifleman, who grew up and still lives in Belvidere, feared his dream of serving in the armed forces was over as soon as it had begun after injuring his back during his first 
year of service.
The teenager was forced to put his dream on hold and it was during this period that Mike developed his interest in photography as he worked for the Buttermarket night club in the town.
He eventually joined the Territorial Army at Copthorne Barracks in 2005 and less than a year later was fighting Taliban insurgents on the frontline in Basra, Iraq.
His regiment, 4 Mercian, was then sent out for a second stint in March 2009, but this time in the war-torn Helmand Province in Afghanistan where they set up home in Camp Bastion. There were 40 soldiers split over two patrol bases, which were effectively mud compounds, and they would regularly fight running battles with the enemy Taliban troops in sweltering 40 degrees centigrade temperatures for 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
He said: “We really were right on the frontline fighting off Taliban attacks and there were some very difficult and trying times, as well as some good times too. We literally lived off rations and bottles of water and would only have a satellite telephone to use every now and again.
“It was a case of working 24/7 during our time out there because it was simply too hot to sleep in the day and then on the night we were on patrol duties so we just never stopped.
“Sometimes the Taliban were within just 100 metres of you and there was the potential to be shot at, at any time – one of the lads was shot in the shoulder on one occasion but luckily injuries were all we ever picked up.”
During his fight for survival, where he also helped locals to re-build their school and set up 50 fresh water wells in the area, Mike would take pictures of his incredible experiences as an impressive portfolio of work gathered momentum.
“I always had my camera with me in my rucksack but I obviously only got it out when it was safe to do so – it was a brilliant place for me to develop my work though as I had effectively transferred my skills from a club to the army frontline.”
After returning in September last year, the BT account manager found several of his photos had been shortlisted for a prestigious army award which he then went on to win – becoming the 2009 amateur army photographer of the year. From initially taking casual pictures of DJs in clubs, Mike has recently learned a collection of his photographs will feature in London’s Imperial War Museum later this year, as part of an exhibition on the current conflicts.
That was where it really started sinking in for Mike, who described his ‘privilege’ at having his work displayed in such a famous war museum.
But the whirlwind year hasn’t stopped there for Mike, as he was then asked to transfer to the media operations group of the army which is a specialist unit made up of the national media. It will see him trained in photo and video fields with the opportunity to go back to Afghanistan in his new role.
“It’s been a really mad year for me and it’s such a great achievement to be joining the specialist unit which only has about 100 people in it countrywide, and who knows I may have to go back out there eventually but this time I will be following all the action.”
And as if all that wasn’t enough to keep Mike occupied, he recently set up his own photography business in the garage of his home.
It will certainly help him hone his skills ready for the next time he is required to tell a hundred stories through his remarkable frontline images.
By David Seadon