Queen’s message to Everest team
London :Queen Elizabeth II has sent a message of support to a group of injured servicemen attempting to climb Mount Everest, one of whom is from North Yorkshire.
Married father-of-two Captain David Wiseman, 29, from Tadcaster, was shot in the chest during a firefight with the Taliban in Afghanistan in November 2009.
He, along with four other current and former soldiers who suffered injuries while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, will aim to reach the 8,848m summit in May for the Walking With The Wounded charity.They are currently four days into a 10-day trek to Everest Base Camp at 5,267m.
The Queen’s letter reads: “Please accept my heartfelt good wishes to all members of the Walking With The Wounded team attempting to climb Mount Everest in May of this year.
“I am sure that this expedition will prove to be a remarkable experience for all those involved and I wish you every success.” It was signed Elizabeth R.
The Queen’s grandson, Prince Harry, is patron of the charity, and last year he joined an expedition for the first four days of a successful trip to the North Pole.
Everest expedition manager and North Pole veteran Martin Hewitt was shot twice through his right shoulder in Afghanistan in 2007, which paralysed his arm.
The 31-year-old former captain in the Parachute Regiment, from Widnes in Cheshire, said: “I’m humbled and feel very privileged to know that Her Majesty has written to us.”
The rest of the team is made up of Captain Francis Atkinson, Private Jaco van Gass and former Private Karl Hinett.
