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James, of Reconnaissance Platoon, 3rd Battalion The Rifles, said "My first thought was, 'I hope this doesn't hurt too much'.
"And then I thought, 'I've really only got one chance to do this. If it fails, either way, I'm going to get the same amount of hurt'.
"So I picked it up and threw it off the roof.
"We were in a high position on a compound roof. There was no way you could throw yourself off and not get injured, so I made a decision to pick up the grenade and throw it.
"I tried to throw it properly, to clear the roof."
The grenade exploded in the air only yards from the British Army troops and James suffered minor injuries to his face and right arm.
Platoon Commander Captain Graeme Kerr was hit in the leg by shrapnel and was later flown to Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham.
James, from New Zealand, said of the incident, in Sangin on March 3 "People keep telling me how brave I am.
"I'd like to think that anyone in that situation would have done the same or something similar because you can't just sit there and let yourself or other people get hurt."
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