by Sean Rayment
Brown, Lance Corporal Joe 28
Brunt, Lance Corporal Michael 117, 135
Burnett, Lance Corporal Clayton 28
Butler, Corporal Adam 117, 135, 138–9, 140–2, 144, 145, 147
Cameron, David 259
Camp Bastion xvii, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14–15, 18, 21–2, 27, 37, 40, 49, 51, 56, 57, 69, 79, 87, 88, 89, 91, 92, 93, 94, 98, 106, 107, 113, 145, 147, 148–9, 157, 158, 177, 196, 198, 216, 234, 252, 255, 256, 257, 258, 265
Camp Leatherneck 21
Campbell, Kingsman Andrew 106
Canadian troops 52, 90, 98, 254
Carter, Fusilier Louis xv–xvi
Cat A neutralization xviii, xix, xx, 65
Chah-e-Anjir 95, 100–1, 106, 107, 115
Chant, Regimental Sergeant Major Darren ‘Daz’ 179, 187, 188–9, 190, 191, 192, 194, 195, 196, 199, 200, 232
Chinook 15, 21, 28, 90, 93
Chiswell, Guardsman Robert 245
Clark, Guardsman David 233
Clark, Ranger Charlie 71
Claxton, Sergeant Dave 239
claymore mine, improvised 75, 153, 223
Coburn, Phil 4, 5, 97
Cowan, Brigadier James 75
Crossing Point One, Battle of 228–51
Culverhouse, Lance Corporal Liam 188, 191, 192–3, 198
Cumberland, Lance Sergeant Nathan 106, 127
Dalzell, Lieutenant Douglas 104–5
Danish troops 7, 14, 21, 37, 170
Dannatt, General Sir Richard 93, 256–7
Daoud, Lieutenant 184, 185
Darville, Guardsman Shaun 243
Davidson, Major Wayne 15
Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Munitions and Search School, Kineton 158, 166, 167, 266
Dobbin, Lieutenant Mike 181–4
Donaldson, Captain John 87
Dougerty, Sergeant Chris 232
Downes, Company Sergeant Major Pete 236
Driver, Captain Martin 176
Drops (Demountable Rack Offload and Pickup System) 76, 77
electronic counter-measures (ECM) 15, 28, 61, 116, 118, 119, 129, 132, 135, 156, 210, 262
embedded reporting 8–9, 51, 105, 150, 163–4, 228–9
Estonian troops 7, 250
Ezeray, Patrol Base 76
Farrell, Warrant Officer Class 1, Ian ‘Faz’ 96, 99
Five Tanks 95, 102
Forrest, Guardsman Warren 221–2
French, Sergeant Harry 174
front line 89–115, 102, 108
Fullarton, Lance Corporal James ‘Fully’ xiii–xvi, xix, xx–xxi
Fuller, Staff Sergeant Simon 204, 205, 206, 207, 209–10, 213–14, 215, 216, 262
Garmsir 157
Gereshk 14, 15, 37–9, 51, 109, 133, 143, 157, 170, 263
Gould, Major Tim 49, 51, 54, 57–64, 67, 69
Green Zone xiii, 14, 15, 43, 82, 90, 101, 107, 150, 206, 214, 215
Green, Major Richard 229, 234, 235, 236, 237, 240, 242, 245, 249, 250
Gulbuddin 191–4, 199, 229
Gumbesa, Operation 37–9
Hamer, Rupert 4, 5, 6, 11, 56, 90, 97, 125, 258–9
Harper, Lance Corporal Gareth 233
Helmand Province: arriving in 1–3, 6, 9; 243, 245, 270; bomb hunters in see bomb hunters; climate/conditions 3, 17, 25, 30–1, 32, 33, 38, 41, 44, 93, 111, 214–15, 232; IEDs in see IED; Taliban in see Taliban see also under individual area name
Helmand River xiii, xiv–xv, 101
Herrick 6, Operation 140
Herrick 7, Operation 141
Herrick 8, Operation 159
Herrick 9, Operation 159
Herrick 10, Operation 42, 143, 174
Herrick 11, Operation 34, 63, 81
Highway One 37
Hill, Lance Corporal James 91, 216
Hill, Lance Corporal Jody 76–7
HME (home-made explosive) xviii, 67–8, 85, 128, 143–4, 213, 218, 227
Homewood, Sapper Gareth ‘Gaz’ 117, 118, 135, 136
‘Hotel-18’ 75–6
Hughes, Staff Sergeant Kim xv, xvi–xx, xxi, 266–7
Hunt, Lance Sergeant 121, 122, 123, 147
Hurran, Corporal Andy 206, 207, 209
Hyde, Company Sergeant Major/Warrant Officer Class 2 (WO2), Pat 75, 76–80, 81, 151, 272–3
IED (Improvised Explosive Device): booby-trap devices 14, 85, 118, 124, 137, 138, 164, 171, 190, 211; capturing 29, 213; command 16–17, 18, 61–2, 80, 126, 151, 153–4, 156, 164, 263–4; construction of 18–19, 59–61; defusing see bomb hunters; dummy 75; Explosive Formed Projectiles 13; factories 7, 85–6; ‘force multiplier’ 157; forensic evidence 16, 17, 29, 33, 48–9, 138, 144, 161, 212, 217; high metal content 60, 67, 128; incident rates 7, 63–4, 178, 255; increased sophistication in 61–3, 87, 145–6, 253, 255; local population and 37–8, 61, 253; low metal content xix, 7, 61, 67, 128, 144–5, 172, 262; ‘killing zone’ 209; number dealt with by an individual ATOs 63–4; pressure-plate (PP) xiv, xix, 14, 18–19, 26, 31, 32–3, 35, 54, 59–60, 61, 75, 80, 85, 91, 108–9, 118, 126, 130, 136–7, 143, 151, 156, 158–9, 160, 161, 172, 208, 212; pressure-release (PR) 26–7, 29, 61, 161–2; psychological weapon 126, 157, 228; quality control 252, 253; radio-controlled 48, 61; render-safe procedure 48; robots used to deal with 66–7, 156; route-clearance 65–6, 74, 175, 190, 221, 252, 254; searching for xv, xvi, 7, 11, 15, 16, 18, 22, 23, 25–7, 28, 35, 38, 39, 43, 46, 54, 58, 64, 65, 70, 79, 80, 117, 119, 124, 126, 127, 129, 136, 139, 141, 150, 152, 168, 175, 177, 178, 203, 205, 206, 207, 210, 216, 219, 220, 264, 266–7; size of 67–8; surge in use/production of 7, 33, 62, 230; trip wire 62; using against Taliban 229; victim-detonated 51, 61, 62, 160, 264, 271; wooden 144–5
Illume, Team 143
incident control point (ICP) 17, 30, 31, 32, 35, 36, 50, 54, 80, 122, 126, 129, 131, 133, 134, 135, 137, 140, 141, 143, 144, 160, 207
Inkerman, FOB 11, 73–4, 76, 77, 78, 81, 140, 150, 151, 154, 163
IRA 43, 61, 62, 75, 105–6, 109, 172
Iran 13, 63, 87, 221, 253
Iraq 8, 12–13, 29, 57, 58, 59, 63, 65, 66, 72, 76, 87, 113, 114, 126, 165, 178, 204, 253
ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) 15, 35, 37, 42, 64, 70, 86, 98, 103, 157, 180, 182, 197, 230, 232
Israel, Commander 184–5
ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance) 78, 85
Jackson, FOB 44, 46, 79, 81
James, Major Andrew 199
Janes, Guardsman James 232, 233–4, 235–6
Jones, Corporal Stewart 28, 31, 32, 35
Kabul 5, 76, 215, 231, 254, 260
Kajaki 19, 75, 144
Kalshal Kalay 85
Kandahar 2, 10, 257, 258
Karzai, Hamid 221
Keenan, FOB 37–9
Khan, Habiullah 100, 225, 226
Kirkpatrick, Corporal Jamie 263
Kitson, Lieutenant Colonel Nick 75, 79
Knight, Sapper Bradley 07–8, 210
Kuku, Captain Florinin 108–9
Lacey, Corporal Richard 119, 138
land mines 19, 29, 88, 157
Lashkar Gah 94, 157, 182, 250
Ley, Staff Sergeant Karl ‘Badger’ 23, 24, 27–40, 41–2, 52, 53, 54, 55–6, 63, 67, 165, 174, 271–2
Lindsay-German, Major Iain 84, 217
Linley, Staff Sergeant Brett 265
Loader, Guardsman Steve 188, 192, 201–2
Loader, Sergeant Thomas 239, 241, 245
Lockett, Sergeant Michael 11
Luy Mandah 229, 231–51, 236, 240, 250
Lyons, Guardsman Pete ‘Treacle’ 188, 191, 192, 202
Major, Guardsman James 188, 192, 201
Malvern, Patrol Base 263, 264
Marjah 98–9
Markland, Warrant Officer Class 2 (WO2), Dave 37, 38, 39, 53, 55, 163, 164
Marlton-Thomas, Corporal Loren ‘Loz’ 133, 134, 135, 138, 139, 141, 142, 163
Mastiff armoured troop carriers 24–5, 30, 65–6, 74, 76, 77, 78, 96, 114, 119, 141, 144, 151, 152, 159, 164, 170, 178, 183, 21
2, 227, 234, 235, 242, 245, 246, 249, 250, 261, 262, 263, 270
McAleese, Sergeant Paul 267
McChrystal, General Stanley 95, 98, 230
McCluggage, Corporal 129
McDonald, Guardsman Reiss 243, 245
McLean, Lance Corporal Adam 207
Mellors, Sapper Guy 163
Merry, Corporal Arianne 205–6, 207, 213
Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle 4, 5, 97
Minimise, Operation 21
Ministry of Defence (MoD) 2, 8, 9, 105, 165, 166, 178
Mohammed, Wali 225–6
Moshtarak, Operation 53–4, 81–7, 97–9, 101, 113, 163, 252
Muir, Staff Sergeant Chris 59
Musa Qala 20, 24–33, 35–6, 61, 63, 68, 143, 145, 156–60, 170, 176
MUV mine 160
Nad-e’Ali 45, 46, 54, 82, 87, 93–105, 116–47, 164, 168, 169, 170, 177, 179–203, 204–27, 214, 225, 226, 229, 231, 261, 269
Nahr-e-Burgha canal 119, 187, 231
Nahr-e-Seraj 263, 265
Namarua, Lance Corporal Peniasi ‘Nammers’ 188, 198–9, 202
National Directorate of Security, Afghanistan 225
NATO 2, 61, 69, 81, 91–2, 93, 98, 103, 109, 126, 145, 158, 167, 178, 213, 219, 228, 231, 246, 253, 254, 255, 259, 260
Noorhouse, Corporal Harry 238
Northern Ireland 3, 13, 29, 32, 33, 42, 43, 49, 58, 62, 63, 65, 66, 76, 105–6, 114, 126, 164, 221
O’Connor, Corporal Kelly 71, 79, 83
O’Donnell, Warrant Officer Class 2 (WO2), Gary ‘Gaz’ 1, 11–20, 22, 35, 45, 53, 163, 170, 178
O’Dwyer, Staff Sergeant Kev 117, 118, 119, 122, 123, 124, 126, 127–30, 131, 135, 136, 137, 141, 145–6, 147, 152, 171
O’Malley, Heathcliff 87, 102
Oakland, Corporal James 143
Pakistan 87, 169, 221, 254
Paladin Teams 160–1, 167
Panther’s Claw (Panchai Palang), Operation 42, 231
Parker, Corporal Ronnie 238
Pearson, Guardsman Jordan 233, 245
Pendlebury, Lance Corporal Gaz 242
Perkins, Dan 174
Petraeus, General David 95, 254
Pienaar, Sapper Richie 116, 117, 125, 126, 131, 132–3, 134–5, 136, 139, 147, 152, 153
Pimon, Patrol Base 128, 250, 214, 215–16
Pointon, Sergeant Rob 245
Potter, Sapper Harry 266
Price, FOB 51
RAF 2–3, 4, 21, 22, 89, 93, 166, 258, 259
Rawlings, Lieutenant Alex 232
Read, Captain Dan 51, 63, 143, 150, 163, 170
Rice, Lieutenant Paddy 107
Ridgeback armoured vehicle 95–6, 97
Robinson, FOB xiv
Rose, Guardsman 238
Rossiter, Lance Corporal Joe 116, 119, 132, 135, 210
Route 611 73, 74, 75, 76, 150, 163
Route Dorset 170
Route Jupiter 236–7, 238, 242, 247
route-clearance 65–6, 74, 175, 190, 221, 252, 254
Rowe, Lance Corporal Ken 11
Royal Engineer Search Advisor (RESA) xvi, 15, 22, 30, 31, 37, 82, 117–18, 121, 127, 152, 171, 204, 205, 206, 207, 209–10, 213–14, 215, 216, 262
Royal Military College, Sandhurst 51, 188
Sangin xiii–xxi, 6, 11, 35, 41, 42–50, 68, 72–81, 94, 105, 140, 143, 150–4, 157, 163, 169–70, 265
Sayedabad 82–6, 99
Schmid, Christina 49, 50
Schmid, Staff Sergeant Olaf xvii, 41–51, 52, 53, 74, 133, 143, 149, 150, 162–3, 164–5, 170
Shahzad, Patrol Base 99, 107
Shankar, Corporal Israel 208
Shawqat, FOB 82, 87, 93, 94–5, 97, 115, 116, 120, 148–9, 177, 192, 196, 198, 199, 206, 214, 215, 221, 224, 225, 226, 252, 261, 263
Shelton, Guardsman Josh 235
Shepherd, Captain Daniel xviii, 44, 53, 170
Shepherd, Lieutenant Craig 236, 237–9, 241, 242, 243, 244, 245, 246, 247, 248, 249–51, 270
Shields, Guardsman Peter 238, 245
Shin Kalay 186–7, 190, 226
Shorabak, Camp 91
shuras 4, 86, 100–1
Smith, Sapper Mark 265
Snatch vehicles 13, 78, 91, 114
Streatfield, Major Richard 75
Sunday Telegraph 87
Swan, Captain Rob 70–2, 79, 80, 81, 82–3, 84, 85–7, 174
Taliban: adaptability 60–1, 75, 76, 128; Afghan people and 86–7, 101–2, 152; ambushes xviii, 4, 11, 18, 24, 25, 35, 43, 69, 75, 76, 77, 79, 97, 99, 102, 106–7, 110, 119, 128, 170, 181, 182, 184, 215, 229, 230, 235, 237, 263, 270; casevac procedures. Taliban target British Army xviii, 44, 69, 169, 170–1, 229–30, 234–5; children, recruitment of 75, 256; ‘dicking’ 70, 76, 153, 154, 169; IED production see IED and under individual area name; media-savvy 253; outside help 76, 87, 221; prisoners 244–5; scrutiny screen 70–1; snipers 6, 32, 63, 102, 107, 169, 174, 232, 237, 239; suicide attacks 11, 91, 223; surface-to-air missiles 2; tactics and strategy 18, 60–1, 75, 76, 218–19, 232, 253–4
Talisman programme 65, 66
Tangiers, Patrol Base 44
Tapa Parang, Patrol Base 111
Task Force Paladin 160
Taylor-Allen, Sapper Dan 117, 135, 144–5, 153
Telford, Sergeant Matthew 187, 190, 191, 192, 195, 196, 198, 199, 201
Thomson, Lieutenant Colonel Rob 51
Thornloe, Lieutenant Colonel Rupert 231
Tor Shezada, Operation 99
Total, Lieutenant Colonel Stuart 157
Tracey, Sergeant Roderick 238
United States forces 4, 5, 7, 21, 52, 74, 81, 90, 91–2, 95, 98, 99, 112, 156, 160, 167, 168, 231
Vallon mine detectors 14, 25, 26, 27, 31, 42, 60, 108, 124, 125, 131, 132, 152, 171, 207, 208, 210, 221, 222, 224, 232, 233, 238, 261, 264
Waheed, FOB 231, 234, 235, 240, 245, 250–1
Walker, Lieutenant Colonel Roly 95, 97, 99–102, 179–80, 185–7, 189, 196–7, 199, 200, 269–70
Walton, Guardsman David 108
Ward, Sergeant Pete xvi
Warrior vehicle 128, 177, 204, 205, 206, 207, 211, 212, 214, 215, 218, 219, 222, 223, 224
Watson, Sapper Dave 11, 143, 163–4
weapons intelligence specialist 33, 206
Webster-Smith, Nicholas 187, 191, 192, 195, 198, 201
Wheelchair, Patrol Base 44
Wishtan, Patrol Base 44, 46