Looking back, he reckoned that he and his comrades had written an important new chapter in the history of 3 Para. It was a feeling that everyone shared. The Paras’ deep awareness of their antecedents had helped to carry them through. ‘You never quite know whether you are going to be able to match the reputation that precedes you,’ said 3 Para’s RSM, John Hardy. ‘But the men lived up to everything we have done in the past, all that and more.’ The essential characteristic of the war they had been fighting was its repetitiveness. ‘You have had a good look at the dragon and he has had a good look at you and you go back again,’ Hardy said.
At the time of writing the war in Afghanistan is open-ended. Britain’s ambassador in Kabul has said our involvement could last thirty years. In Colchester, preparations are already under way for another deployment. The Paras are approaching it with an enthusiasm that seems undiminished by their recent ordeal. There are no dramas. They are just cracking on. ‘It’s what we do,’ said John Hardy.
* See Honours and Awards annexe.
Acronyms and Abbreviations
A-10 A-10 Thunderbolt jet (aka ‘Warthog’ and ‘Tankbuster’)
ANA Afghan National Army
ANP Afghan National Police
CAP Company Aid Post
CIMIC Civil–Military Cooperation
CO Commanding officer
DfID Department for International Development
FAC Forward Air Controller
FAO Forward Artillery Observer
FCO Foreign and Commonwealth Office
FLE Forward Logistic Element
FOB Forward Operating Base
FSG Fire Support Group
GPMG General Purpose Machine Gun
GPS Global Positioning System
HAHO High Altitude High Opening jumps
HALO High Altitude Low Opening jumps
HCR Household Cavalry Regiment
HE High Explosive
HLS Helicopter landing site
IED Improvised explosive device
IRT Immediate Response Team
ISAF International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan
ISTAR Intelligence, Signals, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance
JDAM Joint Direct Attack Munition
JOC Joint Operational Command
JTAC Joint Tactical Air Controller
LAV Light armoured vehicle
LMG Light machine gun
MO Medical Officer
MoD Ministry of Defence
MOG Manoeuvre Outreach Group
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
NGO Non-governmental organisation
OC
Officer Commanding
OEF Operation Enduring Freedom
OMLT Operational Mentoring Liaison Team
OP Observation post
OTC Officer Training Corps
PJHQ Permanent Joint Headquarters
PKM The Russian-made equivalent to the British GPMG, often
used by the Taliban
PRR Personal Role Radio
PRT Provincial Reconstruction Team
QIP Quick-impact project
R&R Rest and recreation
RAP Regimental Aid Post
RHA Royal Horse Artillery
RIRISH Royal Irish Regiment
RLC Royal Logistics Corps
RPG Rocket-propelled grenade
RSM Regimental sergeant major
Snatch Armoured Land Rover
SUSAT Sight Unit, Small Arms, Trilux
UAV Unmanned Air Vehicle
UN United Nations
USAID United States Agency for International Development
WMIK Weapons Mount Installation Kit
WP White phosphorus
Honours and Awards
Victoria Cross
Corporal Bryan James Budd, The Parachute Regiment (killed in action)
George Cross
Corporal Mark William Wright, The Parachute Regiment (killed in action)
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Brigadier Edward Adam Butler DSO MBE, Late The Royal Green Jackets
Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Lieutenant Colonel Richard Friedrich Patrick Felton MBE, Army Air Corps
Colonel Martin Nicholas Nadin, Late Royal Army Medical Corps
Member of the Order of the British Empire
Lieutenant Colonel Steven Peter Walter Boyd, Corps of Royal Engineers
Major Sean Michael Burke, The Royal Irish Regiment
Captain Marcus James Dicks, The Royal Rifle Volunteers Territorial Army
Major David James Eastman, Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
Major Huw Spencer Williams, The Parachute Regiment
Distinguished Service Order
Major Paul Alan Blair, The Parachute Regiment
Lieutenant Colonel Stuart John Craig Tootal OBE, The Parachute Regiment
Conspicuous Gallantry Cross
Lieutenant Hugo James Edward Farmer, The Parachute Regiment
Acting Captain Timothy Holden Illingworth, The Light Infantry
Lance Corporal of Horse Andrew Geoffrey Radford, The Life Guards
Military Cross
Captain Douglas Ricardo Beattie, The Royal Irish Regiment
Flight Lieutenant Matthew Kenneth Carter, Royal Air Force
Second Lieutenant Oliver Dale, The Parachute Regiment
Corporal of Horse Michael John Flynn CGC, The Blues and Royals
Staff Corporal Shaun Keith Fry, The Life Guards
Corporal Stuart James Giles, The Parachute Regiment
Lance Corporal Karl Wayne Jackson, The Parachute Regiment
Private Peter McKinley, The Parachute Regiment
Major Giles Matthew Timms, The Parachute Regiment
Captain Patrick James Williams, The Blues and Royals
Private Mark James Wilson, The Parachute Regiment
Distinguished Flying Cross
Major Mark Christopher Hammond, Royal Marines
Flying Officer Christopher Michael Haslar, Royal Air Force
Squadron Leader John Finbar Monahan, Royal Air Force
Flight Lieutenant Craig Thomas Wilson, Royal Air Force
George Medal
Lance Corporal Paul Hartley, Royal Army Medical Corps
Queen’s Gallantry Medal
Corporal Stuart Henry Pearson, The Parachute Regiment
Royal Red Cross 2nd Class
Captain Catherine McWilliam, Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps
Mention in Despatches
Captain Matthew Anthony William Armstrong, Royal Regiment of Artillery
Lieutenant Nichol James Emslie Benzie, Royal Navy
Private Johnnie Chad Bevans, The Parachute Regiment
Warrant Officer Class 2 Michael John Bolton, The Parachute Regiment
Warrant Officer Class 2 Karl Terence Brennan, Royal Regiment of Artillery
Captain Alexander John Eida, Royal Regiment of Artillery (killed in action)
Captain Mark Richard Eisler, The Parachute Regiment
Corporal Stephen John Farling, The King’s Royal Hussars
Lieutenant Thomas David Fehley, The Parachute Regiment
Rifleman Ganesh Gurung, The Royal Gurkha Rifles
Warrant Officer Class 2 Trilochan Gurung, The Royal Gurkha Rifles
Corporal Benjamin Stephen Hall, Royal Army Medical Corps
Private Stephen James Halton, The Parachute Regiment
Lieutenant Martin Joseph Hewitt, The Parachute Regiment
Lieutenant Paul Ronald Hollingshead, The Royal Gurkha Rifles
Sergeant Daniel Jarvie, The Parachute Regiment
Warrant Officer Class 2 Thomas Heron Johnstone, Army Air Corps
Corporal Kailash Khebang, The Royal Gurkha Rifles
Sergeant Carl Frederick Lane, The Parachute Regiment
Warrant Officer Class 2 Zachary Adam Leong, The Parachute Regiment
Captain Alexander Ja
mes Mackenzie, The Parachute Regiment
Lance Corporal Luke Edward Patrick McCulloch, The Royal Irish Regiment (killed in action)
Warrant Officer Class 1 Christopher Paul Mulhall, Army Air Corps
Rifleman Nabin Rai, The Royal Gurkha Rifles
Staff Sergeant James George Rankine, Corps of Royal Engineers
Warrant Officer Class 2 Andrew Kenneth Schofield, The Parachute Regiment
Major Toby Patrick Oughtred Till, Coldstream Guards
Sergeant Daniel Cameron Baxter, Royal Air Force
Sergeant Graham Martin Jones, Royal Air Force
Squadron Leader Michael John Woods, Royal Air Force
Queen’s Commendation for Bravery
Lance Bombardier Daniel Mark Byrne, Royal Regiment of Artillery
Warrant Officer Class 1 Andrew Steven Gee, The Royal Logistics Corps
Corporal Nicholas James Grant, Royal Army Medical Corps
Warrant Officer Class 2 Andrew John Stedman, The Royal Logistics Corps
Queen’s Commendation for Bravery in the Air
Senior Airman Jason Broline, United States Air Force
Staff Sergeant Cameron Hystad, United States Air Force
Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service
Colour Sergeant Stuart Bell, The Parachute Regiment
Captain Nigel John Bishop, The Parachute Regiment
Brigadier Nicholas Roy Davies MBE MC, Late The Parachute Regiment
Lance Corporal Adam Spencer Fear, Royal Corps of Signals
Lieutenant Colonel Martin Andrew Fenn, MBE, Corps of Royal Engineers
Colonel Charles Peter Huntley Knaggs OBE, Late Irish Guards
Major Piers Guy Beresford Strudwick, The Royal Regiment of Scotland
Wing Commander Richard Francis John Clifford, Royal Air Force
Peter Thorpe was posthumously promoted to Sergeant.
Acknowledgments
Most of the events in this story were told to me first-hand by the people who took part in them. To everyone who appears in these pages my deep thanks for your recollections, insights and observations. I owe a special debt to Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Tootal of 3 Para for making the project possible. Also to Captain Martin Taylor for his patience and diligence. The team at HarperCollins, led by Annabel Wright, were, as usual, superbly professional. In Kabul, Tom Coghlan kindly provided me with material on Helmand politics. A huge thank you to Cindy Utley for transcribing the interviews. And to Henrietta for everything.
Read On …
If you enjoyed 3 Para, why not read Ground Truth, the searing account of 3 Para’s return to Afghanistan two years after their initial deployment to Helmand Province?
Buy Ground Truth eBook
Index
The pagination of this electronic edition does not match the edition from which it was created. To locate a specific passage, please use the search feature of your e-book reader.
Aden 207
Afghan National Army (ANA) 50, 54, 56, 86, 93, 94, 137, 211–12, 263
Afghan National Police (ANP) 52–3, 55–6, 96–7, 108, 117–18, 132, 149, 151–2, 153–4, 157, 158, 159, 165, 182, 184–5, 187, 188, 195, 203, 211–2, 238, 239, 240
Afghan Wars 21, 38
Afghanistan 13, 113
Command arrangements in 42, 44–5
deployment to 9, 19, 37
police support 132, 134–5
stabilisation of 25–6
terrorist connections 25
Aggrey, Charlie 188
air support 28, 52, 53, 71
A-10 Tankbusters 7, 64, 76, 81, 92, 102, 105, 177, 187, 190, 233, 241, 250, 251, 264
Apache attack helicopters 6, 7, 28, 53, 64, 65, 66–7, 89, 92, 98, 104, 123–4, 141, 156, 173, 177, 178, 190, 225, 249, 250, 264
B-1 bombers 76, 155, 241
Black Hawks 3, 5, 91, 248
CH-47 Chinooks 3, 4, 5–6, 7, 13, 28, 34, 53, 58, 59–60, 67–9, 82, 83, 89, 92, 93, 109, 123, 156, 173, 174–6, 177, 188, 237, 246–7, 248, 249, 250
Harriers 162, 173, 216, 219, 220, 251
Hercules C-130 transports 28, 34, 133–4, 173
Nimrod reconnaissance aircraft 251
Predator UAV 173
Spectre gunship 7, 137, 173, 177, 250
UA-60 helicopter 174
Akhtar village 153
Akhunzada, Sher Mohammed 50, 153
Akunzada, Amir 50, 52
al-Qaeda 26, 63, 265
Ali, Private Bashir 68
Aliz’ay 64
American troops 43, 44, 45, 207
at Kajaki dam 95
attacks on 53, 54
Combined Joint Task Force 76, 171
convoy incident 155–6
deployment to Musa Qaleh 149–51
and hunt for high-value targets 63
and Operation Augustus 171, 178
opposition to Musa Qalehagreement 258, 267
Poor Bastards’ Club 86
rescue mission for 88–94
‘shock and awe’ strategy 24
Anderton, Bombardier Ray 242
Anna (‘Combat Barbie’) 228–9
ANP Hill 182, 188–92, 265
armoured vehicles
Humvees 89, 91
Land Rovers 52, 57
LAVs 177, 203
Pinzgauer troop carriers 52, 58, 99, 168
Scimitars 28, 166, 217
Snatch Land Rovers 64, 99, 116, 117
Spartans 6, 28, 166, 217, 250
Armstrong, Captain Matt 76, 81, 119, 124
Armstrong, Ranger Ricky 230, 231
Attwell, Lance Corporal Gav 66
Baghran 51, 152
Barlow, Fusilier Andy 4, 247
Basra 22
Bedford, Lieutenant Simon 139
Belfast 39–40
Bell, Colour Sergeant Stuart 176, 235
Benzie, Lieutenant Nichol 174
Berry, Captain Jim 264
Bishop, Regimental Sergeant Major
Nigel 17, 133, 172
Blair, Major Paul 19, 46, 99, 100, 101, 102, 177, 178
Blair, Prime Minister Tony 26
Blakey, Corporal Tom 151
Bloody Sunday (1972) 37
Bolton, Sergeant Major Mick 104
Bosnia 47
Brannigan, Sergeant Patrick 227, 229
Briggs, Private Philip 79, 90
British Army Units
Cavalry
Household Cavalry Regiment 28, 200, 209, 213, 219, 224
Life Guards 213
Infantry
3 Commando Brigade 264
12 Mechanised Brigade 267
16 Air Assault Brigade 28, 44, 52, 128, 148
13 Air Assault Regiment 168
Black Watch 209
Grenadier Guards 19
Guards regiments 14
Mortar Platoon 14
Parachute Regiment 21–2, 42
1 Para 9, 17, 207
2 Para 30
4 Para 18
Pegasus (P) Company 11–12, 223
Queen’s Own Highlanders 16
Royal Greenjackets 42
Royal Gurkha Rifles 28, 50, 181, 183, 185–92, 203, 208
2nd Battalion 56
11 Platoon 183, 190
12 Platoon 116, 117, 191
D Company 182, 183, 186, 192
Royal Irish Regiment (R IRISH) 2–3, 6, 9, 50, 249, 252, 259, 261
1st Battalion 167–9
9 Platoon 99
Barossa Platoon 236
Somme Platoon 227, 231–6, 236, 239
Royal Regiment of Fusiliers 50, 147
2nd Battalion 265
A Company 190, 192
Yorkshire Regiment, 2nd Battalion (Green Howards) 14–15
Support Arms
14 Signals Regiment 128
16 Close Support Medical
Regiment 28
23 Engineer Regiment 28
Army Air Corps 123–4
Royal Electrical and MechanicalEngineers 28
Royal Engineers 210–11
Royal Regiment of Artillery
29 Commando 87
32 Regiment 87
Support Services
Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) 42
Royal Logistics Corps (RLC) 28, 168
Brown, Private Paul 125
Budd, Corporal Bryan 208–10, 218–22, 268
Burton, Sergeant Dave 149
Butler, Brigadier Ed 44–5, 50, 111, 163, 165, 201, 202, 254–5, 257, 258–9, 266
Caldwell, Sergeant Paddy 226
Camp Bastion 2, 3, 5, 6, 13, 33–4, 36, 47, 54, 57, 59, 60, 93, 102, 109, 124, 126–7, 165, 173, 175, 183, 219, 237, 246, 249–50
‘Camp Shit Hole’ (Sangin) 232, 235
Canadian troops 27, 31, 44, 45, 49, 57, 150, 162, 167–8, 172, 177, 178, 200, 202, 203
Carter, Flight Lieutenant Matt 176
Cartwright, Corporal Stephen ’Hoss’ 125
Cash, Lieutenant Colonel Andy 123–4
casualties
Afghan 52–3, 54, 66, 82, 107, 121, 149, 188, 256
American 88, 91
British 3–7, 87, 116–17, 124–31, 139–45, 166, 168, 176, 209, 214, 216, 218–20, 226, 231, 243–4, 245–51, 252, 265
Danish 163–4
Fijian 243, 252
French 54
Ghurkhas 190, 192
Taliban 3, 68, 75, 77, 92, 102, 104, 116, 134, 147, 191, 192, 212, 216, 220, 231, 241
Catterick 11, 15
Chinese Restaurant 224–6
Churchill, Sir Winston 9, 24
Civil–Military Cooperation (CIMIC) 42, 46
Colchester Barracks 14, 19, 28, 130, 249, 268–9
Company Aid Post (CAP) 125, 127, 142–3, 144
Cook, Corporal Jack 191
Cork, Private Mark 119
Couper, Captain Emma 46–7
Craig, Lance Corporal Alex 247
Curnow, Corporal Charlie 80–1, 141, 218, 219
Cutts, Private Andrew Barrie 168–9
Cyprus 147, 190, 265
Dale, Lieutenant Ollie 224–5
Danish troops 162, 163–5, 167, 168, 227, 228–9, 231, 235, 236–7
1 Danish Light Reconnaissance Squadron 227, 238
Dannatt, General Sir Richard 254
Daoud, Governor Mohammedappointment of 49–50
British expectations of 201–2
character of 110–11, 153
concerns about the Taliban 178
3 Para Page 30