JoT
27-10-07, 16:10
This is a tale of how a matelot found himself fighting a land-war with 3 cdo Brigade.
My son was a Communications and IS Specialist in the Royal Navy and after temporarily taking leave of his senses in late 2002 he volunteered for a stint with 148 cdo Forward Observation Battery. With impeccable timing he joined 148 cdo at RM Poole in November 2002 and quickly realised that Lance-Bombardier's really enjoyed making sailors carry extraordinarily heavy packs over ridiculously long distances. Nevertheless he persisted getting his fitness levels up to standard for the All Arms Commando, Parachute and Naval Gunnery Support training. He proved to be a good shot with the SA-80 and was already good with a GPMG, a piece of kit that he was already familiar with, little did he know how useful this would be.
December arrived and he was informed his further training was postponed, the crisis in Iraq developed and 148 cdo along with 7 and 8 cdo Btys were off to the Gulf. Kicking his heels at RM Poole as his new colleagues started to disappear he was told by an officer to report to 8 cdo Bty at the Citadel to make up the numbers and that he probably wouldn't even leave Kuwait as he wasn't trained (I suspect those of you have been in the military know what's coming!)
8 cdo Bty were embarking on to the RFA Sir Tristram, a venerable old ship that any self respecting Jack wouldn't be seen dead on, after a few uncomfortable weeks he arrived in Kuwait, lots of running around, amphibious landing training and getting to know army communications kit and procedures (which he found comparatively easy compared to the navy) and thinking what a miserable place to be left behind in once the battery do move into Iraq. Orders came to move to Bubiyan Island where 8 cdo Bty would provide artillery support for the Al Faw landings. OK he thought I am still in Kuwait. It was on Bubiyan he was involved in an artillery barrage consisting of sixteen guns of 7 and 8 cdo Btys, the six 155mm howitzers of S Bty 15 MEU USMC, and six AS90's of 3 RHA, quite an experience for a sailor.
The 8 cdo Bty Recce Troop was formed for insertion by helicopter into Al Faw, his name was one of the first to be read out :eek: OK he thought, must be a mistake ... no mistake ... and as is the way he never complained and found himself on a Sea King speeding into Al Faw (with no ceramic plates in his armour and no Susat incidently). On the way he asked the Sergeant what he should do once they landed "what do you f'ing mean what should you do? didn't you do this at Lympstone?" ..... "No Sergeant I am just a matelot" Turns out that nobody had told 8 cdo Bty that he was not trained!
To cut a long story short they teamed up with some marines from 40 cdo and he followed the sergeants instructions not to "shoot any of our own men" and rejoining the battery when the guns arrived on the peninsula. He acquitted himself well with the Recce Troop and as a signalman and rejoined 148 cdo FO Bty policing Al Faw after 8 cdo Bty had run out of things to shoot at.
My son was a Communications and IS Specialist in the Royal Navy and after temporarily taking leave of his senses in late 2002 he volunteered for a stint with 148 cdo Forward Observation Battery. With impeccable timing he joined 148 cdo at RM Poole in November 2002 and quickly realised that Lance-Bombardier's really enjoyed making sailors carry extraordinarily heavy packs over ridiculously long distances. Nevertheless he persisted getting his fitness levels up to standard for the All Arms Commando, Parachute and Naval Gunnery Support training. He proved to be a good shot with the SA-80 and was already good with a GPMG, a piece of kit that he was already familiar with, little did he know how useful this would be.
December arrived and he was informed his further training was postponed, the crisis in Iraq developed and 148 cdo along with 7 and 8 cdo Btys were off to the Gulf. Kicking his heels at RM Poole as his new colleagues started to disappear he was told by an officer to report to 8 cdo Bty at the Citadel to make up the numbers and that he probably wouldn't even leave Kuwait as he wasn't trained (I suspect those of you have been in the military know what's coming!)
8 cdo Bty were embarking on to the RFA Sir Tristram, a venerable old ship that any self respecting Jack wouldn't be seen dead on, after a few uncomfortable weeks he arrived in Kuwait, lots of running around, amphibious landing training and getting to know army communications kit and procedures (which he found comparatively easy compared to the navy) and thinking what a miserable place to be left behind in once the battery do move into Iraq. Orders came to move to Bubiyan Island where 8 cdo Bty would provide artillery support for the Al Faw landings. OK he thought I am still in Kuwait. It was on Bubiyan he was involved in an artillery barrage consisting of sixteen guns of 7 and 8 cdo Btys, the six 155mm howitzers of S Bty 15 MEU USMC, and six AS90's of 3 RHA, quite an experience for a sailor.
The 8 cdo Bty Recce Troop was formed for insertion by helicopter into Al Faw, his name was one of the first to be read out :eek: OK he thought, must be a mistake ... no mistake ... and as is the way he never complained and found himself on a Sea King speeding into Al Faw (with no ceramic plates in his armour and no Susat incidently). On the way he asked the Sergeant what he should do once they landed "what do you f'ing mean what should you do? didn't you do this at Lympstone?" ..... "No Sergeant I am just a matelot" Turns out that nobody had told 8 cdo Bty that he was not trained!
To cut a long story short they teamed up with some marines from 40 cdo and he followed the sergeants instructions not to "shoot any of our own men" and rejoining the battery when the guns arrived on the peninsula. He acquitted himself well with the Recce Troop and as a signalman and rejoined 148 cdo FO Bty policing Al Faw after 8 cdo Bty had run out of things to shoot at.