British helicopters in Iraq - from Hugh Sykes.
"In southern Iraq, when the British were there, as many 'movements' as possible between the airbase five miles out in the desert and bases in Basra city were by helicopter, to minimise attacks on the roads. This was my view out of the open side of, I think, a Sea King over the southern Iraqi desert.
"Hitching a lift to Basra a troop carrier Chinook - I was on my way to meet some Iraqi police trainees and their British 'mentors' at the 'Basra Palace' base by the Shatt al Arab."
But I did have to travel by road sometimes. Once, the 'snatch' Land Rover I was travelling in broke down in the desert in the dark. The headlights stayed on, and we would have been an easy target. Another Land Rover had to tow us into Basra.
This is the poorly Land Rover being pushed out of the way when we'd reached the Shatt al Arab 'hotel'. Another day, one of my military escorts became extremely angry and distressed in a Discovery Land Rover near the Shaiba logistics base, when he couldn't open his front passenger door. Wearing full body armour and kit, and carrying his rifle, he climbed head-first out of the window. "What if that happened in an ambush?!" he screamed. The air was so 'blue' I couldn't even attempt to use the recording. It turned out that the Discovery had been in a road accident, and a dent close to the door hinge had not been properly repaired."
"Important message on the wall in a lounge in the Shatt al Arab hotel base. At least fifteen of the 179 British soldiers killed in Iraq died in road accidents."
(PICTURE BELOW) "Hard to believe now - travelling near Basra in an open-topped Land Rover in 2004, after serious attacks by the militia had begun. That's my press officer Lt. Commander 'Aj' Ajala - who was busy learning Arabic whenever he had any spare time."
Listen to PM
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~01~RS~)
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They don't make Land Rovers like they used to! Makes you wonder if they deserve the financial support they're going to get!
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Helicopter situation is a scandal.
Make sure you listen to Sarah Montague's fantastically brilliant interview on this morning's 'Today Programme' with Sir Richard Dannatt.
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Are there any?
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lBG 2, Does Dannatt eat Dunkin's or Krispy Kreme's?
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Some interesting recollections, Hugh, particularly the last one.
Hope you're ssfely tucked up while posting these and not on frontline duty in Afghanistan.
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"It turned out that the Discovery had been in a road accident, and a dent close to the door hinge had not been properly repaired."
That's a maintenance issue and whether people are following the correct procedures. It's normally the responsibility of the driver as well, that they carries out checks on a vehicle before taking it out.
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Hugh re This was my view out of the open side of, I think, a Sea King over the southern Iraqi desert.
I think it may be a Puma of 33 Sqdn.
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Isn't this talk of insufficient helicopters a story to divert us from realising this is a war we are losing?
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DiY: Respect!
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Big Sis ??
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TR 8, That and saying that we are there to insure a safe election. Or to keep terrorists off the streets of London.
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DIW 7, Anorak.
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D_M 12, no, ex RAF!
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Can these Helicopters not be flown/moved to Afghanistan once we leave Iraq?
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13: My Dad was also ex RAF, but unlike you I don't think he knew one end of a helicopter from another! However, he did once travel in a flying boat, which was the best experience he ever had in his life. Apart, of course, from having such a delightful daughter ;o)
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Patricktoo. (1) Probably just as well they don't make LAnd Rovers like they used to! This form the Landrover Series 1 Club web site
Land Rover entered production in 1948 with what was later termed the Series I. This was launched at the Amsterdam Motor Show. It was originally designed for farm and light industrial use, and had a steel box-section chassis, and an aluminum body.
Originally based on the US Army Jeep the Land Rover was a single model offering, which from 1948 until 1951 used an 80 in (2032 mm) wheelbase and a 1.6-litre petrol engine producing around 50 bhp (37 kW/51 PS).
The 4-speed gearbox from, the Rover P3 was used, with a new 2-speed transfer box. This incorporated an unusual 4-wheel drive system, with a freewheel unit (as used on several Rover cars of the time). This disengaged the front axle from the transmission on the overrun, allowing a form of permanent 4WD. A ring-pull mechanism in the driver's footwell allowed the freewheel to be locked to provide more traditional 4WD. This was a basic vehicle, tops for the doors and a roof (canvas or metal) were optional extras. In 1950, the lights moved from a position behind the grille to protruding through the grille.
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Big Sis, which daughter was that then?
:-P
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Nice one Stewart. :) Friend of mine who was in the Gulf war reckoned the Series Threes that they had then were the best/most reliable - ironically some of the last ones made under "Rover".
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STOP PRESS - Here's an idea.
Send all Police Helicopters to Afghanistan. They only have two roles in this country.
1/ Wake up law abiding citizens every night after 11pm, just as they are trying to get to sleep.
2/ Provide footage of 'locking the stable door after the Twocking Joyriders have bolted' for brainless 'Police Camera Action..' type shows. All at taxpayers expense, naturally.
It would kill two birds with one stone. And if that doesn't fix it, then requisition the SKY and BBC helicopters used to circle pointlessly over College Green, Westminster on the eve of important Parliamentary occasions to give James Landale and Jon Sopel something to chat about in the gaps between 'really important news'.
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That top photo is strangely beautiful.
I hadn't stopped to consider how much a breakdown or minor damage could have such a huge impact. A very scary situation to be in.
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lBG 19, Good idea. the b***** police copters are always flying around over our house because we have ASBOish neighbors. Like hornets, they are. The copters, not the neighbors. They are like flies on poo.
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DIW 13, Our daughter, as I might have said, lives in Albrighton. She was also not anorak. Was TA.
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Great pics!
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