Episodes
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James Glancy is “of the 9/11 era. There is a big difference in the experience of Serving in the Royal Marines or the military in the 90s to the post 2001 era…I was in Afghanistan within two months of passing out…I did three Troop Commands on combat operations on the ground. It was an amazing 10 years.”
When he left “I missed the intensity of operations so much, it’s without doubt one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life and I just loved being at war, it sounds a strange thing to say but I loved it. I loved being with the lads, I loved just doing something that I felt at the time was the right thing to do and working with the best possible people.” War is “...way less complex…It’s just the sense of purpose, everything is really black and white…everything’s done for you in the military…”
James eventually found some upsides to Civvy Street “Being independent of a military mindset, thinking for yourself, taking your own opportunities…your own risks…an incredibly important thing in life. I’m out the other side of that transition but there were 3 to 4 years that were…more challenging than you could ever realise, especially after those Afghan years.”
James finally returned as a film-maker feeling there was a story to be told “Very few people got to actually understand the Afghan people, the real structure of how the tribes work and who they were…” He provides insight into Afghanistan witnessed at a very particular moment in history, “Even though the full withdrawal hadn’t been announced…the Doha Agreement by Trump made it very clear…My view was, we don’t have forever to make a film where we can travel freely around the country because I think the Taliban will very quickly start taking over…I obviously didn’t predict how quickly it would fall.”
Watch the trailer of Afganistan on YouTubeDid you serve in Afghanistan or Iraq?
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If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Sir Laurie Bristow was central to the military withdrawal in 2021, there’s nobody better placed to give us the inside story than the last British ambassador in Afghanistan. He takes us through the days and hours counting down, “15th August we started the day with President Ghani behind his desk broadcasting to the nation…roughly 2.30pm” He’s “left the country…a few hours later you’ve got the Taliban behind that desk…taking their selfies.”
Laurie shares his views on the Doha Agreement and tries to make sense of what happened and why, “How was it that we invested so many lives, so much money, so much political capital and the results were so lamentable?”
He describes the evacuation “…panic doesn’t even begin to cover it…I struggle to find the words…Miles…of desperate people…” Among them “there are certainly Taliban…extreme violence going on…children, old people trampled in the crush…dead children being pulled out of those crowds…extreme heat…a Covid wave…Somehow…you’ve got to find, identify, pull out the people who qualify for evacuation.”
“We train these young men and women for combat, this is harder…By the 15th there were not enough soldiers to control the airport…It all becomes suddenly very very real, the government has collapsed, the Taliban are back in charge…The next thing you see is people falling off the plane…There were moments where we didn’t know if we would get out alive.”
Sir Laurie recognises the “incredible job that the military…the civilians working alongside them did; and the fact that we got out over 15,000 people…What I saw of the performance of our soldiers and our civilians was really quite humbling…The youngest of our ‘sunburnt young soldiers’ were just 18 years old.”
Did you serve in Afghanistan or Iraq?
In order to better understand the wellbeing of Afghanistan & Iraq Veterans with which we work, we're asking you to answer a few short questions.
If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
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Missing episodes?
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Oliver Lee resigned over the Marine A controversy and epitomises moral courage. He took over command of 45 Commando in 2009 as it came back from Afghanistan. Knowing they’d return in 2011 and to fulfil his vision of “Less violence, more engagement with people and culture… It’s about Afghans before anybody else” he ensured that the entire unit “all played a part in the production of the plan…What I was trying to do was to persuade young hard charging Royal Marines, whose last experience was Sangin, to operate in an extremely different way.”
The unit distilled their operational design into 10 principles such as “Always: Treat Afghans with dignity, use the minimum possible force, think clearly even when angry and afraid, always place Afghans first…”
During the tour these values “were lived by every day…What was achieved was remarkable…an 86% reduction in violence…That led to mission success which was a transfer to Afghan lead security authority 12-18 months ahead of the plan…There was not a single piece of collateral damage inflicted by us. There was not a single civilian casualty caused by us and we brought everybody home alive” something “I never thought even possible. In bandit country we did 7600 patrols over that six months and everybody came home alive…It was a remarkable tour.”
However, for the last three weeks, Oliver's command increased to include that of Marine A’s unit “Very sadly, it was during that three weeks that Marine A committed his battlefield atrocity so it was during the period of my command, which I therefore felt I had to carry some responsibility for even though I didn’t know him, I didn’t know that unit, I hadn’t prepared them, I hadn’t led them for the vast majority of the tour. Leadership is about carrying responsibility.” Oliver shares his unique perspective on this as well as the action he took next.
“Moral Courage…Above all, it’s about doing the right thing.”
Oliver Lee delivering a speech on a beach to 45 Commando's before their deployment to Afghanistan and Oliver talking to Channel 4 News about Marine A.
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Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
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Cayle Royce was severely injured in action. His difficult yet inspirational story is told from his mother, Bronwyn’s perspective. Cayle lost both legs above the knee and part of his hand as well as further blast injuries after stepping on an IED.
“It is a very challenging story, but lots of positives to be taken…From where we were…To where we are now. The hospital, to adventures across the world. My child has come a long way…18 months after injury, Cayle rowed the Atlantic for the first time.” That was just the start, Cayle and his adventures have since gone from strength-to-strength and he has been awarded an MBE for his Service and achievements after recovery.
If anyone feels in need of hope after facing similar experiences, this story is for you, “If we can reach one person who needed to hear this story, that’s what it’s all about, to just give somebody hope. There is hope post-injury.”
Did you serve in Afghanistan or Iraq?
In order to better understand the wellbeing of Afghanistan & Iraq Veterans with which we work, we're asking you to answer a few short questions.
If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
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Frank Ledwidge is angry. His hard-hitting, bleak and perhaps controversial perspective is born out of his work in Afghanistan and personal investigation, “I wanted to know what the human cost was…The image we had of ourselves was, we are here to help” but “We were seen as…invaders…That came as something of a shock to me.”
Frank’s background was as a lawyer and a Reservist, “I joined one of the more discrete units of the Navy, a Joint-Service unit with the Army and Air Force…Got called up to Bosnia, then Iraq as a Military Intelligence Officer on the ground and ended up as Head of Branch and retired after 15 years…In real life, I worked in international organisations and for the British government in Security and Justice…in the former Soviet Union…Balkans, Afghanistan, Libya” more recently “in Ukraine during the war there.”
Frank does not hold back with his views “...after Iraq, where I felt we’d been… lied to, my job in Iraq…was literally to look for weapons of mass destruction…that pretext was entirely false; I went into Afghanistan, sincerely believing that it was ‘the good war’...enemy…‘evil’...our side…essentially ‘good’ and we were going to defeat the enemy and replace them and sort that country out...and I think very many of us went into that…on that basis…It was very clear that by 2010, things were critical…The question had to be asked, ‘So what are those costs, how many people have been killed or injured, not just in physical terms, but also psychological…?’...Nothing was achieved. The evacuation was a chaotic disaster…I’ll just be blunt and truthful…There’s no sugar-coating this.”
He also explores lessons learned for the future, “In order to put things right, you have to understand where you went wrong.” Frank closes with empathy for fellow veterans, “There’s a small minority who aren’t fine, so if you know anyone like that, just say hello and be their friends…Bare them in mind, the war’s over but they’re still here.”
Did you serve in Afghanistan or Iraq?
In order to better understand the wellbeing of Afghanistan & Iraq Veterans with which we work, we're asking you to answer a few short questions.
If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
James Malone remembers leaving Lympstone, “In every fibre of being, I felt like I could do anything…You just wanna get stuck in.”
His tour was “Something that definitely changed the course of my life. War does that…to everyone who experiences combat…the first major casualty…was sobering…we had fairly regular contact, gunfights, rocket attacks, IED strikes…I was a Point Man, barma-ing, trying to stop people standing on IEDs…first into most situations, whether clearing a compound to set-up for overwatch, or a firefight or…a Shura with Elders, you’re first in there, first through any doorway, you don’t know what’s on the other side...”
James talks about an incident that he has not shared before outside his most trusted circle, “...What was difficult to deal with was I no longer had control…When you’ve got something going on in your head…it’s like being in solitary confinement and the only thing you have for company is those experiences and they’re all horrific…I kind of dealt with it by pulling the pin and being a bit of a social hand grenade…I felt like I was going down in flames. It got to a point where I was contemplating filling my pockets up with stones and walking into the sea.”
“It is hard to talk about…but I think it’s important…There’s going to be someone else…who had a very similar experience…So I need them to know that there are other people out there too and they understand…Afghan definitely corroded that feeling I had of being able to do anything.” Now through working with Afghan veterans as a full-time photographer and film-maker, “I’ve been able to rediscover a little bit of that again.”
Did you serve in Afghanistan or Iraq?
In order to better understand the wellbeing of Afghanistan & Iraq Veterans with which we work, we're asking you to answer a few short questions.
If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
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Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
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Tom Corrigan wanted to be an Apache pilot... “I thought, ‘Yeah Apache, that looks pretty awesome, up for a bit of that’. It’s something I’d wanted to do since I was a pretty young lad, I just thought, ‘that looks pretty epic.’”
Tom’s first tour was in 2009, “You were just chomping at the bit to get out there really…We all thought it was going to be fairly quiet…we’re here as a peace-keeping force…It was not like that, it was full on…intense...We were up 10 minutes and…‘Troops in contact requesting Apache’. So my front seater was like ‘Right, have you got your big boy pants on? It’s all kicking off.’ It’s literally my first airborne in Afghanistan and it’s firing on targets straight away…I certainly wasn’t prepared for how quickly it was going to go from, you’ve literally arrived in theatre to off you go it’s all happening now. There’s no build-up, it's…0 to 60 like bang.”
Tom returned in 2011 as a front seat Gunner Commander. We hear about the technicalities of flying, finding targets, tactics and engaging. Also about the impact on Tom, “It was a rollercoaster…We had certain days where we had big mass casualties, multiple British Servicemen, either with horrendous injuries or being killed and it was really hard because you felt you’re doing everything you can…You have to do what you think is making a difference at the time and I hope what we did out there did have positive impacts on some people. It’s quite mixed emotions.”
Forward to today, he plays guitar in a rock band, “It started off as a bit of fun and it’s all got quite serious now… Music is such an amazing creative force…this really positive aspect in my life…even some negative emotions that you’ve had it’s been, ‘Well let’s do something with this, let’s write it…and put it into a song…That real freedom to be an exaggerated version of yourself…When I’m on stage it’s not me, it’s a stage version of me. It’s really liberating…jumping around and pretending to be a rockstar. I can’t recommend it enough!”
Did you serve in Afghanistan or Iraq?
In order to better understand the wellbeing of Afghanistan & Iraq Veterans with which we work, we're asking you to answer a few short questions.
If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Nick Denning gives us an insight into his life and responsibilities as a very new Platoon Commander in Helmand Province.
“It was all a very rapid, flash-to-bang experience getting there…You want to feel worn-in and seasoned and up-to-speed as quickly as you can…You wait for your first patrol, your first contact with the enemy, your first engagement with the local nationals…There was just this huge sense of ‘This is it’…I knew from the start I had a very strong command team…We spent the first third of the tour in Nauzad…the latter 2/3 in Sangin…We did patrol and counter-insurgency. We also took part in a number of Company level, Battle Group level and Brigade level operations, where a concerted, deliberate offensive was mounted.”
We hear about the impact of sustaining fatalities and surreal realities of war, “The most bizarre thing, it started raining… We were just sat there in the middle of the desert, and I just remember feeling absolutely empty… And then the show has to go on.”
Nick also describes his respect for his soldiers, “They just got on with these tasks…the exertion was incredible…I think 53 was the highest temperature we experienced…and just the quiet grit they had will stay with me forever.”
Did you serve in Afghanistan or Iraq?
In order to better understand the wellbeing of Afghanistan & Iraq Veterans with which we work, we're asking you to answer a few short questions.
If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Liz McConaghy “amassed 10 Op Herricks”, deployed three months at a time as part of the Chinook Force...
“We were there at the beginning of Op Herrick…when Camp Bastion didn’t even exist… and we were there, pretty much at the end, when we turned the lights off and walked away. Because of that, we saw the whole campaign grow and develop. Lots of mixed emotions throughout the entire journey.”
Liz joined the military to, “...have a purpose and do a job and it’s fair to say, Afghanistan gave me that in bucket loads. Every single day…we were making a difference to someone.”
Finally in 2020, PTSD, “Caught up with me in spectacular fashion…so much that I ended up taking a huge overdose to end my life.”
Liz is a real ‘overcomer’. She’s written a book about her journey and it’s from the heart, told with real honesty and absolutely tons of humour.
“It was my life, it wasn’t even a job to me.”
Read Liz's book Chinook Crew 'Chick'.
Did you serve in Afghanistan or Iraq?
In order to better understand the wellbeing of Afghanistan & Iraq Veterans with which we work, we're asking you to answer a few short questions.
If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
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Ken Benbow Served in the 7th Escort Group in the Atlantic convoys. With no torpedoes, just guns and depth charges to protect Allied merchant ships from U-Boats, they sailed back and forth through ‘No Man’s Land’, 1,500 miles of ocean with no air cover, being “attacked every hour by the Germans”. Age 17, Ken went from working on a farm to Serving in the Royal Navy and his story is at the very heart of The Battle of The Atlantic.
This podcast is supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.
If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Catapult-Armed Merchant “CAM” ship pilots flew highly secretive one-way missions. David Wright was one of only a handful and their stories are little known.
Using rockets and catapults mounted on merchant ships, Hurricane fighter planes were launched to shoot down German planes. With no flight deck to land on, pilots had to bail out seconds before the planes sank into the Atlantic.
We’ll hear two war time stories, Norma Wright’s, who joined the National Fire Service; and David’s, her late husband.
You can also read David's book, Airborne by Rocket
This podcast is supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.
If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Atlantic and Arctic Convoy Veteran, Ron Syson, gives us a gritty account of life as a Merchant Seaman. Very early on, he sailed to Iceland, Greenland and New York, and was alongside when the Normandy caught fire and capsized. He was only 15.
As well as transporting vital supplies across the Atlantic to Britain, Ron braved the Arctic seas in what Churchill described as, “the worst journey in the world.” Added to the Nazi threat were sub-zero temperatures, weeks of constant darkness in winter; snow, ice and for anyone overboard, little chance of rescue.
Ron’s experiences left him with what the doctors back then diagnosed as ‘severe nervous disability’. Thousands of men were lost, and for many who lived, the consequences lasted a lifetime.
Read the Battle of the Atlantic 80th Anniversary Book
This podcast is supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.
If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Winston Churchill once wrote, “... the only thing that ever really frightened me during the war was the U-Boat peril”. If The Allies had lost, Britain would have been starved into surrender.
99-year-old John Roberts gives us a fantastic insight into The Battle of the Atlantic, the longest running campaign of WWII.
John left the Royal Navy as a Rear Admiral, having joined-up aged 17 in 1938. When he first went to sea in 1941, The Allies were suffering terrible losses. John explains how the campaign evolved, tactics improved, escorts increased, equipment developed and The Allies gained a greater understanding of how to defeat the enemy.
This podcast is supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.
If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Paula’s story is about the loss of her husband, Paul Harding, who Served in the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Green Jackets. He joined-up at 18 and was killed in action aged 47, in Basra 2007.
We hear about being under attack, fatality and bereavement. If you feel that you might be sensitive to this, you may prefer not to listen.
This emotional, difficult story “shows the tenacity and bravery of my two sons, and how we've recovered from the loss of their wonderful father.”
“Paul told me ‘...this is going to be the toughest of the tours of Op Telic…’ he really wanted to be there…for his men.” When they said goodbye, Paula felt, “...absolutely horrific...he hugged me and said it would be the last one…”
Paul called from Iraq “...He sounded absolutely exhausted. They'd been under siege for three days…” Having secured the site against insurgents “...the militia were trying to stop the handover to the Iraqi army…As a convoy was coming in bringing supplies, they came under attack…Paul…was trying to spot the snipers and get the vehicles in…They started to fire rocket propelled grenades…a blast came through the opening where Paul was looking out so he could give the orders and he was killed instantly.”
Paula was woken at 2am “... I could see the black car and just knew why they were there…and then the nightmare began…When people talk about a broken heart, this is what it really is.”
Paula’s written a book with her friend, about her experiences, “It was cathartic but painful.”
“...Remember, freedom comes at a cost….and not to forget the people who have to carry on with their lives every day who carry the mortgage of everyone's freedom.”
This is a story of courage and resilience. A Love Story.
If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Tip Cullen, former Royal Marines Commando tells us about losing 8 of his friends in the very first operation of Op Telic 1.
He’s telling this story “...to keep their memory alive” and “...for the families that had to deal with the consequences…” also for “...people to empathise with their sacrifice, or their will to protect what we call freedom…Those people were legends…”
“We deployed as a Brigade Recce Force...mostly Royal Marines Commandos, main disciplines Mountain Leaders or specialists in reconnaissance and snipers…”
“A couple of days before the invasion, everything racks up. We were rehearsing for an aviation assault…The helicopter that I was rehearsing on, and I was ordered to invade with, was a helicopter that would eventually crash.”
Orders were given ready for the invasion. “Everyone was chomping at the bit, this is what we're here for, to do our job as professionally as we can.” At the last minute, Tip was ordered to board a different helicopter and to this day, doesn't know why. He said goodbye to his mates, “Big hugs…See you all when we link up again…”
From Tip’s helicopter, he saw his friends,
“...dive in a straight line, completely vertical towards the ground and then gone in an instant blast…massive fireball…then we got ‘mission abort’.”
“I lost such close friends and in a very short space of time, from chatting to them, to holding their hands, to giving them hugs…to disintegrating underneath you and forever that will never leave my memory…that will always leave me unsettled for the rest of my days.”
Many thought Tip had been on that helicopter.
This was the start of the invasion and these were our first casualties.
“We were very lucky to have such quality people… to pick ourselves up and do all those guys who died justice.”
Follow Tip on Instagram
If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Kirk Bowett Served in The Cheshire Regiment and his deployment to the Middle East began during Op Telic 4, 2004.
We hear about his personal experiences of the realities of war, which includes details of injury and loss of limb. If you feel that you might find this challenging, you may prefer not to listen.
“I was part of the recce element…in Basra City…the infrastructure had failed, no sanitation…We were initially met with open arms…”
They tried to help “...hearts and minds…” But there were problems “...everything had stopped…police had disappeared…”
“We were doing house assaults to try to capture the terrorists. Militias were beginning to form because of this power vacuum…organised…good weapons…planting precision IEDs.”
Rumours, press and social media, “...created an anger and hatred towards us…a nationwide attack on coalition forces…All hell broke loose…it made me realise… it’s not a peace-keeping thing…it’s a start-stop war…”
Another tour, “...Al Qaeda had started to rear their ugly head…” After that, Afghanistan, “I lost 12 friends in a 3 month period…burnout of post 9/11 wars had started to really hit the combat troops….Having buried 6 or 7 of my friends…putting them in the ground, that for me was closure enough on my time as an infantry soldier.”
Kirk returned to Iraq as a bodyguard, “...things started to take a turn for the worse. ISIS.” His vehicle was blown-up. He lost his arm and suffered brain trauma.
Life on Civvy Street unravelled, drinking, family separation, homelessness and considering ending his life.
Blesma helped with overcoming challenges. Kirk now draws upon his experiences as a survival instructor with the RAF, in his acting career and as a published author. Although he experiences loneliness, he’s found his sense of purpose, “My children are my anchor…they keep me going…they’re my reason for being.”
Follow Kirk on Instagram and Twitter
If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Piers Stacey, aged 17, joined The Corps, “…six days after the Twin Towers were hit…”
Joining 42 Commando late 2002, “...we all went into pre-deployment training for the build-up..it was pretty intense, pretty rapid for a fresh faced 18 year old…”
In Kuwait, “...we landed in the desert…nothing there…over time, defences went up, sandbag walls…” and acclimatisation training, “...we kept our phys up and exercised out in the heat so we could condition ourselves to be able to fight in that way…”
“As we went in…jumping out of the Sea King…I remember just hearing the crack and thump…All of us were getting shot at and that was the start of it…”
We hear how intense operations became, “...I was a real ‘ops junky’, as terrifying as it was…” and how after Op Telic, Piers became a combat intelligence specialist working with the Special Boat Service.
After 19 years, Piers planned his exit from the Armed Forces,
“...the one thing I did not consider was that sense of belonging and that sense of being part of something bigger…It was not an easy transition…I didn’t know what to say or who to say it to.”
Piers’ mental health deteriorated and he considered driving into a head-on collision.
This was the turning point for seeking therapy which helped, leading to today having set up ‘Hollow Heart’ where supporters wear a pin to let others know you're open to talking about mental health.
“…Even to this day, if you asked me, ‘Piers, what are you?’ There will be a massive part of me that would just want to say, ‘I'm a Royal Marine, or I'm an intelligence officer….’ I think it's going to be really difficult to shake that part of me in terms of what my identity is.”
Please support Hollow Heart and The Royal Marines Charity
Follow Piers on Instagram
If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
Neville Johnson left South Africa and joined the British Army in 2003.
After basic training, he joined the 2nd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers on a cease-fire tour in Belfast, “Those first couple of weeks were a big eye opener for me, definitely paved the way for future operations…”
Neville deployed to Basra in 2005 and 2006, duties including night and daytime patrols, working with special forces units or the parachute regiment during raids, apprehending personnel of interest, long hours in the heat with threats of “...indirect fire on our base…it was the start of the roadside bombs.”
He then deployed to Afghanistan, “Afghan was different. It was full-on war fighting.”
“We got attacked every day…numerous times, all at the same time from different directions, small arms fire, sniper fire, RBG mortar rounds. We knew it was going to be hot, flying-in it was full-on.”“You're always on alert. You're never fully relaxed. The feeling of knowing someone is there to attack you. The incoming rounds. The sound. The feeling is difficult to explain. The fear, it's horrible…Everyone trained together. We went through it together.”
It wasn't until many years later that Neville felt the impact on his mental health. He doesn’t usually talk about his deployments, even with family, but he found a way through writing poems and putting them out on social media, “...for the world to see, to dissect, was way out of my comfort zone….but getting that release, it's amazing.”
Soldiers from the Commonwealth play a vital role in the British Armed Forces and Neville is testament to this. His poems have now been published and despite being shy, he reads some of them out to us which is incredibly moving and powerful.
Follow Neville on Instagram
If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
We meet Sarah Davis, Army Air Corps Ground Crew, one of the pioneering women deployed to the frontline during Op Telic 1.
Having joined-up in 1999, a time when the Armed Forces was going through changes - evolving in terms of equality and a time that would mark the start of several years of military campaigns.
We hear about getting ready to go, “I was kind of craving…doing my bit for Queen and Country…”
As well as operational duties in a combat zone, refuelling and rearming attack helicopters and underslung loads, “You don’t know how good or bad your unit is until you actually go to war.”
We also hear about the impact on loved ones back home, “I promised on this call, ‘Mum, I promise I’m never going to do this to you again.’”
To top it all, Sarah spins a few cracking dits highlighting the critical role of morale, listen out for the Union Flag pants.
Sarah is now involved with several military charities to help Veterans who are struggling, “we don’t want to leave anyone behind.”
Follow Sarah on InstagramLinks to organisations mentioned in this episode:
BFBS
Homes for Veterans
Military Wives Choir
The Rawthey Project
Soldiers Arts Academy
If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. -
This is Pat Patterson’s story. A Royal Marine Aircrewman with 845 Naval Air Squadron flying Sea King helicopters aka ‘Junglies’, and his wife also served during the war.
Having looked back through his helicopter logbook, he shares with us his experiences of Op Telic 1, as well as his subsequent tours.
We hear about the scale of the operation as well as operational complexities specific to helicopter crews that fly into particularly challenging environments,
“It was a bit more dangerous going the second or third time to Iraq…”
Being an incidence response team, the crew were involved in insurgency situations as well as casualty evacuation.
They encountered the hazards of flying at night, ‘brown outs’ flying in desert conditions and the helicopters became ‘bullet magnets’ for small arms, RPG rocket launchers and surface to air missiles.
If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.
To find out more contact us. - Show more
