1st Battalion The Royal Welsh back from Afghanistan

Over 120 soldiers of 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh returned home from Afghanistan to Chester, for an emotional reunion with family and friends.

Elements of D and A Companies arrived at Dale Barracks yesterday, with the entire battalion of over 500 men scheduled to be back in the UK by the end of the week.

The battle group deployed in mid-December 2009 as an aviation assault battle group.

For the first six weeks the battle group conducted aviation assault operations into the insurgent-held areas of northern Nad 'Ali district, known locally as Area 31.

These operations, which lasted from 12 to 72 hours, were known as shaping operations as they allowed the soldiers to talk to the local nationals and degrade the insurgents' capability in the area the battle group would later secure during Operation MOSHTARAK.

These operations often found the soldiers in prolonged engagements with insurgent groupings.

The rest of the tour found the Royal Welsh Battle Group reconfigured as Combined Force 31 (CF31), which was composed of an Afghan National Army (ANA) Kandak from Kabul and their French mentors, an Afghan National Police (ANP) Kandak, the Afghan Task Force, an Estonian Company and the Brigade Reconnaissance Force.

In total CF31 had 1600 troops, 1200 of which would provide the aviation assault force for Op MOSHTARAK. The CF31 were one of the key UK units assigned to the operation.

Operation MOSHTARAK
During the first week of the operation members of A Coy made the biggest IED find in UK history in Afghanistan. Another major find was made a few weeks later by B Coy who found component parts capable of making IEDs.

During the first six weeks numerous shuras were conducted between CF 31, with Afghan Government (GIRoA) officials, and local elders. This allowed the local communities to voice their concerns and GIRoA and CF31 to address them. To protect the newly liberated population centres, 24 security base locations were constructed and manned by a mixture of ANA, ANP and ISAF troops.

The Royal Welsh developed an effective embedded partnering relationship, working alongside their Afghan counterparts to maintain security and allow the locals freedom of movement to go about their daily lives.

'A very positive tour'
Lieutenant Colonel Nick Lock, Commanding Officer 1 R WELSH, was among the soldiers returning. He said: “It has been a very positive tour. We have been heavily involved in Operation Moshtarak, which has been the key operation so far this year in southern Afghanistan.

"The aim of the operation was to clear the central belt of Helmand Province of overt Taliban and we conducted a large aviation assault operation – the largest since the first Gulf War – with a 1,200-man force of 1 R WELSH, an Afghan National Army battalion, an Estonian company and other force elements.

"It was a large and very successful operation, with lots of planning involved. We seized all our objectives by midday on the first day and then proceeded to provide security in the area.

“We have been working very hard, so to get back to Chester and see our families has been absolutely fantastic, but clearly tinged with sadness at the loss of Fusilier Jonathan Burgess. Our thoughts are with his family and also our soldiers who have been injured, as well as their families.”

Homecoming with a difference for soldiers as UK flights resume

Troops returning from Afghanistan have arrived back in the UK following a six-month operational tour. It was a homecoming with a difference as flight restrictions meant the soldiers had to come back via the sea.

The 450 soldiers included elements from 33 Field Hospital and sections from the HERRICK 11 Battle Groups.

Sgt Adrian Wendrich, 31, a Multiple Commander with D Coy 1 R WELSH, was based in Nad e-Ali before deploying as part of Op MOSHTARAK with an ANA platoon.

“We achieved a lot working with the ANA," he said. "It was the first time we had patrolled with them like that, and it was critical we had them with us as they could integrate with the local community in a way that we couldn’t because of language barriers. So we did achieve a lot.

“The biggest threat since our last tour has been IEDs. But our Battalion found around 270 – which is a really good result in saving lives.”

Travelling home with the Infantry soldiers were 110 medics from 254 and 253 Med Regt. The medics had been deployed in more than 70 locations around the Infantry Patrol Bases.

“It’s been a tough tour,” confirmed Capt Craig Fulton, 31, RAMC. “But the guys have achieved a hell of a lot supporting the Battle Group, and the Infantry have really appreciated what we do. It’s been hard on them, but it’s definitely something the guys can be proud of."

The medics made their way back to Preston last night to join the rest of their Regiment for their medal parade through Preston this morning.

Army Website

Welsh snipers show courage and constraint

Members of Fire Support Company, 1st Battalion the Royal Welsh have been showing courage and constraint whilst clearing insurgents from positions near Shahzad in South West Helmand. Tasked with providing flanking protection for army bomb disposal teams, army marksmen held insurgents back from positions in a towered compound as their colleagues moved through the area. The action was part of building on the progress of Op Moshtarak.

The team had been tasked to secure a compound, but on patrolling towards the location came under heavy fire from Taliban fighters.

Sniper two “We left our patrol base just before first light towards the compound we wanted to go to and came under contact. We carried out our drills and observed, but couldn’t see anyone so pushed on and that’s when all hell broke loose. We were attacked by different weapons and people, so we moved under fire towards the compound.”

The commander in charge of the team, continues, “Straight inside, after the complete adrenaline outside, we were expecting them (the insurgents) to be in the compound, but we were confronted by four children, an elderly man and his wife. The lads switched on straight away, cleared the compound of the locals and the interpreter dealt with them. From there, I co-ordinated the two snipers up onto the roof…. As soon as they started observing, we took fire from small arms….with shots hitting the compound wall to our front.”

The snipers had to use their observation skills to clearly identify the insurgents from the locals. Using the British Army .338 L115A3 Long Range Rifle, which has state-of-the-art telescopic day and night all-weather sights, the soldiers were able to win the fire fight without injuring civilians.

Sniper one comments, “Once we got up into the tower, we identified the enemy with a weapon, and distinguished between them and civilians, who they were using as human shields at the time. We had sniper rifles, the .338, which is a precision weapon, so we were able to take clean shots without injuring any civilians.”

Sniper Two, “When I was observing, first of all I saw women and children. I was trying to find the firing points, because they had been using ‘murder holes’, holes in walls which they’ve knocked out so they can stick their rifle through. I was checking the walls for that. At the end of the wall, I saw an insurgent take a knee, raise his weapon up to his soldier and fire a burst at our compound, so I took my aim, took my time with the shot and engaged him”

Army bomb disposal team clears Afghan highway of IEDs

Corporal James Carr keeps a look out with a member of the weapons intelligence service during the improvised explosive device clearance operation

Army bomb disposal experts from the Counter-Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) Task Force have cleared the road to the market town of Shahzad in South West Helmand, in the heart of the Green Zone.

The road, littered with improvised explosive devices and surrounded by insurgent positions, had previously been impassable for the local population in an area controlled by the Taliban until Operation MOSHTARAK.

The task took five weeks to complete and saw the team painstakingly clearing improvised explosive devices.

At each stage, soldiers of Fire Support Company, 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh, cleared insurgents from compounds at the sides of the road to provide a circle of protection so that the C-IED team could continue with their task.

Ammunition Technical Officer Captain Ciaron Dyer, who commanded the C-IED team, said:

"My team and I were tasked to clear IEDs from the area. We were working alongside the Royal Engineer Search Team who were providing a high assurance search of the road so we could then clear any devices and make the route clear for future traffic."

Like many of the IEDs in Helmand, the devices were created from homemade explosives, ranging in size from 15 to 25kg. They were then buried in the road ready to target both ISAF forces and civilians.

Lance Corporal Kofi Dzando, a Territorial Army soldier from London who is currently attached to the bomb disposal team, said:

"As an infantry escort, my job is to go there and make sure that the guy who clears the device is safe. It is my job to ensure that any threat is eliminated and support the Number 2, who is the assistant to the boss, helping him with his equipment.

"The hardest part is when the boss goes out there to do his job. We don't know what to expect, apart from the fact that we know there is a device down there. It's a hard time because anything can happen at any point."

As Captain Dyer and his team move on to other taskings, members of Fire Support Company, 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh, are continuing to provide security to the local population around the area, and ensure that the road remains open.

Bucket Protection: A Novel Way to Avoid IEDs

A four man RAF Firefighting team were commissioned by Fire Support Company, 1 Royal Welch to relieve flooding on Route Dorset, a major road near Loy Doreh, that intersects the Nad-Ali area of Central Helmand. The Royal Welch had been trying to clear the road for 23 days so that local Afghans could have freedom to move to schools and bazaars in the area.



However, farmers had dammed up wadi’s (drainage ditches) to irrigate fields but had caused flooding of the road too. Additionally, craters had been created in the road caused by an IED, triggered by a US Thor vehicle which had killed one US soldier. This had left large pools of stagnant water one metre deep in places.



Not sure if IEDs were lurking beneath the water, 28 Engineering Support Group and RAF Firefighters cobbled a plan to use a reinforced digger to use as a platform for a fireman to stand in whilst they gingerly placed their hoses into the pool to suck away excess water. This was treacherous work, given that a wrongly placed hose might detonate a pressure plate.



It was also unpleasant work given firefighters Corporal Mike Broadley and Corporal Jim McInally were working all day in 35 degree heat in full body armour breathing in generator fumes in the bucket.



At one point Mike came under fire whilst in the bucket, luckily with rounds hitting the digger windscreen and not him.

“It was a bit hairy”, said Mike, “given that the bucket was not armoured”.



However, the firemen resolutely carried on, draining 100,000 litres of water in total. This then allowed the Counter IED team to check the muddied road and they found 2 IEDs lurking in the sludge.



It was a real team effort between the Royal Welch Fire Support Team who provided outstanding Force Protection....



The engineers who tested and adjusted the digger in line with the generator, hose and fireman. They kept the dodgy generator going (even stripping it to back to basics at one point)....



The brave C-IED team who searched in squelching, difficult conditions....



And of course the firemen who could have sucked up an IED at any time. However, it was the 4 firemen who after 7 days working with the Army were left with the most lasting impression.

Two of the team were held in reserve, Senior Aircraftsmen Lee Stevens and Mark Consterdine; but used for sentry duties to guard the patrol base and compounds.

“Working so closely with the Army has been great. These boys are the ones that risk their lives day in, day out and live out in basic conditions. It has been a real eye-opener.

“1 Royal Welch shook our hands to thank us, but we felt very humbled, especially given what these fellas do”, said Jim, “I’m just really pleased we played our part”.

EXCLUSIVE: Royal Welsh deliver another blow to the Taliban

Hundreds of lives, both British and Afghan, have been saved thanks to the efforts of Soldiers from 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh.

In two operations just a week apart they have uncovered some of the largest quantities of IEDs and IED components found in theatre to date.

In Nad-e-Ali, central Helmand they discovered 260 IEDs, 38 detonators, 57 weapons varying from anti-tank mines to rocket propelled grenades to AK47 machine guns and grenades.

Eight kilograms of homemade explosives were found hidden underneath piles of dry poppy and fertiliser sacks containing approximately 165 IED components, which had the potential to make hundreds of IEDs.

The troops from A Company (A COY) and B Company (B COY) made the find as they were flushing out insurgents from their areas of operation.

As the Welsh warriors from B Company got close to the enemy positions they came under a barrage of small arms fire. Taking cover where they could, the troops quickly set about identifying the enemy’s firing positions. When they were unable to do so they called in the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).

These machines have proved to be an invaluable resource to British and ISAF troops on the ground during the Operation and throughout the Afghan campaign. Four men were soon detected acting suspiciously by some compounds, south of where the soldiers were located.

Displaying the professionalism that marks soldiers of the Royal Welsh, the troops moved rapidly to positions closer to the compound. The gunmen had disappeared but what they were protecting was perhaps even more important. Lance Corporal O’Brien and Fusilier Stephen Handley conducted a methodical search of the compounds and uncovered the cache of weapons, IEDs and a multitude of components to make even more of the deadly devices that have claimed British lives during this campaign.

Just days before ‘A’ Company had pushed forward without resistance to a compound near the bazaar in central Nad-e Ali.

Lt Chris Annear, 30, from Lymington serving with A Company said:

“We were surprised we met so little resistance. Many of the compounds seemed unoccupied. We found one with a local national residing in it. When we asked him if there were any IEDs in the area he pointed to the three compounds surrounding his. We went in and couldn’t believe our eyes. It was the jackpot; an IED factory with areas for making home-made explosives, storage areas and IED assembly areas.”

This find is believed to have cut off the supply chain to the insurgents in the area of Showal and taken away their factories and storage facilities.

IEDs have been responsible for approximately 80 per cent of British deaths in Helmand province over the last two years. The finds will be another blow to the Taliban’s Improvised Explosive Device (IED) threat who are being forced out of an area that was once their stronghold.

Fusilier Stephen Handley, 21, B COY Royal Welsh, from Rumney, Cardiff who joined the regiment last year said:

“We had a small find in the first few days of the Operation so it became second nature to search under haystacks when we were in a suspicious area. This time it really paid off and it is a great feeling knowing we have potentially saved hundreds of lives with this find.”

Lance Corporal Zack O’Brien, 24, B COY Royal Welsh, from Oakdale, Blackwood said:

“This is my third tour of Afghanistan with the Royal Welsh and to find all this IED equipment is a real high point and I really hope that we have helped to save the lives of other soldiers and local civilians.”

Capt Nick Zorab, 27, B COY second in command, from Edinburgh said:

“This find has really raised the spirits of the men and it proves you can always rely on the professionalism of a Welsh soldier.”

Since the start of Operation Moshtarak the 1st Battalion, The Royal Welsh have conducted a number of operations with their ANA counterparts of 1/3/201 Kandak in this area of central Helmand in order to provide the security the local population need to build a future free of Taliban intimidation.

PICTURE of the day: Patrol Base living

Since Operation Moshtarak began in Helmand just under four weeks ago, the soldiers of the Battle Group, which includes Royal Welsh, Afghan National Army and Police as well as the French Foreign Legion and French Marines, have established a number of patrol bases which are now home.

Living is basic and ingenuity is a key attribute needed to make the best of the situation.

This is Patrol Base Shaheed, home to B Company, the 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh and their multinational partners.

If you are one of the lucky ones to live inside the bed spaces come in a range of comfort. Top of the luxury stakes is a cot bed with a mosquito net. Next comes a mosi net and roll mat on the floor and the most basic is simply a roll matt and sleeping bag on the floor. For those outside there are two options the first being a tent and the other the traditional soldiers’ favorite, a bivi.

Living on a diet of 24 hour ration packs is the norm out in the patrol bases. But when the guys can get hold of different ingredients the ‘Jamie Oliver’ comes out in a handful of the lads and the results can be amazing.

When in Rome… traditional afghan bread or possibly a Fijian roti. Either way they are fantastic

Without the usual gym facilities of the main bases it’s time to improvise. Weights made from scaffolding and ammo tins as well as pull up bars and if the exercise you get out on patrol isn’t enough there is plenty of room to run around the inside of the compound. The scenery isn’t great but it does get the heart going.

Sgt Garathy with a fresh water crab found in the compound

The ablutions are basic but better than some I have seen out here

Hygiene is everything out here when living in these basic conditions. They might not be power showers but out here showers like these are amazing and greatly appreciated.

The evening conference is a daily gathering of all the key staff in the patrol base. Plans for the following day are discussed and everyone provides an update of their activities.
Information is power and out here we share it

While those not on duty are tucked up in what ever bed they have, the ops room is manned 24/7.

Pictures: Major Paul Smyth

PICTURE of the day: Shura in Shaheed

In the wake of Operation Moshtarak the soldiers of B Company, 1 Royal Welsh together with the Afghan National Army and Police have been working with the elders of Shaheed to bring stability to the area.

Gathering weekly the elders talk to the soldiers and police to voice their concerns and work out what needs to be done to build a more secure and brighter future for the village of Shaheed.

Now that the Taliban have been pushed out the elders are interested improving the village. The topics covered in the Shura included developing a bazaar so that that shopkeepers and framers have a place to sell their goods as well as suggestions for a school as the Taliban destroyed the last one.

The Shura is also the perfect way to build trust between the community, the army and police who are now there to serve the people.

Major Ed Hill arrives at the Shura which the Afghan National Police commander is hosting

Insignia of the Afghan National Police

An elder listening to the discussions

The police commander seated with the village elders

The meeting place in the garden of the police station

Major Ed Hill listening to his interpreter

The Afghan National Army company commander talking to the elders. He is a strong leader and respected by the elders

Listening intensely


Taking Chai is an important part of any meeting



Pictures: Major Paul Smyth

VIDEO - Contact: fighting alongside the Afghan Army and Police

The patrol started off just like any other from Patrol Base Shaheed (2.5 Km North East of Showal) on Thursday 4 March 2010. The Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police were in the lead as they are for most of the patrols in the area. As usual they had with them a handful of British soldiers from the 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh, there to offer support if needed.

PICTURE of the day: Fighting alongside the Afghan Army and Police

Fusilier Smith heading out with the British troops to join the ANA and ANP on their patrol

The patrol started off just like any other from Patrol Base Shaheed (2.5 Km North East of Showal) on Thursday 4 March 2010. The Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police were in the lead as they are for most of the patrols in the area. As usual they had with them a handful of British soldiers from the 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh, there to offer support if needed.

Patrol Base Shaheed was set up following Operation Moshtarak which took place just over three weeks ago. It was the largest air assault in Helmand since the campaign started in 2001.

Patrolling in the green zone, the soldiers were out to dominate the ground taken during the operation which took place just three weeks ago.

An hour into the patrol the tranquility was shattered just after the Afghan Security Forces left a compound where they had been talking to village elders.

Insurgents opened up on the rear of patrol from a few hundred meters away using neighboring compounds for cover. The patrol took cover in an irrigation ditch observing the insurgents movements and returning fire.

Using the ANA and ANP to suppress the insurgents the British troops moved location to join up with the ANA and ANP commanders. While the Afghans kept the insurgents pinned down the British patrol commander Lieutenant Adam Libby called in surveillance aircraft to monitor the insurgent’s movements as well as a show of force.

Within minutes a US fast jet was flying in within a few hundred feet of the ground, dropping flares to send out a very clear message to the insurgents that the patrol on the ground had some very significant firepower to call on if needed.

The key to this firefight was to use just the right amount of force to suppress the insurgents and minimise damage to the area. All around us farmers and their families were tending to their crops and going about their day as usual.

With aircraft up in the sky monitoring the situation the patrol headed back to base knowing that the insurgents every move was being tracked.

Commenting on the way the soldiers reacted during the fight, Lieutenant Adam Libby from B Company, 1 Royal Welsh said, “My lads reacted well and got on with what they had to do. The Afghans need a bit of direction but they are brave and willing to fight and there enthusiasm goes a long way. They did well today, pushing back the insurgents and sending them a pretty clear message that they are not welcome here in Shaheed.”

The pictures below were taken on the patrol and tell the story.

Pictures: Major Paul Smyth

The British join in at the back of the patrol behind the ANA and ANP.

Shaheed children come out to watch the patrol.

Watching the patrol pass by and making the most of the shade from the afternoon sun

Steady progress on the patrol

Children stop tending to the crop to watch the patrol

Lt Adam Libby keeps an eye out for trouble.

A local farmer with feed for his animals

The ANA Commander orders the move off after after the Afghan Security Forces leave a compound where they had been talking to village elders.

Fusilier Smith waits until it is time to move off

An Afghan National Policeman looking out for insurgents as rounds come in over our heads

Under fire - Lt Adam Libby calls in surveillance aircraft as well as a 'show of force' from a low flying fast jet.

The ANA commander engaging the insurgents

A fast jet fly in low dropping flares in a 'show of force'.

Reorganising after the firefight

Heading back to the patrol base now that the insurgents are being tracked

An Apache flies overhead to monitor the situation

Job done everyone OK and heading back to base