Grenadier Guards support a Taliban reintegration shura

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards' Queen's Company have recently helped the Afghan National Army hold a reintegration shura with members of the Taliban.

The aim of the event was to encourage members of the Taliban who are undecided as to their future or allegiance to come and meet the Afghan Government officials for the area and discuss their options for returning into accepted society.

The shura took place in Basharan in the Nad 'Ali district of Helmand province where the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards Battle Group has been operating.

The Grenadier Guards and their colleagues in the Afghan National Army made security plans and cleared nearby compounds early in the morning prior to the shura beginning.

40 Afghan people attended the event from fairly far afield and follow-up shuras are planned to take place over the next few weeks.

'It was like Zulu'

How British troops in Afghanistan fought to the point of exhaustion against the Taliban.

By Sean Rayment

It became known as “the battle of Crossing Point One”. In a series of suicidal attacks late last year, hard-core Taliban fighters tried to over-run an isolated British base on the northern tip of Nad e’Ali. Had the insurgents succeeded, the victory would have been a propaganda coup par excellence, and the British mission in central Helmand could have been seriously jeopardised.



For two gruelling weeks in the area of Luy Mandah, 30 soldiers fought a 360-degree battle with the Taliban in the most arduous conditions. The combat was often at close quarters where bayonets were fixed and hand grenades became the weapons of choice for the beleaguered British troops. By the battle’s end, every man in the platoon was credited with at least one Taliban kill.

The battle proper began on the night of November 4 last year, just a few hours after five members of the battlegroup in another part of the district were shot dead by a rogue Afghan policeman. The troops’ morale had been dented three weeks earlier when a member of their company had been fatally wounded by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). Such was the force of the blast that Guardsman Jamie Janes suffered a quadruple amputation. As the troops carried Janes’s shattered body back to their base, they were ambushed by Taliban. Scores needed to be settled.

The troops from 5 Platoon No 2 Company 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, commanded by Lieutenant Craig Shephard, 24, and Sergeant Dean Bailey, 36, decided to exploit the Taliban’s fondness for attacking wounded soldiers by constructing an ambush based on a fake IED strike. After the explosives were detonated, the Taliban – as expected – quickly appeared with a two-man Pakistani sniper team leading the way. As the British troops pulled back to the base, the Pakistanis were shot dead by hidden British snipers – both dispatched with head shots from 400 metres. When the Taliban pushed forward towards the base, they were cut down by raking machine-gun fire and Javelin missiles. After two hours of fighting, 10 Taliban lay dead.

“The ambush was a case of thinking out of the box,” recalled Lt Shephard. “We wanted to outsmart them by using their tactics. We knew that they would ambush what they thought was an IED attack so we set up a trap.”

The following day, the platoon commander led a patrol to assess the damage. But this time the Taliban was waiting. “At the time, I called it a 'simple patrol’ – I will never use that phrase again,” said Lt Shephard. As the patrol pushed into enemy territory, it was ambushed. Accurate and sustained machine-gun fire and barrages of rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) kept the troops pinned down for almost an hour.

“The fire was so intense and accurate – we simply couldn’t move,” recalled Sgt Bailey. “If we had tried to move, we would have been cut to pieces.”

The troops eventually managed to withdraw after a smoke screen was laid by mortar fire. But as they pulled back to the relative safety of the base, the Taliban attacked in force.

“You couldn’t make it up,” the sergeant added. “There were four sangar [sentry posts] in the corners of our compound being hit at the same time. It was 360-degree warfare.”

As the base came under intense fire, a group of Taliban used an irrigation ditch to move up to one of the compound’s rear walls. There was a real risk that the insurgents might breach the base’s security. With little thought for his personal safety, and knowing that drastic action was required, Sgt Bailey, with two of his corporals, filled their ammunition pouches with grenades, fixed bayonets, and charged 50 metres across a field to reach the wall behind which dozens of Taliban were preparing for an assault.

“We lobbed high-explosive grenades into the ditch from behind the wall. It worked. We killed or injured them all,” said Sergeant Bailey.

The fighting lasted for most of the day. By sunset, the British troops estimated they had killed another 30 Taliban – bringing the number of enemy dead to 40 in less than 24 hours.

Back in enemy territory, a force of around 100 to 150 Taliban fighters – including Chechens, Arabs and English-speaking Islamists from south Asia – was preparing more attacks. Their original plan was to create havoc for the second round of the presidential elections, but after they were cancelled, Taliban commanders focused their attention on Crossing Point One.

The battle continued for days with such regularity that the soldiers knew that it would begin in the morning after breakfast, followed by a lull at midday, and would then continue until sunset. “It was like Zulu,” said Sgt Bailey. “The Taliban just kept coming and coming. It was suicidal. The more they sent, the more we killed.”

As the assaults continued, commanders were forced to trawl the whole of Helmand for Javelin missiles, a high-powered rocket used against enemy forces hiding in compounds. In two months of fighting, 4 Platoon fired 47, more than the rest of the British force in Helmand combined.

As the days passed, some of the men became exhausted. Back at the main company location in Patrol Base Shaheed, the officer commanding No 2 Company, Maj Richard Green, pulled some of his men out of the front line just for a few hours’ rest. There was a real danger that battle fatigue might take root.

“I started to rotate the guys after a week. They were shattered. But it was everything you wanted from leadership. The guys were tested to the limit – no one let me down.”

Lt Shephard, who joined the Army in 2007, said: “Every platoon commander wants to come to Afghanistan and have 'their fight’. But you have to be careful what you wish for. We were lucky. We got away without any serious casualties.”

Today, in Nad e’Ali, life for the British soldiers has undergone a transformation. When I visited the Grenadier Guards Battlegroup last November, troops were coming under fire every day. At the height of the fighting, insurgents were launching more than 200 attacks a week. Hundreds of IEDs were laid in swathes across Helmand, turning huge areas of the province into “no-go” areas for British troops.

The Taliban ruled large areas of the district, taxing locals and punishing – sometimes executing – anyone who had dealings with the Nato-led International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF).

Now markets and bazaars, which were empty during the Taliban years, are beginning to flourish. Roads that were riddled with booby traps have been cleared of IEDs by British bomb disposal experts and are safe for the first time in years.

For the full story click here for the Telegraph Online

Our armoured vehicle is stuck in mud!

Oliver Harvey, The Sun

THE harsh voices crackling over the walkie talkie are Taliban fighters - and they are enough for the Grenadier Guards officer in our party to call for silence.


Their broad Pashto on the intercepted conversation is soon translated for us, as one insurgent barks: "Praise be to God, I'm in the same place as yesterday."

Shifting nervously, I glance over at 3 Platoon Queen's Company leader Lieutenant Mike Dobbin, a charismatic officer in the Guards tradition. He is surveying the cost of an attack the previous evening by a 25-strong Taliban raiding party on the isolated Afghan National Police outpost where we are now standing.

Bullet holes pepper the mud-walled compound. Lying on a filthy mattress inside is an Afghan policeman with a poorly dressed wound where a bullet had entered and left his calf.

Lt Dobbin, who during his four-and-a-half month tour has survived a direct hit from a roadside bomb that took out his armoured vehicle, smiles and says of the radio chatter: "We could be in for an interesting night."

In the light of a gas lamp, Sun photographer Andy Bush and I watch combat medic Michael Piantkiwskyj, 30, expertly re-dress the cop's wound.This is the other side of the brave British Army in war-torn Afghanistan - helping patch up the devastating toll Taliban bomb and gun attacks take on the country. And saving lives on a daily basis.

Guardsman Michael, from Northampton, did part of his 22-week medical training in a busy UK A&E department. He says: "Our policy is everyone gets treatment. I've seen amputations and dead bodies - that's what a medic does."

Lt Dobbin, from Reigate, Surrey, and a Cambridge economics graduate, explains that his patrol have come to bolster the attacked unit in this wind-blown compound at Kalabost, which guards the road into provincial capital Lashkar Gah. Nearby, scraps of brilliantly coloured red and green cloth flap in the breeze on antennae-like poles, marking old graves.

The lieutenant signals it is time to go. Addressing, the police commander he says: "Tell your officer he is a brave man." With that we quickly move in single file to the compound yard and prepare for the journey back to Lashkar Gah. Our interpreter, listening to the chat on the walkie talkie, believes the Taliban are not in the immediate vicinity. But it is still a hair-raising walk through the chill of a moonless Helmand evening to a 27-tonne Mastiff armoured vehicle.

Setting off in the pitch black across the bleak, lunar-like desert landscape, we soon come to an alarming halt. The Mastiff is stuck in the cloying, gloopy soil, left as thick as treacle after winter storms. I look around uncomfortably but the Grenadiers are untroubled. Eventually freed from the mud after a few worrying minutes, Sergeant Richard Archer, a Spurs fan commanding our Mastiff, then turns to address the crew.

Until now the sergeant from Burnham, Bucks, dad to five-month-old daughter, Ava, has been businesslike but jovial. Now his voice takes on more urgency. He says slowly: "We have reports of a suicide bomb at a hotel used by the Afghan police. The details are unclear but there are believed to be casualties."

Lashkar Gah - where Britain's task force is headquartered - was targeted early on Tuesday with a bike bomb. Seven civilians - one a child - were killed near the bus station, where women in burkhas shop for succulent oranges and huge cauliflowers grown in this fertile finger of green that is the Helmand Valley. Intelligence suggests the bomb is part of a wave of attacks on coalition forces in the town. At the sergeant's command, the Mastiff roars towards the scene.

The chatter in the back is matter-of-fact and punctuated with laughter as the men discuss their first crushes and which Premier League footballers could be gay. When we arrive at the disaster area it becomes clear the building has collapsed and not been subject to a Taliban attack. The four-storey hotel, which could boast being one of just two buildings in the mud-walled, low-rise city visible on Google Earth, is no more.

Two Afghan soldiers are believed to be trapped in the rubble.

The Brits try digging through the mass of twisted metal and thick concrete to look for their Afghan comrades. But it is a pointless task and Lt Dobbin orders his men back to HQ following a five-and-a-half hour patrol.

The top gunner in our Mastiff is Lance Corporal Mathew Mooney, 26, born in Coventry and raised in Australia. With an unmistakeable Sydney twang, he says: "My hairiest moment was being caught under heavy fire in a drainage ditch, but it's the bread and butter of the job. If you don't want to be in Afghanistan as a soldier you're in the wrong job." The youngest member of the platoon, who turned 18 in October, is Guardsman Simon Dent. An engineer's son and a keen runner, he keeps in touch with mates at home in Coventry on Facebook. He says: "Most of my friends are about to sit their A levels and I'm fighting the Taliban. "I've been shot at and you do get scared. The most rewarding thing is when the locals here wave and thank you."

Earlier in the day the platoon - on a six-month tour - had shown the importance of winning "hearts and minds" in the military strategy here. Helmand's Provincial Reconstruction Team - including staff from the British Government's Department For International Development (DFID) - say 44 schools have opened across Helmand since 2008.

DFID are funding road building, a new district hospital, a business park is under construction at Lashkar Gah airport and nearly 1,500 loans have been given to small businesses. The generals say winning over the population will deprive the Taliban of their hiding places and support structure.

The platoon are mobbed as they drop off pens and stationery at a 200-pupil boys school at Kalabost. The Afghan lads, some with reasonable English and a thirst for learning, say they appreciate the security the coalition forces provide. Ten-year-old Baryalai, who wants to be a doctor, says: "I would like to thank the people of Britain for sending their soldiers to help us. They will rebuild our country."

Headmaster Sor Gul, 54, adds: "The Taliban will be finished soon. There will be peace but we need factories and jobs."

Back at base, Lt Dobbin takes off his helmet to reveal blond hair, smooth cheeks and a fresh complexion. Remarkably, this leader of men, a Helmand veteran, is still only 25.

Lance Sergeant David Greenhalgh killed in Afghanistan

It is with sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm that Lance Sergeant Dave Greenhalgh, from 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, was killed in Afghanistan on Saturday 13 February 2010.

Lance Sergeant Greenhalgh, aged 25, died instantly when his vehicle was struck by an Improvised Explosive Device.

His Section was providing safe passage for a patrol near Lashkar Gah, Helmand Province.

Lance Sergeant Dave Greenhalgh

Lance Sergeant Dave Greenhalgh was from Ilkeston, Derbyshire. He joined the Army in 2001 and had served on operations in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. He took part in Op FRESCO during the Fire Service strikes and has spent time training in the Falkland Islands and Kenya.

He was an experienced and dedicated soldier who had risen rapidly through the ranks. He had completed a vast array of courses qualifying him in almost every aspect of infantry soldiering. He was a Search Team Commander, a driver of almost every military vehicle, a Tactical Questioner, trained in psychological operations and keen to learn the local language.

Lance Sergeant Greenhalgh was a confident young man with a booming voice who was very definitely set out to be a commander. Enthusiastic and professional, he drew well on his experiences to teach those under his command.

From the Forecourt of Buckingham Palace to the Green Zone of Helmand Province he was always a fine example to all those around him. His distinctive look of shaved head and bushy moustache was well known to all nationalities in the Forward Operating Bases and his strength of character left a lasting impression.

A proud Englishman, his array of tattoos displayed his unquestioned loyalty to family, regiment and country. He will certainly be remembered for his big pick up truck and the 80s music that would be heard blasting out! When on leave he enjoyed spending time on his farm and SCUBA diving, which he learnt in Kenya with the Army.

Lance Sergeant Greenhalgh was one of the stalwarts of The Queen's Company and will be sorely missed by all, and never forgotten.

The Company Sergeant Major, Warrant Officer Class 2, Steve Williams, said:

"Losing Lance Sergeant Greenhalgh is a massive blow to the Sovereign's Company. Not only will the Company, Platoon and Team miss him, our deepest sympathy goes out to his family and friends. The Grenadier Guards have lost a fantastic soldier. Professional, diligent and courageous to the end.

"I have known Dave for many years and his attitude and approach to soldiering was a gleaming example to all, young and old. We as a Company and especially a Sergeants' Mess will miss you Dave."

PICTURE of the day: The Grenadier Guards on patrol

Mastiff armoured vehicles belonging to the Queen's Company, The Grenadier Guards near Shawqat
A Mastiff armoured vehicle driver, Queen's Company, The Grenadier Guards near Shawqat,
Platoon Commander, Queen's Company, 1st Battalion, The Grenadier Guards checks his communications equipment prior to departure on a route-clearance patrol near Shawqat

Pictures: Sgt Rob Knight, RLC

PICTURE of the day: A shurah on OP Tor Shpah in the Nad e-Ali

A shurah takes place during OP Tor Shpah in the Nad e-Ali District, Helmand Province, hosted by the District Govenor Habbi Bullah, Local Afghan National Army Commander and Security provided by a mixture of Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police and the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards Battle Group, based in Shawqat, Helmand Province

Pictures: SSgt Mark Jones (RLC)

Lieutenant Paddy Rice 'luckiest soldier in Afghanistan' after Taliban sniper shooting

British Army officer, Lieutenant Paddy Rice, has been described as "the luckiest soldier in Afghanistan" after surviving being shot by a Taliban sniper.

By Sean Rayment, Defence Correspondent, Nad e'Ali, Afghanistan

Lieutenant Paddy Rice of the 1st battalion Grenadier Guards was wounded in the back and neck while on duty in central Helmand.

The bullet struck the officer just beneath his left shoulder blade, then travelled inside his back and up to his neck, where it left his body, passed his right ear before blasting a hole through his helmet.

After being injured, Lt Rice, who was serving with the battalion's Inkerman Company, was flown by a Medical Emergency Response Team Chinook helicopter from his base to Camp Bastion, where his wounds were cleaned and left open for three days before being stitched under general anaesthetic.

The 25-year-old Guard's Officer was offered the chance of recuperating from his wound in the UK but refused and is now back serving with his platoon on the front line in the Nad e'Ali area of central Helmand.

The drama unfolded on the afternoon of October 26th, while Lt Rice was on the roof of British base known as Compound 23 in the Chah-e'Anjir area of central Helmand.

The soldier was dressed in his body armour and helmet and was in a kneeling position when he was spotted by a Taliban fighter who opened fire through a "murder hole" – in a mud wall.

He said: "I climbed on to the roof of the Compound 23, where my soldiers and I were based, and was trying to move a radio into a sangar (defensive bunker). It was an exposed position so I was wearing my body armour and helmet. I then felt a thump in the back of my back, as though I had been kicked, and I knew immediately I had been shot."

The bullet passed through his body, slicing open Lt Rice's back and leaving an eight inch long gash running diagonally from his shoulder blade to an area just beneath his skull.

He continued: "I put my hand up to the back of my head and I could see blood and I think I said something to my platoon sergeant, Gert Botha, such as "I've been shot".

"I was helped down from the roof and I radioed company headquarters, gave contact report (a message informing others that there has been an enemy attack), and said "there is one casualty and it's me – I've been shot". I wasn't panicking I had considered how I might react if I was shot or injured but because everything seemed to be functioning normally I think I realised I would be OK.

"I know that I was very lucky to escape with what is actually a flesh wound, albeit a nasty one. If I had been looking up the bullet would have hit the back of my head and that would have been a different story."

For the full story click here for the Telegraph online

VIDEO: ITV News in Afghanistan - resupply mission to remote Patrol Base

Broadcast on ITV News in November 2009 - correspondent John Ray climbs aboard a Mastiff armoured vehicle in a Queens Company, 1 Grenadier Guards convoy, on a resupply mission to remote Patrol Bases in Battlegroup (Centre South) area of operations.

By kind permission of ITN.

© ITN 2009

Afghanistan: British troops in Helmand kill 80 Taliban in 10 days of fighting

British troops in Helmand have killed up to 80 insurgents in 10 days of bloody fighting, The Sunday Telegraph can disclose.

By Sean Rayment. Picture by Heathcliff O'Malley

The battles occurred in two separate areas of Nad e'Ali in central Helmand, where the 1st battalion the Grenadier Guards Battle Group are based.

More than 60 insurgents are thought to have been killed close to Patrol Base Waheed after the Taliban launched a series of "Kamikaze-style" attacks against British troops.

In the southern area of the district, which is also controlled by the Grenadier Guards, soldiers from the battalion's reconnaissance platoon killed an estimated 16 fighters in a carefully planned ambush last Saturday, although it is difficult for the British Army to be precise about enemy casualties.

The attacks follow the deaths of five members of the battle group who were shot dead by a rogue Afghan policeman 12 days ago. Although the Taliban claimed that the policeman was an insurgent agent, there is a growing belief among British commanders that he was probably acting alone.

The first battle began last week when soldiers from the Grenadier Guard's No2 Company, commanded by Major Richard Green, ambushed Taliban fighters, who had been launching a series of "shoot and scoot" attacks against the British base.

For the full article click here for the Telegraph.co.uk

Afghanistan dispatch: British troops take aim at the Taliban in Helmand

The murder of five British troops by an Afghan policeman has sparked fresh soul-searching over the future of the mission against the Taliban. Yet as Sean Rayment reports, morale remains high despite the daily dangers.

As the weak dawn sun rose over the fertile plain of Nad e'Ali, a hidden British sniper trained his sights onto a Taliban commander.

Watching carefully as the insurgent moved between two brown mud-walled buildings, the soldier prepared for the kill. Hiding on the roof of an abandoned compound some 700 metres from his target, he waited patiently and, when his target emerged, he firmly squeezed the trigger of his .338 sniper rifle.

A second later the bullet struck home, hitting the Taliban leader on the right side of his rib cage. He recoiled, stumbled and was dead before he hit the ground.

The sniper, filled with a deep sense of satisfaction, smiled, reloaded his rifle and scanned the ground for his next target. It was, he admitted to me, a "little bit of pay back" for the five British soldiers who were shot dead by a rogue Afghan policeman on November 3rd. "I'll be honest", he continued, "It felt quite good. They are the bad guys and they were going to try and kill us, but we managed to get the drop on them."

An hour or so later as the battle continued, four unarmed Afghans came to collect the body. The sniper, who can not be named for security reasons, requested permission to engage but was told not to open fire. In Helmand, the British Army does not shoot unarmed Taliban fighters, because of the possibility - no matter how remote - that they might be innocent civilians. Commanders call this practice "courageous restraint", and it has become one of the defining characteristics of the war currently being fought by the British in Helmand. While the Afghans crave prosperity and freedom, security remains at the top of their list of "must haves" and the side which can deliver that will ultimately win the support of the wider population.

The death of every civilian, accidentally killed by either side, ultimately plays into the hands of the Taliban propaganda chiefs, as the Grenadier Guards recently discovered.

In the hours after the shooting of the five British soldiers at the Afghan Police station known as Blue 25, the Taliban launched an attack against the same base and in the ensuing battle four civilians were killed, including a child. The Taliban immediately blamed the deaths on Nato, and claimed that it was in retribution for the deaths of the soldiers. It took many hours of negotiation by British commanders before the local population accepted that the deaths - if any were caused by the British - were a tragic accident.

Nad e'Ali, the area in which The Sunday Telegraph was embedded with the Grenadier Guards Battlegroup for the past two weeks, is a key area in Helmand. Situated around eight miles to the east of the provincial capital, Lashkar Gar, it was until September last year a former Taliban stronghold and the insurgents want it back. The Guards have no intention of giving it to them.

For the rest of the report click here for the Telegraph.co.uk

Public 'must back Afghan cause'

An Army officer has said it is not enough for the public to support UK troops in Afghanistan - they must also back the "cause" they are fighting for.

Capt Andrew Tiernan told the BBC that "the soldiers support the cause" and discussion in Britain of abandoning the mission did not help them.

He said he had chosen to speak out because he was "frustrated with the negative reporting" of the conflict.

Capt Tiernan also said Afghan policemen had saved the lives of his men.

Last week, five British soldiers were shot dead by a police recruit, but despite this Capt Tiernan said it would be "foolish" not to work closely with local forces.

"If we were just there on our own we would be far less effective," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"For instance, the Afghan national policemen who I work with have saved the lives of my men by finding improvised explosive devices in the ground.

"The Afghan desert to me looks pretty similar, but to the policemen that are from those areas a little bit of disturbed earth is telling to them."

'Ink spot approach'

The officer, from the Grenadier Guards, is about to embark on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan.

He said that while "the tragic events of last week need to be reported... lots of the talk subsequently about a wholesale pullout from Afghanistan does not support the soldiers who are out there risking their lives".

"Often we hear people say, 'Yes, we support the soldiers, but we don't support the cause,'" he said.

"Well, the soldiers support the cause, so if you really want to support the soldiers then we too as a public should support the cause in Afghanistan."

A BBC poll on Sunday found that 64% of Britons believe the war is "unwinnable", up from 58% in July.

The head of the armed forces Sir Jock Stirrup also told the BBC that public was not convinced that victory was "doable".

But Capt Tiernan said British troops were making progress, and in his case, his company was creating a "gated community" in one part of Helmand province to protect local people from insurgents.

"A classic counter-insurgency campaign will talk about the 'ink spot approach'. That means that you secure an area.. and because you then demonstrate to the population how life is better... that attracts people into that area and the ink spot can spread.

"So in my area we opened up a school two weeks ago which is a huge thing for local people."

Capt Tiernan said his company was implementing the strategy of "embedded partnering" with Afghan forces as proposed in a directive by US commander Gen Stanley McChrystal.

As a result, British soldiers were "completely working hand-in-hand" with local troops and police, "living with them, planning with them, operating with them".

"His directive is one of those rare documents that is so strikingly correct that everyone who reads it from the lowest ground commander to the most senior military commander understands it worth," Capt Tiernan added.

British Army commander speaks of 'monstrous' killing of five soldiers

British Army commander Lieutenant Colonel Roly Walker has spoken of the "monstrous" and "treacherous" act carried out by a rogue Afghan policemen who killed five of his men.

Sean Rayment, Defence Correspondent in Nad-e'Ali, Helmand

The commanding officer of the 1st battalion Grenadier Guards, said that the dead soldiers would never be forgotten.

But the colonel said that it was vital that the deaths did not "drive a wedge" between the Afghan police and his men who would continue to take the fight to the Taliban.

Sgt Maj Darren Chat, 39, Sgt Matthew Telford, 39, Guardsman James Major, 18, together with Royal Military Police Corporals Steven Boote, 22, and Nicholas Webster, 24, all died last Tuesday after being shot dead inside an Afghan Police Compound known as Blue 25. A further six were injured in the attack.

Col Walker said the killing of his regimental sergeant major had left the unit bereft of its finest soldier but added that morale within his unit remained high.

"Sergeant Major Darren 'Daz' Chant was the living embodiment of the professional soldier," Col. Walker said.

"He died with his boots on. If he could have chosen the way he had to die on operations – that would have been it, on the ground, working with soldiers, doing the job he loved."

He added: "We will remember them all and we will mourn them properly when we return to the UK but right now we have to continue with the mission – the Sgt Maj would not have wanted it any other way."

Click here for the full story on the Telegraph online

Guards make strong start improving security for Nad e-Ali

Grenadier Guards, Royal Engineers and soldiers of 2nd Battalion Duke of Lancasters Regiment have built a new bridge on the fringes of Nad e-Ali, near the new patrol base they have built.

Soldiers of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards Battle Group, in Afghanistan less than a month, have taken over the area around Nad e-Ali from the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.

Their tour, under the newly formed 11 Light Brigade, builds firmly on the work of the previous battle group and operates in a particularly volatile area known among the soldiers as ‘The Wild West’, due to the amount of insurgent activity.

Already, two major achievements highlight the progress being made in this region. We rarely hear of these results following difficult fighting and the ongoing battle against improvised explosive devices (IEDs). However, green shoots of development are appearing in this central, southern district of Helmand province.

Firstly, the guards’ battle group has installed a new patrol base north of the district centre at a key crossing point. Built by Royal Engineers attached to the battle group the patrol base houses separately, the Afghan National Army (ANA) and a British Army Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT), who guide and train the Afghan soldiers, serving alongside and supporting them.

Working as one force

The new patrol base, which has yet to be named by the ANA ensures the positions from which Taliban insurgents can engage the town are further away from the population centre. It also protects a vital bridge used by local farmers every day.

Commanding Officer of 1 Grenadier Guards Lt Col Roly Walker is keen to develop the relationship between ISAF troops, the ANA and the Afghan National Police (ANP) further. He is working hard to ensure they are seen locally acting as one force rather than three separate ones.

Reopening of a local school

Secondly, this new patrol base has been built as part of a long term plan to improve the security around Nad e-Ali, and a giant step forward has been made with the re-opening of a local school, in the district centre.

Helmand Province Governor Gulab Mangal visited the school and cut the ribbon to declare it open talking to the children and teachers. Governor Mangal was also well received at a Shura with local elders to express his commitment to the Food Zone Programme in the region, and he met with ISAF and Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) to discuss the progress of security in the region.

Proud to be making a big difference

The school had previously housed the British forward operating base (FOB), known as FOB Argyll and home to the battle groups operating here. The 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards have however taken over the newly built FOB Shawqat just down the road which has allowed the school to be re-built and re-opened.

The soldiers of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards are relatively new to Afghanistan but are already proud to be making a big difference for the local Afghans here.

VIDEO: Soldier survives head shot - Afghanistan

A British soldier in Afghanistan has been shot in the head by a Taliban fighter and escaped with nothing more than whiplash. It was a lucky shot but the force of the bullet sent Lance Corporal Iain Maynard flying two metres before he hit the ground.

When fellow soldiers came to help expecting the worst, they were amazed to see the deadly tip of the bullet sticking through the inside of his army issue helmet.

Soldier survives head shot

A British soldier in Afghanistan has been shot in the head by a Taliban fighter and escaped with nothing more than whiplash. It was a lucky shot but the force of the bullet sent Lance Corporal Iain Maynard flying two metres before he hit the ground

When fellow soldiers came to help expecting the worst, they were amazed to see the deadly tip of the bullet sticking through the inside of his army issue helmet.

This incredible incident happened while Iain and the rest of the fire support group were on a routine patrol, sweeping the area for IEDs, on Tuesday 13 October.

Lance Corporal Maynard of 2 Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards said:

‘Literally out of nowhere I got shot in the helmet. I wasn’t knocked out by the initial force of it but it knocked me straight onto my back.

‘I knew I had been shot in the head but that was about it.

‘It hit me about 2cm above my left eye, so I’m pretty lucky really. It only just penetrated the helmet so I have a very small cut on my forehead.

‘I was completely disorientated on the floor. I took my helmet off and looked at it and thought ‘that was close’. I tried to stand up but couldn’t so I was taken out of there.’

For Lance Corporal Maynard this is his second tour of Afghanistan. The 24 year old, who comes from Lincoln, even celebrated his 22nd birthday while fighting here in 2007.

The incident happened when number 5 Platoon and the fire support group moved out of Patrol Base Wahid on a routine patrol, in Nad Ali District, Helmand. They had been patrolling for nearly two hours when they came under insurgent fire.

Lance Corporal Maynard was part the fire support group and took on the insurgents with enough fire power to support the rest of the patrol. But, in the midst of the contact the bullet hit him.

He was immediately given assistance by Sergeant Claxton and Guardsman Jolley and was soon heading back to Camp Bastion on a helicopter for treatment.

Guardsman Jolley said: “We have trained extensively to provide on-site medical provision for troops on the field of battle. Thankfully the helmet did exactly what it was designed to do. When the news reached the hospital back at Camp Bastion a full trauma team was ready for the worst.

Major Chris Wright, a doctor from the RAMC was the first to see him said; ‘We were ready with the full trauma team stood to. But when he came in we could see he was talking and he was calm. There was no sign of any head injury.

‘We did a double take and had to check he was the right patient. This is one very lucky man. A few millimetres lower and it would have been a very different outcome.

Major Richard Green the Company Commander said: ‘We are looking forward to the return of Lance Corporal Maynard soon with a new helmet.

Guardsman Jamie Janes killed in Afghanistan

It is with great regret that the Ministry of Defence must confirm the death of Guardsman Jamie Janes, of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, in Afghanistan on Monday 5 October 2009.

Guardsman Janes was killed as a result of an explosion that happened whilst on a foot patrol near to Nad e-Ali district centre in central Helmand province. He was mortally wounded by an improvised explosive device, which also wounded three of his colleagues. The explosion was followed up by an insurgent ambush which the patrol then had to fight off before evacuating the wounded soldiers. Unfortunately Guardsman Janes died en route to hospital.

Guardsman Jamie Janes, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards

Guardsman Janes was a Guardsman in 6 Platoon, 2 Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards. Born on 16 May 1989 in Stafford, his family moved to Brighton when he was two. He attended Hove Park Comprehensive School and began his Army career at Harrogate Foundation College when he was 16, before moving to the Infantry Training Centre Catterick.

Guardsman Janes joined Nijmegen Company, Grenadier Guards, in Woolwich, aged 17, where he carried out numerous state ceremonial and public duties. In 2007, on turning 18, he deployed to the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards who were in Afghanistan. He spent four months on operations before returning to England. Between tours he deployed to the Falkland Islands and also conducted training exercises in Kenya with the Battalion.

Guardsman Janes leaves behind his beloved girlfriend, Kate, three brothers (one of whom is serving in the British Army), two sisters, and his mother.

Guardsman Janes' experience and professionalism from his previous tour of Afghanistan ensured he was a reliable and dependable individual whatever the circumstances. He was a natural soldier, comfortable on operations in testing circumstances, and he had a very promising career ahead of him.

Lieutenant Colonel Roly Walker, Commanding Officer of the Grenadier Guards Battle Group, said:

"So early in our tour, the tragic death of one of our brave young men comes as a shock. Jamie was a soldier to his heart, and a friend to all. He knew the dangers he would face in Afghanistan but he had the courage to keep soldiering. He stood tall amongst his fellow men as an experienced hand who willingly stepped forward to take on the difficult task of clearing routes, and he gave the less experienced soldiers in his section huge confidence. He leaves behind a strong impression and his memory will inspire us. I am hugely proud of him, and humbled by his sacrifice."

Grenadiers Guards return to Afghanistan

Pic: Grenadier Guards training for Op HERRICK 11.

Report by Lt Col Roly Walker
Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards

11 LIGHT BRIGADE promises to be one of the best trained and supported British Brigades to take to the field: in 2006 the UK Government spent around £750 million on military operations in Afghanistan. In 2009 it will be around £3.5 billion.

We will be based in a relatively new area of operations so conditions will be pretty rough and rudimentary. Most of the soldiers will be living in patrol bases, which are basically local Afghan compounds improved with some barriers and sentry positions, in the heart of the local community.

Food will be mainly rations, self cooked. Water comes from local boreholes or is shipped in on supply convoys. We will wash using wash bowls and shower bags, and sleep on camp beds - some in tents, others in buildings of opportunity.

The routine will be busy, noisy, and dusty.

The majority of the time will be spent out and about on patrol reassuring the local population, or on deliberate offensive operations to disrupt the insurgents. The weights we will carry will come as a shock - over 70 lbs just to conduct a patrol - essential equipment, body armour, weapons, ammunition, batteries, water, and food.

The rest of the time will be spent in the patrol bases, either resting or guarding the base. Comforts will be hard to come by. There will be satellite phones, but access to the internet will be limited. Mail will be delivered whenever the supply convoys come through the area.

Once we get there, we have to succeed. Every man and woman will need to stay focussed on the job, stay alert, and maintain high standards of discipline.

Afghanistan is full of contrasts. Ancient traditions dance with modern, the terrain varies from the mountains of the Hindu Kush rising into the Himalaya, to the sand seas flowing into Baluchistan, and from farmlands to the rocky barren deserts. Our task promises to be no different.

Op HERRICK is a demanding and dangerous operation and I have been in the Army long enough to know it will change people's lives. But I have been overwhelmed by the determination and courage of the young men and women I have trained with over the last few months. They are proving to be a very tough generation, and their families and local communities should be very proud of them.

Quick Questions - Lt Col Roly Walker, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards

Lieutenant Colonel Roly Walker
Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards

Where are you deploying to?
We will be going to Helmand, which is one of the southern Provinces, sharing it with US and Afghan security forces. Helmand is an important province for the Taliban and narcotic barons, and so is fiercely contested by them.

What is your mission in Afghanistan?
It is clear to me that Afghanistan must not be ruled by extremists who themselves harbour extremists bent on international terrorism. The government in Afghanistan faces an insurgency which threatens the wish of the international community to rebuild the country. Alongside 40 other UN and NATO states we need to protect Afghanistan from those extremists by working with the Afghans to rebuild their state institutions to govern their people. That means defeating the insurgency they face. And that means protecting the population centres, building up Afghan security forces, and attacking the insurgents.

How have you prepared for this?
Countering an insurgency is exactly what we have been preparing ourselves for over the last few months. We started training in January, went to Kenya for six weeks in the spring, and then spent time training with some of the new operational equipment. The training became ever more sophisticated, and importantly became more integrated with the other civilian and military teams who will be with us. We trained alongside allies from the Afghan Army, the US Marine Corps, and an Estonian contingent, all of whom we will work with.

What conditions will the guards be living and working in?
Conditions will be pretty rough and rudimentary. The routine will be busy, noisy, and dusty. Food will be mainly rations, self cooked. Water comes from local boreholes or is shipped in on supply convoys. We will wash using wash bowls and shower bags, and sleep on camp beds - some in tents, others in buildings of opportunity. Every man and woman will need to stay focussed on the job, to stay alert, and to maintain the high standards of discipline the Guards are famous for.

Op HERRICK is a demanding and dangerous operation and I have been in the Army long enough to know it will change people's lives. But I have been overwhelmed by the determination and courage of the young men and women I have trained with over the last few months. They are proving to be a very tough generation, and their families and local communities should be very proud of them.