Britain's teenage troops feel the heat of battle
By Thomas Harding in Helmand province
06/06/2007
The Telegraph
The Royal Anglian Regiment
British troops in Afghanistan have fired almost as many rounds in the past two months as the Parachute Regiment shot last year, military sources revealed yesterday.
A British soldier takes a break in the desert in Helmand
The 1st Battalion Royal Anglians battlegroup has fired almost 400,000 rounds of small arms ammunition and that is very soon expected to exceed the 450,000 bullets that the Paras fired over six months of intense fighting last year.
In what many officers regard as all-out war, the Anglians have accounted for 600 Taliban dead since April as they attempt to push the insurgents away from populated areas of Helmand province in the south of the country.
During Operation Lashtay Kulang, in the last week, more than 40 terrorists were killed.
Fighting has now petered out with the Taliban withdrawing from overwhelming British and American firepower. Soldiers fighting on the front line are mostly teenagers experiencing combat for the first time. While many admitted they were initially afraid, all are now combat veterans whose morale remains high.
Pte Aden Brown, 19, told The Daily Telegraph that he was "quite petrified" before coming out to Afghanistan. He said: "I didn't think I would make it this far.''
Recalling his first major firefight, Pte Brown, from Norfolk, said: "As the heavy machine guns, mortars and RPGs were going off around me I couldn't believe it. I had to take a second and look at my mates just to confirm we were under fire.
"Then it just kicked off and I opened up with my machine gun and let them have it.
Although it was a bit hairy I quite enjoyed it. It was exciting."
Pte Scott Bramman, also 19, told of a battle last week when rocket-propelled grenades were bursting a few feet above his head and mortars landing 10 yards away.
He said: ''It was an intense fight as we were getting pinned down.
"At one stage, I thought 's***, what's going on because an air burst RPG exploded over our heads and I thought that was it. It was quite a head rush with all the emotions mixed into one.
"One part is excitement, one part is fear."
A Royal Anglian patrol drives through the village of Lwar Mulazi
Pte Bramman, from Lincolnshire, added: ''It has definitely been a life-changing experience. I think this is one of the hardest operations the British Army has undertaken."
Pte Matt Slater, 19, from London, admitted being scared in his first battle, as for half an hour he was pinned down behind a wall which began to crumble as the enemy rounds chipped away at it.
He said: "Mortars gave us covering fire and we legged it down a hill.
"The blokes could see rounds pinging around our feet.
''It's changed my outlook on life. It makes you appreciate things much more, like family and how lucky we are to be alive when rounds are flying past you."
The battalion has suffered 24 casualties and three deaths.
IN PICTURES: BRITAIN'S TEENAGE SOLDIERS IN AFGHANISTAN
The exhausted 1st Bn Royal Anglians battlegroup in Afghanistan have fired almost as many rounds in the last two months as the 450,000 bullets that the Parachute Regiment fired over six months of intense fighting last year. The Anglians have killed 600 Taliban since April
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British soldiers fighting on the front line are mostly teenagers experiencing combat for the first time. While many admitted they were initially afraid, all are now combat veterans whose morale remains high
-------------------
Pte Aden Brown, 19, admitted he was "quite petrified" before coming out to Afghanistan and said: "I didn’t think I would make it this far".
"You heard a lot of stories about the Paras taking casualties and being hit very hard which really made you think."
During his first major firefight the soldier admitted "being in denial" at what was happening. "As the heavy machine guns, mortars and RPGs were going off around me I couldn’t believe it. I had to take a second and look at my mates just to confirm we were under fire. Then it just kicked off and I opened up with my GPMG machine gun and let them have it. Although it was a bit hairy I quite enjoyed it; it was exciting." The soldier from Norfolk has now been involved in 10 battles.
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The most dangerous firefight for Scott Bramman, also 19, happened last week when rocket-propelled grenades were bursting a few feet above his head and mortars landing 10 yards away. "It was an intense fight as we were getting pinned down. At one stage I thought 's***, what’s going on" because an air burst RPG exploded over our heads and I thought that was it. It was quite a head rush with all the emotions mixed into one. One part is excitement one part is fear." The battle lasted six hours during which they ran out of water in 36 deg C heat. "It has definitely been a life changing experience. I think this is one of the hardest operations the British Army has undertaken," the soldier, from Lincolnshire, added.
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Many of the Royal Anglians were involved in a substantial firefight with the Taliban on April 13 on the day Pte Chris Gray was killed. Simon Panter, the soldier’s platoon sergeant, remembered hearing "man down" over the radio before running forward to help extract the mortally wounded teenager. "One of the lads said to me 'f****** hell sarge, I don’t know how you didn’t get shot’ because the rounds were whizzing past my head and body. I was really close to the enemy but I just had tunnel vision on getting Chris out." As they got the soldier under cover Sgt Panter, 35, gave him mouth to mouth resuscitation to stabilise his breathing. "It is probably the most difficult thing I have had to deal with out here but hopefully it will be the only thing. He added: "I do believe we are trying to do some good out here and it’s having an effect."
--------------------
Pte Matt Slater, 19, from London, also admitted being scared in his first battle as for half an hour he was pinned down behind a wall which began to crumble as the enemy rounds chipped away at it. "The reality of it all kicked in straight away," he said. "Every time I kept lifting my head up the rounds kept pinging around me. Mortars gave us covering fire and we legged it down a hill. The blokes could see rounds pinging around our feet.
"It’s changed my outlook on life. It makes you appreciate thing much better like family and little luxuries and how lucky we are to be alive when rounds are flying past you."
--------------------
The battalion has also suffered 24 battle casualties who have been evacuated home and three deaths. But the soldiers also make time to try and establish a relationship with locals
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A platoon from the Anglicans meet local people in Lwar Mulazi village after an offensive in Sangin Valley in Helmand Province
telegraph.co.uk
By Thomas Harding in Helmand province
06/06/2007
The Telegraph
The Royal Anglian Regiment
British troops in Afghanistan have fired almost as many rounds in the past two months as the Parachute Regiment shot last year, military sources revealed yesterday.
A British soldier takes a break in the desert in Helmand
The 1st Battalion Royal Anglians battlegroup has fired almost 400,000 rounds of small arms ammunition and that is very soon expected to exceed the 450,000 bullets that the Paras fired over six months of intense fighting last year.
In what many officers regard as all-out war, the Anglians have accounted for 600 Taliban dead since April as they attempt to push the insurgents away from populated areas of Helmand province in the south of the country.
During Operation Lashtay Kulang, in the last week, more than 40 terrorists were killed.
Fighting has now petered out with the Taliban withdrawing from overwhelming British and American firepower. Soldiers fighting on the front line are mostly teenagers experiencing combat for the first time. While many admitted they were initially afraid, all are now combat veterans whose morale remains high.
Pte Aden Brown, 19, told The Daily Telegraph that he was "quite petrified" before coming out to Afghanistan. He said: "I didn't think I would make it this far.''
Recalling his first major firefight, Pte Brown, from Norfolk, said: "As the heavy machine guns, mortars and RPGs were going off around me I couldn't believe it. I had to take a second and look at my mates just to confirm we were under fire.
"Then it just kicked off and I opened up with my machine gun and let them have it.
Although it was a bit hairy I quite enjoyed it. It was exciting."
Pte Scott Bramman, also 19, told of a battle last week when rocket-propelled grenades were bursting a few feet above his head and mortars landing 10 yards away.
He said: ''It was an intense fight as we were getting pinned down.
"At one stage, I thought 's***, what's going on because an air burst RPG exploded over our heads and I thought that was it. It was quite a head rush with all the emotions mixed into one.
"One part is excitement, one part is fear."
A Royal Anglian patrol drives through the village of Lwar Mulazi
Pte Bramman, from Lincolnshire, added: ''It has definitely been a life-changing experience. I think this is one of the hardest operations the British Army has undertaken."
Pte Matt Slater, 19, from London, admitted being scared in his first battle, as for half an hour he was pinned down behind a wall which began to crumble as the enemy rounds chipped away at it.
He said: "Mortars gave us covering fire and we legged it down a hill.
"The blokes could see rounds pinging around our feet.
''It's changed my outlook on life. It makes you appreciate things much more, like family and how lucky we are to be alive when rounds are flying past you."
The battalion has suffered 24 casualties and three deaths.
IN PICTURES: BRITAIN'S TEENAGE SOLDIERS IN AFGHANISTAN
The exhausted 1st Bn Royal Anglians battlegroup in Afghanistan have fired almost as many rounds in the last two months as the 450,000 bullets that the Parachute Regiment fired over six months of intense fighting last year. The Anglians have killed 600 Taliban since April
-----------------
British soldiers fighting on the front line are mostly teenagers experiencing combat for the first time. While many admitted they were initially afraid, all are now combat veterans whose morale remains high
-------------------
Pte Aden Brown, 19, admitted he was "quite petrified" before coming out to Afghanistan and said: "I didn’t think I would make it this far".
"You heard a lot of stories about the Paras taking casualties and being hit very hard which really made you think."
During his first major firefight the soldier admitted "being in denial" at what was happening. "As the heavy machine guns, mortars and RPGs were going off around me I couldn’t believe it. I had to take a second and look at my mates just to confirm we were under fire. Then it just kicked off and I opened up with my GPMG machine gun and let them have it. Although it was a bit hairy I quite enjoyed it; it was exciting." The soldier from Norfolk has now been involved in 10 battles.
---------------------
The most dangerous firefight for Scott Bramman, also 19, happened last week when rocket-propelled grenades were bursting a few feet above his head and mortars landing 10 yards away. "It was an intense fight as we were getting pinned down. At one stage I thought 's***, what’s going on" because an air burst RPG exploded over our heads and I thought that was it. It was quite a head rush with all the emotions mixed into one. One part is excitement one part is fear." The battle lasted six hours during which they ran out of water in 36 deg C heat. "It has definitely been a life changing experience. I think this is one of the hardest operations the British Army has undertaken," the soldier, from Lincolnshire, added.
-------------------
Many of the Royal Anglians were involved in a substantial firefight with the Taliban on April 13 on the day Pte Chris Gray was killed. Simon Panter, the soldier’s platoon sergeant, remembered hearing "man down" over the radio before running forward to help extract the mortally wounded teenager. "One of the lads said to me 'f****** hell sarge, I don’t know how you didn’t get shot’ because the rounds were whizzing past my head and body. I was really close to the enemy but I just had tunnel vision on getting Chris out." As they got the soldier under cover Sgt Panter, 35, gave him mouth to mouth resuscitation to stabilise his breathing. "It is probably the most difficult thing I have had to deal with out here but hopefully it will be the only thing. He added: "I do believe we are trying to do some good out here and it’s having an effect."
--------------------
Pte Matt Slater, 19, from London, also admitted being scared in his first battle as for half an hour he was pinned down behind a wall which began to crumble as the enemy rounds chipped away at it. "The reality of it all kicked in straight away," he said. "Every time I kept lifting my head up the rounds kept pinging around me. Mortars gave us covering fire and we legged it down a hill. The blokes could see rounds pinging around our feet.
"It’s changed my outlook on life. It makes you appreciate thing much better like family and little luxuries and how lucky we are to be alive when rounds are flying past you."
--------------------
The battalion has also suffered 24 battle casualties who have been evacuated home and three deaths. But the soldiers also make time to try and establish a relationship with locals
-------------------
A platoon from the Anglicans meet local people in Lwar Mulazi village after an offensive in Sangin Valley in Helmand Province
telegraph.co.uk
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