Frontline Afghanistan

The Devil's Playground

Mike Ryan

• Publisher: The History Press
• Year: 2010
• Print ISBN: 9780752452487
• eBook ISBN: 9780750952644
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: 21st Century History
• Index: History

In the nine years since the launch of Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan has rarely been out of the news. Over a thousand coalition military fatalities have been reported, and many times that number of Afghan civilians. The country is in the process of rebuilding, and yet the fighting continues. Following the success of his previous book, Battlefield Afghanistan, Mike Ryan looks at the state of this war-ravaged nation as Barack Obama finally decides to escalate America's military presence. He considers the current role of coalition troops and the progress being made, or not being made – more than 100 British troops died in Afghanistan in 2009, the highest death toll for any year since the mission began in October 2001 – things are getting worse, not better.

The author has unrivalled access not only to commanding officers, but also to the 'boots on the ground'. With more than 200 colour photographs and analysis of the situation from those actually doing the fighting, Frontline Afghanistan may help the reader to make up his or her mind about the legitimacy of the conflict and the possible way forward.

XI

THE FALLEN

This chapter is dedicated to the memory of all the brave men and women of our armed forces and those of our NATO allies who have given their today for Afghanistan’s tomorrow. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten.

As at 7 December 2009, a total of 237 British forces personnel or MOD civilians have died while serving in Afghanistan since the start of operations in October 2001. Of these, 206 were killed as a result of hostile action. 31 are known to have died either as a result of illness, non-combat injuries or accidents, or have not yet officially been assigned a cause of death pending the outcome of an investigation. The balance of these figures may change as inquests are concluded.

Lance Corporal Adam Paul Drane aged 23 from Bury St Edmunds of 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment was killed in Afghanistan on Monday 7 December 2009.

Acting Sergeant John Paxton Amer from Sunderland of 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards died from wounds sustained as a result of an explosion that happened in the Babaji area of central Helmand province on 30 November 2009.

Sergeant Robert David Loughran-Dickson aged 33 from Deal in Kent of the Royal Military Police died as a result of gunshot wounds sustained during a routine patrol in the vicinity of Patrol Base Wahid, in Nad e-Ali district, Helmand province, on 18 November 2009.

Corporal Loren Owen Christopher Marlton-Thomas aged 28 of 33 Engineer Regiment (EOD) was killed by an improvised explosive device in the Gereshk area of Helmand province on Sunday 15 November 2009.

Rifleman Andrew Ian Fentiman aged 23 from Cambridge of 7th Battalion The Rifles was killed as a result of small arms fire whilst on a foot patrol near Sangin in central Helmand province during the morning of 15 November 2009.

Rifleman Samuel John Bassett aged 20 from Plymouth of 4th Battalion The Rifles was killed following an improvised explosive device explosion in the area of Sangin on Sunday 8 November 2009.

Rifleman Philip Allen aged 20 from Dorset of 2nd Battalion The Rifles (2 RIFLES), was killed following the detonation of an IED near Sangin in central Helmand province on Saturday 7 November 2009.

Serjeant Phillip Scott aged 30 from Malton of 3rd Battalion The Rifles was killed in Afghanistan following an improvised explosive device explosion in northern Helmand province on Thursday 5 November 2009.

Warrant Officer Class 1 (RSM) Darren Chant aged 40 from Walthamstow, Sergeant Matthew Telford aged 37 from Grimsby and Guardsman James Major aged 18 from Grimsby, all of the 1st Battalion The Grenadier Guards as well as Acting Corporal Steven Boote aged 22 from Birkenhead, Liverpool and Corporal Nicholas Webster-Smith aged 24 from Glangwilli, both of the Royal Military Police were killed as a result of gunshot wounds sustained in an attack at a police checkpoint in the Nad e-Ali district of Helmand province on Tuesday 3 November 2009.

Staff Sergeant Olaf Sean George Schmid aged 30 from Truro of the Royal Logistic Corps, in Afghanistan on the afternoon of Saturday 31 October 2009.

Corporal Thomas ‘Tam’ Mason aged 27 from Rosyth of The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS), at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, Selly Oak Hospital, on Sunday 25 October 2009.

Corporal James Oakland aged 26 from Manchester of the Royal Military Police was killed as a result of an explosion that happened during a foot patrol near to Gereshk district centre in central Helmand province on Thursday 22 October 2009.

Lance Corporal James Hill aged 23 from Redhill in Surrey of 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards was killed as a result of an explosion near Camp Bastion in Helmand Province on Thursday 8 October 2009.

Guardsman Jamie Janes aged 20 from Brighton of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, 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 on Monday 5 October 2009.

Acting Corporal Marcin Wojtak aged 24 from Leicester of 34 Squadron Royal Air Force Regiment was killed as a result of an explosion whilst commanding his vehicle in the desert to the south of Bastion Joint Operating Base on Thursday 1 October 2009.

Private James Prosser aged 21 from Cwmbran of 2nd Battalion The Royal Welsh was killed as a result of an explosion that happened during a vehicle patrol in Musa Qaleh district, northern Helmand province on 27 September 2009.

Acting Sergeant Michael Lockett MC from Monifieth in Angus of 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment was killed in Afghanistan as a result of an explosion while on a foot patrol in the Gereshk district of Helmand province on 21 September 2009.

Acting Serjeant Stuart McGrath aged 28 from Buckinghamshire of 2nd Battalion The Rifles was killed as a result of an explosion that happened whilst on a foot patrol in the Gereshk district, central Helmand province, on the afternoon of 16 September 2009.

Trooper Brett Hall aged 21 from Dartmouth of the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment died at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, Selly Oak, on Wednesday 16 September 2009 of wounds sustained in Afghanistan.

Kingsman Jason Dunn-Bridgeman aged 20 from Liverpool of 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment was killed in a firefight with the enemy during a foot patrol in the Babaji district of Helmand province on 13 September 2009.

Corporal John Harrison from The Parachute Regiment was killed in Afghanistan on Wednesday 9 September 2009.

Private Gavin Elliott aged 19 from Woodsetts, Worksop, Nottinghamshire of 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment died as a result of a gunshot wound sustained whilst on a foot patrol in Babaji district, central Helmand province, on Thursday 3 September 2009.

Lance Corporal Richard James Brandon aged 24 from Kidderminster of the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers was killed in Afghanistan on 2 September 2009.

Sergeant Stuart Millar aged 40 from Inverness and Private Kevin Elliott aged 24 from Dundee of The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, were killed as a result of an explosion believed to have been caused by a rocket-propelled grenade whilst patrolling on foot in Babaji district, Helmand province, on the morning of Monday 31 August 2009.

Sergeant Lee Andrew Houltram, Royal Marines, died following an explosion whilst on a foot patrol near Gereshk in Helmand province, Afghanistan, in the early hours of Saturday 29 August 2009.

Fusilier Shaun Bush aged 24 from Warwickshire of 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers died at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, Selly Oak, on Tuesday 25 August 2009, having been wounded in an explosion while on a foot patrol in Sangin district, Helmand province, on Saturday 15 August 2009.

Serjeant Paul McAleese aged 29 from Hereford of 2nd Battalion the Rifles, and Private Johnathon Young aged 18 from Hull of 3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (Duke of Wellington’s), were killed in Afghanistan on Thursday 20 August 2009 following explosions that happened while they were on a foot patrol taking place in Sangin district.

Lance Corporal James Fullarton aged 24 from Coventry, Fusilier Simon Annis from Salford and Fusilier Louis Carter from Nuneaton, all of 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, were killed in Afghanistan on Sunday 16 August 2009.

Sergeant Simon Valentine aged 29 from Bedworth of 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers was killed in Afghanistan on Saturday 15 August 2009.

Private Richard Hunt aged 21 from Abergavenny of 2nd Battalion The Royal Welsh died at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine in Selly Oak on Saturday 15 August 2009 from wounds sustained in Helmand province two days previously.

Captain Mark Hale age...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Author’s Appeal
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• I The Crucible of Terrorism
• II Wild Frontiers
• III Learning From the Bears
• IV Dodging the Golden BB
• V Bullet Magnets
• VI The Reapers
• VII The Golden Hour
• VIII The Devil’s Playground
• IX Combat Sitrep
• X Final Thoughts
• XI The Fallen
• Afterword