Helmand province:
British Army history in 65, 166–7
conditions in 14, 181
Dasht-e-Margo (Desert of Death) (GAFA) 16, 64, 202, 203, 205, 206, 239, 241, 246
landscape 15–16, 63, 64–5
opium trade in 1–2, 19, 20, 63, 68, 82–4, 94, 96, 155, 284
population 63–4
Red Desert 64–5, 156
size of 21
Taliban strength in 21
winter in 181
see also under individual area
Helmand River 4, 143, 198, 203, 239, 291, 315, 342
Hussein, Saddam 8
IRA 26
Iran 204
Iraq 21, 32, 96–7, 128, 191
ISI 196
James, Major Christopher (‘Boss’) (Trigger) 46, 93, 105, 111, 163, 185, 187, 188
Apache pilot, experience as 15, 17
Blair visit to Camp Bastion and 127, 130, 131, 132
callsign 47–8, 99–100, 102, 104
Camp Bastion, arrival in 11–12
character 14–15
Crew Rest Periods, enforces 108, 109, 190
familiarisation flight 53, 56, 58, 59, 59, 61, 63, 64, 66–7, 69
Gereshk 71, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 86, 90
Kajaki 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 164–5
Maiwand 167–8
Now Zad 171–2, 173, 175, 176–7, 178, 179, 180
Operation Glacier (Garmsir) 145, 146, 147, 149, 157, 158
Operation Glacier (Koshtay) 191, 192, 197, 199, 200, 202, 203, 206, 208, 211, 212, 213, 216, 217, 218, 220, 221, 225, 227, 228, 230, 231, 232, 233, 237
Operation Glacier (Jugroom Fort) 239, 242, 254, 261, 263, 277, 324, 325, 326, 327, 330, 332, 334, 342
664 squadron, handover with 13
third tour of Afghanistan 353
Jim (FOG) 103–4, 108, 109, 113, 166, 183, 185, 238–9, 241, 250, 271, 285, 287, 289, 3–6, 307, 316, 333, 334, 353
John 13–14, 19
Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) 56, 69, 71, 73, 119, 120, 125, 145, 147, 151, 156, 164, 167, 168, 169, 180, 198, 209, 224, 227, 233, 234, 238, 245, 247, 249, 252, 254, 255, 258, 260, 263, 268, 269, 270, 272, 273, 275, 278, 284, 291, 297, 346
Jugroom Fort 239–345
Kabul 46
Kajaki 20, 63, 69, 80, 112, 164, 165, 170, 186
Arnhem 118, 119, 125–6
dam 112–13, 236
Falcon 118, 119, 120, 164, 165
missions in and around 115–26, 137
Shrine 118, 120, 122, 123, 124, 125, 164
Kandahar 11, 15, 19, 20, 21, 23, 44, 46, 64, 80, 82, 93, 96, 107, 122, 129, 153, 162, 163, 167, 170, 196, 237, 242, 261, 278, 279, 342
Airfield 9, 16, 44, 107
Karzai, Hamid 19, 128
Koshtay 196, 197, 199, 201, 202, 206–25, 226–36, 237, 347
Laden, Osama bin 65
Lashkar Gah 12, 15, 93, 96, 111, 115, 187, 198, 235, 238, 263, 279
Lewis, Bootsy 348
Macy, Ed (Elton)
Army Air Corps, joins 27
bicycle accident 27
birth 24
childhood 24–5
concern for life 23, 40–1
day pattern 104–9
family 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 37, 41, 108, 185, 188–9, 204, 322, 326, 341, 347, 352
fights 26
first tour in Afghanistan 12, 22–3, 39–41, 101, 107
killing the enemy, feelings after 81–2
leaves army 353
life after army 354
MC 350–2
mistakes 77–8, 79, 90–1, 104
Northern Ireland tour 23, 95, 163
operations see under individual operation name
Para 23, 26–7
retirement from army, failed attempt at 12–13
SAS, trains for selection process 26–7
school 24–5
second tour of Afghanistan, deployment to 11–19
training, Apache 17, 34–9, 101
Macy, Emily 28, 29, 37, 41, 52, 108, 185, 188–9, 204, 322, 326, 341, 347
Macy, Greg (brother) 24–5
Magowan, Lieutenant Colonel Rob 94, 144, 151, 152, 153–4, 194, 198, 234, 241, 250, 254, 263, 272, 273, 275–6, 277, 282, 283, 331, 333, 342, 346, 350
Maiwand 166–7
MI6 136, 154, 196
Ministry of Defence (MoD) 34, 42, 46, 202, 262, 341, 345, 354
Mohammed, Mullah Fahir 235
Musa Qa’leh 20, 21
Musharraf, Pervez 128
NATO 19, 20, 21
Nick (Bonnie) 101–2, 107, 129, 166, 170, 171, 183, 185, 200, 238–9, 241, 242, 245, 249, 250, 254, 262, 264, 271, 277, 278, 285, 289, 303, 305, 306, 311, 316, 349, 350, 351, 352, 353
Nimruz 19, 20, 155
9/11 97
Northern Ireland 26, 95, 163
Now Zad 20, 40, 63, 80, 112, 138, 170, 171, 175, 179, 180, 187, 192
NSA 196
Omar, Mullah 82
Operation Anthracite 94
Operation Glacier:
Garmsir 143–61
Glacier 1 196, 198, 206–25, 226–36
Glacier 2 238–49, 338
Glacier 3 346
Glacier 4 346
Glacier 5 196, 346
Jugroom Fort 239–351
Koshtay 194–237, 238, 239
Operation Herrick 20, 92, 93–4
Operation Just Cause 31
Operation Steve–O 171–80
opium trade 1–2, 19, 20, 63, 68, 82–4, 94, 96, 155, 284
Pakistan 82, 83, 153, 155, 194, 207, 210, 235
Panjwayi Valley 166, 168
Patten, Captain David 3, 7, 8, 167
Pentagon 29, 210
Philip, Prince 349, 350–1
Phillips, Fiona 181–2
Quetta 82, 195, 235
RAF 46, 120, 145, 162, 244
RAF Barkston 34
RAF Shrewsbury 34
Ramit 135–7
Ramsay, Gordon 184
Reid, Ina 348, 349
Reid, John 21–2
Rigg, Captain Dave 275, 280, 281, 282, 283, 288, 289, 292, 294, 295, 297, 298, 299, 300, 301, 309, 311, 312, 313, 317, 318, 338, 351
Roberts, Bob 131
Robinson, Marine Gary 275–6, 303, 304, 305, 306, 309, 312, 313
Robinson, Nick 133
Rocco 109–10, 111, 127, 169, 192, 193, 201, 233
Rolls Royce 33, 61, 186
Royal Navy 3
Sahib, Haji Mullah 168
Sangin 2, 20, 61, 63, 65–9, 94, 112, 115, 136, 138, 141, 147, 187, 247–8
Sexton, Colonel 327–32, 337–8, 341
Siah Choy 168
Simon 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Sky News 108, 128
Soggy Arm Field 164–6
Soviet Army 20, 63, 83, 84, 112, 136, 193
Sun 102
Taliban 1, 4, 5, 6, 9, 52, 72, 95, 208, 322
adaptation to conditions of Afghanistan 22–3
Apache, fear of and approach to 7–8, 40, 49, 308, 354
bravery 74, 84–5
capture of leaders 2
casualties 80, 81–2, 213–14, 216–17, 224–5, 227, 228, 235, 235, 236, 249–50, 251, 342
Chinook and 8
clothing 84
drug trade, connection to 82–4
experience of fighters 84
fall of regime 19
fighting strength 150–1
fire fights 39–40, 73–82, 118–26, 145–50, 209–25, 227–32, 241, 244, 249, 251, 252, 257, 258–60, 266, 268, 276, 277, 305–6, 315, 335, 342, 344
Garmsir 144, 346
intensity of fighting 20–2
Islamic extremists and 82, 83
Jugroom Fort 239–40, 241, 244, 249, 250, 251, 252, 257, 258–60, 266, 268, 276, 277, 305–6, 315, 330, 335, 342, 344, 346
leadership 82–3
observe Camp Bastion movements 162–3, 205
prisoners, treatment of 6, 7, 8, 111, 247–8, 330
sniper
s 177–8
spotters 73
suicide bombings 95–6
supply chain 143, 153, 155, 194–9
tactics 84, 96, 162–3, 205
Tier One 82–3
Tier Three 83–4, 96
Tier Two 83, 96
weapons see weapons, Taliban
Thomas, Brigadier Jerry 153, 195, 257, 278–9, 342, 345
Thorpe, Corporal Peter 68
Tony (Darwin) 101, 103, 104, 110, 127, 130, 132, 141, 171, 172–3, 175, 178, 179, 183, 185, 233, 236, 239, 241, 250, 285, 289, 299, 316, 320, 321, 334, 335, 336, 353
Topman 120, 121, 146, 180
Uruzgan 19, 20, 153
United States 31–2
air support 2, 32, 147, 197, 198, 209, 210, 213, 217, 227, 241, 270, 271, 273–4, 275, 284, 285, 286, 298, 338
Apache crews 175, 186
Apache helicopter, develop 29–33
bases 169–70
weapons, Apache helicopter, see Apache AH
Mk 1
weapons, Taliban
107-mm Chinese rockets 68, 137
AK47 84, 139, 144, 229, 305
anti–aircraft guns 140, 180
Dushkas (14.5–mm Soviet ZPU) 140–1, 171, 175, 180, 217
HN15 135
IED (improvised explosive device) 3
landmines 193
Man Portable Air Defence Systems
(ManPADs) 135, 139
mortars 20, 72–4, 144
NVGs 204
rockets 20, 117, 119–20
RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) 2, 20, 84, 117, 139, 144, 146, 171, 174, 221, 223, 224, 229, 255, 258, 259, 261, 265, 266, 296, 298, 305, 306, 321, 335
SA14s 135
SA7s 135, 136
SAMs (surface-to-air missiles) 43, 60, 61, 84, 96–7, 134–9, 141, 171, 186, 220, 268, 269
Stinger missile 135, 137, 138, 217
Wombat (Weapon of Magnesium
Battalion Anti Tank) 68, 144
Wigley, Jonathan 152
Wright, Marine Gary 96
You Tube 43
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First published in Great Britain by HarperPress in 2008
Copyright © Ed Macy 2008
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