daftandbarmy
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AJFitzpatrick said:
That.... is.... awesome! :nod:
British Military Current Events
- Thread starter daftandbarmy
- Start date
That.... is.... awesome! :nod:
daftandbarmy
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The Army has depended on reservists for generations. Now they are even more vital
As we travel to work today it is worth remembering those who have swapped their trains for armoured vehicles and their suits for combat uniforms. More than 500 businessmen and women, teachers, industrial workers, doctors and nurses went to work this morning on the front line in Afghanistan. These are the “citizen soldiers” on whose commitment this country has depended for generations.
Men such as Kingsman Michael Davison who in 2003, as a 22-year-old full-time builder and volunteer infantryman, won the Military Cross in Iraq. Caught in a fierce firefight through a network of alleyways, Kingsman Davison fought his way forward under enemy fire to drag his wounded platoon commander to safety and apply life-saving first aid.
More recently Lieutenant-Colonel Sharon Stewart was awarded the Associate Royal Red Cross Medal for her devotion to duty and professional competence in British military nursing in Afghanistan in 2011. Lieutenant- Colonel Stewart, a mother of three from Lancashire, was on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in a hospital that treats not only soldiers but the Afghan Army and local people, including children and suspected insurgents. They are typical of the men and women of the Reserve Forces who, with their regular counterparts, will play a critical role in an Army that is preparing for an uncertain world.
Since April 2001 the Army has deployed more than 27,000 reservists on operations in Iraq, Cyprus and Afghanistan. We will shortly add the Olympics to that list. This remarkable group of people have served with distinction and they have made a real difference. They have certainly borne their share of the extreme demands and the sacrifice. The Army has depended on their sense of duty as individuals and their camaraderie.
In the future these reservists will play an even more important role, as the Army Reserve faces its most sweeping reform for generations. The recent review by the independent Houghton Commission proposes a compelling vision for the Reserve as an even more significant component of the Army’s fighting power.
That vision comes with a commitment to invest an additional £1.8 billion in the Reserve over the next ten years. In return the Army must produce a force of 120,000 by 2020, fit for all operations — up to 38,000 of whom will come from the Reserve.
This is about more than sheer numbers. This week the Army brought together academics, soldiers and international experts to work out how to reinvigorate the competence of our reserve forces to make them fit to meet an expanded commitment to military operations. We plan a more formal role for them in international engagement and homeland security, with a continuing lead in other areas such as cyber, post-conflict stabilisation and medical support. We will integrate their strengths more closely into the Army through collective training.
I readily accept that more work must be done across government to ensure that both reservist employees and their employers derive the optimum benefit from this commitment. In return the Army must do more to support the families of Reservists when they are away on operations.
Our ten-year plan has already begun. We are increasing recruiting for the Reserve this year and will shortly begin a series of pilot schemes to attract even more capable officers and soldiers. For example, at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst we are investing more in reserve officer training to make it more relevant and more comprehensive.
The same is happening for soldiers across the spectrum of combat skills and trades. Just as reservists will make a greater operational contribution, so regular soldiers will be encouraged to contribute their hard-earned operational experience to the Reserve when they return to civilian life.
We will, of course, expect more from the individual men and women who volunteer. Like all soldiers they will develop the traditional military spirit for which the Army is famous, but there will be important differences. The Reserve will bring the volunteer ethos, rooted in homes and towns across the country, drawn from the widest possible pool. This will enhance the vital link between the Army and society.
The future Army Reserve will be even more important to the Army as a whole. It will be better organised, better resourced and better trained. In the future Army the Reserve will make an even more critical contribution to our national security than it has throughout its distinguished history.
General Sir Peter Wall is Chief of the General Staff, the head of the British Army
As we travel to work today it is worth remembering those who have swapped their trains for armoured vehicles and their suits for combat uniforms. More than 500 businessmen and women, teachers, industrial workers, doctors and nurses went to work this morning on the front line in Afghanistan. These are the “citizen soldiers” on whose commitment this country has depended for generations.
Men such as Kingsman Michael Davison who in 2003, as a 22-year-old full-time builder and volunteer infantryman, won the Military Cross in Iraq. Caught in a fierce firefight through a network of alleyways, Kingsman Davison fought his way forward under enemy fire to drag his wounded platoon commander to safety and apply life-saving first aid.
More recently Lieutenant-Colonel Sharon Stewart was awarded the Associate Royal Red Cross Medal for her devotion to duty and professional competence in British military nursing in Afghanistan in 2011. Lieutenant- Colonel Stewart, a mother of three from Lancashire, was on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in a hospital that treats not only soldiers but the Afghan Army and local people, including children and suspected insurgents. They are typical of the men and women of the Reserve Forces who, with their regular counterparts, will play a critical role in an Army that is preparing for an uncertain world.
Since April 2001 the Army has deployed more than 27,000 reservists on operations in Iraq, Cyprus and Afghanistan. We will shortly add the Olympics to that list. This remarkable group of people have served with distinction and they have made a real difference. They have certainly borne their share of the extreme demands and the sacrifice. The Army has depended on their sense of duty as individuals and their camaraderie.
In the future these reservists will play an even more important role, as the Army Reserve faces its most sweeping reform for generations. The recent review by the independent Houghton Commission proposes a compelling vision for the Reserve as an even more significant component of the Army’s fighting power.
That vision comes with a commitment to invest an additional £1.8 billion in the Reserve over the next ten years. In return the Army must produce a force of 120,000 by 2020, fit for all operations — up to 38,000 of whom will come from the Reserve.
This is about more than sheer numbers. This week the Army brought together academics, soldiers and international experts to work out how to reinvigorate the competence of our reserve forces to make them fit to meet an expanded commitment to military operations. We plan a more formal role for them in international engagement and homeland security, with a continuing lead in other areas such as cyber, post-conflict stabilisation and medical support. We will integrate their strengths more closely into the Army through collective training.
I readily accept that more work must be done across government to ensure that both reservist employees and their employers derive the optimum benefit from this commitment. In return the Army must do more to support the families of Reservists when they are away on operations.
Our ten-year plan has already begun. We are increasing recruiting for the Reserve this year and will shortly begin a series of pilot schemes to attract even more capable officers and soldiers. For example, at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst we are investing more in reserve officer training to make it more relevant and more comprehensive.
The same is happening for soldiers across the spectrum of combat skills and trades. Just as reservists will make a greater operational contribution, so regular soldiers will be encouraged to contribute their hard-earned operational experience to the Reserve when they return to civilian life.
We will, of course, expect more from the individual men and women who volunteer. Like all soldiers they will develop the traditional military spirit for which the Army is famous, but there will be important differences. The Reserve will bring the volunteer ethos, rooted in homes and towns across the country, drawn from the widest possible pool. This will enhance the vital link between the Army and society.
The future Army Reserve will be even more important to the Army as a whole. It will be better organised, better resourced and better trained. In the future Army the Reserve will make an even more critical contribution to our national security than it has throughout its distinguished history.
General Sir Peter Wall is Chief of the General Staff, the head of the British Army
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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TA soldiers 'passed over for promotion' after serving in Iraq
Territorial Army soldiers are returning from tough operations abroad to find they have lost out on promotion to colleagues who stayed at home, troops said yesterday.
Some who spent six months in Iraq and Afghanistan are furious that their war experience is being ignored and many have quit in disgust.
The veterans are critical of TA commanders "stuck in the Cold War mind-set" of fighting a Soviet-era war rather than taking in their experience of battling insurgents.
With TA soldiers also complaining of the poor post-combat psychological help they receive, many observers believe this has contributed to a dramatic drop in numbers: the force now stands at little more than 30,000.
Since the war on terrorism began, the TA, made up of civilians who spend every other weekend training as soldiers, has been vital to operations, providing about eight per cent of troops serving abroad.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1529741/TA-soldiers-passed-over-for-promotion-after-serving-in-Iraq.html
Territorial Army soldiers are returning from tough operations abroad to find they have lost out on promotion to colleagues who stayed at home, troops said yesterday.
Some who spent six months in Iraq and Afghanistan are furious that their war experience is being ignored and many have quit in disgust.
The veterans are critical of TA commanders "stuck in the Cold War mind-set" of fighting a Soviet-era war rather than taking in their experience of battling insurgents.
With TA soldiers also complaining of the poor post-combat psychological help they receive, many observers believe this has contributed to a dramatic drop in numbers: the force now stands at little more than 30,000.
Since the war on terrorism began, the TA, made up of civilians who spend every other weekend training as soldiers, has been vital to operations, providing about eight per cent of troops serving abroad.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1529741/TA-soldiers-passed-over-for-promotion-after-serving-in-Iraq.html
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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Well, that makes it alright then....
IRA admits killing schoolboy in 1973 after blaming the British Army for almost four decades
The IRA finally apologised yesterday for the death of a nine-year-old boy after blaming the British Army for almost 40 years.
Gordon Gallagher was killed after he tripped upon the Republican-made bomb while playing ‘Cowboys and Indians’ with his brother in their garden in Londonderry in 1973.
Doctors tried to save his life by amputating both of his legs, but he died from the injuries caused by the booby-trapped device.
Gordon’s parents have previously claimed IRA members visited them days after his death and told them they placed the bomb without a detonator and it was added by the British Army to try and ‘frame’ them for the killing.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2106078/IRA-admits-killing-schoolboy-1973-blaming-British-Army-decades.html#ixzz1nSOQrxCi
IRA admits killing schoolboy in 1973 after blaming the British Army for almost four decades
The IRA finally apologised yesterday for the death of a nine-year-old boy after blaming the British Army for almost 40 years.
Gordon Gallagher was killed after he tripped upon the Republican-made bomb while playing ‘Cowboys and Indians’ with his brother in their garden in Londonderry in 1973.
Doctors tried to save his life by amputating both of his legs, but he died from the injuries caused by the booby-trapped device.
Gordon’s parents have previously claimed IRA members visited them days after his death and told them they placed the bomb without a detonator and it was added by the British Army to try and ‘frame’ them for the killing.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2106078/IRA-admits-killing-schoolboy-1973-blaming-British-Army-decades.html#ixzz1nSOQrxCi
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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Sailors fight fire at Antarctic base
A Military Operations news article
28 Feb 12
Sailors from ice patrol ship HMS Protector helped tackle a ferocious fire which raged through a Brazilian research base on King George Island in the South Sandwich Islands.
Two dozen crew from research and survey vessel HMS Protector helped fight the blaze which had engulfed the Ferraz research station on King George Island in the South Sandwich Islands for four hours.
Sadly the fire claimed the lives of two Brazilian staff at the station.
HMS Protector's crew responded to an urgent call for help after the base caught fire. They arrived after the survivors - mainly Brazilian military and scientific personnel - had been evacuated and set about extinguishing the fire which was still raging.
Protector's crew used the ship's small boats to land vehicles and equipment.
The work boat Terra Nova landed a quad bike and trailer so portable pumping and firefighting equipment could be moved around the base.
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/MilitaryOperations/SailorsFightFireAtAntarcticBase.htm
A Military Operations news article
28 Feb 12
Sailors from ice patrol ship HMS Protector helped tackle a ferocious fire which raged through a Brazilian research base on King George Island in the South Sandwich Islands.
Two dozen crew from research and survey vessel HMS Protector helped fight the blaze which had engulfed the Ferraz research station on King George Island in the South Sandwich Islands for four hours.
Sadly the fire claimed the lives of two Brazilian staff at the station.
HMS Protector's crew responded to an urgent call for help after the base caught fire. They arrived after the survivors - mainly Brazilian military and scientific personnel - had been evacuated and set about extinguishing the fire which was still raging.
Protector's crew used the ship's small boats to land vehicles and equipment.
The work boat Terra Nova landed a quad bike and trailer so portable pumping and firefighting equipment could be moved around the base.
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/MilitaryOperations/SailorsFightFireAtAntarcticBase.htm
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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A very dirty war: British soldiers shot dead by enemy troops waving the white flag and Argentinian prisoners bayoneted in cold blood. An ex-Para tells of the horrors of the Falklands
By Tony Banks
In this brutally candid series, ex-Para Tony Banks tells of his emotional journey from battlefield atrocities to forgiveness and redemption.
The Falklands War was short, sharp and very nasty. The fighting I experienced as a young soldier in the Parachute Regiment was, at times like something out of World War I. We fought at close quarters, clearing trenches of Argentinian troops with bayonets and grenades.
I saw close friends killed and mutilated, crying for their mothers as the life ebbed from them. I witnessed wounded and badly burned men writhing, screaming in agony.
But I was a Para — a tough guy in one of the toughest units in the British Army — and all that death and destruction did not bother me. Or so I thought.
I was just 20 years old when I went as part of the Task Force sent to recapture those wind-swept islands in the South Atlantic in 1982. I was full of life and fighting spirit and ready to do a job I loved.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2109429/A-dirty-war-British-soldiers-shot-dead-enemy-troops-waving-white-flag-Argentinian-prisoners-bayoneted-cold-blood-An-ex-Para-tells-horrors-Falklands.html#ixzz1o0jQTU74
By Tony Banks
In this brutally candid series, ex-Para Tony Banks tells of his emotional journey from battlefield atrocities to forgiveness and redemption.
The Falklands War was short, sharp and very nasty. The fighting I experienced as a young soldier in the Parachute Regiment was, at times like something out of World War I. We fought at close quarters, clearing trenches of Argentinian troops with bayonets and grenades.
I saw close friends killed and mutilated, crying for their mothers as the life ebbed from them. I witnessed wounded and badly burned men writhing, screaming in agony.
But I was a Para — a tough guy in one of the toughest units in the British Army — and all that death and destruction did not bother me. Or so I thought.
I was just 20 years old when I went as part of the Task Force sent to recapture those wind-swept islands in the South Atlantic in 1982. I was full of life and fighting spirit and ready to do a job I loved.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2109429/A-dirty-war-British-soldiers-shot-dead-enemy-troops-waving-white-flag-Argentinian-prisoners-bayoneted-cold-blood-An-ex-Para-tells-horrors-Falklands.html#ixzz1o0jQTU74
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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Six killed in biggest loss of life to enemy action in Afghanistan
Six British soldiers have been killed in the biggest single loss of life to enemy fire in Afghanistan after their Warrior armoured vehicle was blown up.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/9129481/Six-killed-in-biggest-loss-of-life-to-enemy-action-in-Afghanistan.html
Six British soldiers have been killed in the biggest single loss of life to enemy fire in Afghanistan after their Warrior armoured vehicle was blown up.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/9129481/Six-killed-in-biggest-loss-of-life-to-enemy-action-in-Afghanistan.html
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/9129481/Six-killed-in-biggest-loss-of-life-to-enemy-action-in-Afghanistan.html
The size of the bomb threw the 40 ton Warrior onto its side and blew off its turret before 7pm local time on Tuesday near the Durai Junction. The vehicle then caught fire setting off ammunition inside and killing all six occupants.
It is understood the Warrior had been travelling parallel to the tarmac Highway One in Helmand province to avoid mines planted in culverts on the road.
However the vehicle, followed by a second Warrior, might have been on a well established track that was deliberately targeted by the Taliban.
The device was either an Improvised Explosive Device, weighing up to 100kg, or a stack of two or three anti-tank mines that the insurgents have in their armoury, according to military sources.
It is also suggested that it might have been a “legacy” mine left over from the Soviet occupation that had been undiscovered until now.
However the mine was planted close to the Yakshal area, a Taliban stronghold in central Helmand.
Despite receiving a £40 million upgrade, partly to strengthen its undercarriage, questions have been raised about the flat-bottomed Warrior’s ability to withstand IEDs. There have been 28 fatalities in Warriors since the 2003 Iraq invasion with up to a dozen destroyed.
The size of the bomb threw the 40 ton Warrior onto its side and blew off its turret before 7pm local time on Tuesday near the Durai Junction. The vehicle then caught fire setting off ammunition inside and killing all six occupants.
It is understood the Warrior had been travelling parallel to the tarmac Highway One in Helmand province to avoid mines planted in culverts on the road.
However the vehicle, followed by a second Warrior, might have been on a well established track that was deliberately targeted by the Taliban.
The device was either an Improvised Explosive Device, weighing up to 100kg, or a stack of two or three anti-tank mines that the insurgents have in their armoury, according to military sources.
It is also suggested that it might have been a “legacy” mine left over from the Soviet occupation that had been undiscovered until now.
However the mine was planted close to the Yakshal area, a Taliban stronghold in central Helmand.
Despite receiving a £40 million upgrade, partly to strengthen its undercarriage, questions have been raised about the flat-bottomed Warrior’s ability to withstand IEDs. There have been 28 fatalities in Warriors since the 2003 Iraq invasion with up to a dozen destroyed.
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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tomahawk6 said:
I see that the US is pulling the Bradleys out because of vulnerability to IEDs. This could spell the end of the war for the Warrior as well.
OldSolduer
Army.ca Relic
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RIP troopsOur condolences to the families, friends and comrades of the six fallen. :'(
OldSolduer
Army.ca Relic
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GAP said:
It may have been a stacked AT mine. Those were common in The FRY.
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Condolences to the families, colleagues and friends of the fallen
1) The names:
2) One former MoD civilian staffer's take on the media coverage:
1) The names:
2) One former MoD civilian staffer's take on the media coverage:
:goodpost:
The following story from the Daily Telegraph regarding the failed hostage rescue attempt is reproduced under the Fair Dealing provision of the Copyright Act. The second guessing will no doubt be truly massive and enthusiastic.
British hostage killed in failed SBS rescue bid
A British engineer held hostage in Nigeria by Islamist terrorists for almost a year was killed on Thursday during a failed rescue mission by special forces.
By Robert Winnett, and Thomas Harding
9:48PM GMT 08 Mar 2012
Chris McManus, a 28 year-old from Oldham, Greater Manchester, was murdered by his captors as commandos from the Special Boat Service (SBS) and the Nigerian army attempted the rescue. Franco Lamolinara, an Italian colleague of Mr McManus, was also killed.
The SBS squadron killed at least two of the terrorists — members of a jihadi group associated with al-Qaeda — during the daylight raid on a house in the northern city of Sokoto, Ministry of Defence sources said. The Nigerian government said last night that the two suspected killers of the hostages had been captured.
David Cameron authorised the operation on Thursday morning after being informed that the hostages, whose location had only recently been discovered, were at risk of being moved and murdered. This followed demands from the kidnappers for the Nigerian government to release prisoners.
Intercepted mobile phone calls suggested a move was imminent and the SBS squadron, which had been in Nigeria for up to two weeks, was forced to launch an emergency rescue in broad daylight.
“Their demands kept changing,” an intelligence source said. “They wanted the release of prisoners by the Nigerian government but could not work out which prisoners these were and this kept changing. We had intercepted telephone calls that suggested the hostages were about to be moved and killed.”
In London, the Cobra committee which includes the Prime Minister and oversees national security operations met to monitor the situation. The Director of Special Forces was in constant contact with the SBS commanding officer and other intelligence agencies, including MI6. The Government’s listening service at GCHQ Cheltenham used mobile phone and satellite technology to inform the commandos of the hostages’ position. Backed up by Nigerian forces, the SBS team launched the raid at 10am British time. Despite killing at least two of the terrorists, they were unable to prevent other kidnappers murdering Mr McManus and Mr Lamolinara. The raid led to a lengthy firefight between jihadists and the British and Nigerian forces.
The Prime Minister is understood to have learnt that the rescue attempt had failed late on Thursday morning and informed Mr McManus’s family. Mr Cameron also informed his Italian counterpart, who had not been warned, that the operation was under way.
Mr Cameron said: “Our immediate thoughts must be with Chris and Franco’s families, and we offer them our sincerest condolences. Both families have endured a terrible ordeal, and this is a devastating moment for all of them.
“The Foreign Office have been in regular contact with the McManus family since Chris’s capture. I spoke to them just before Christmas and I have spoken to them again with the news this afternoon.”
In a statement, the McManus family said: “We are of course devastated by the news of Chris’s death which we received earlier today.
“During this ordeal we have relied heavily on the support of our family and friends which has never waned and has enabled us to get through the most difficult of times.
“We are also aware of the many people who were working to try and have Chris returned to our family, and his girlfriend. We would like to thank all of them for their efforts. We knew Chris was in an extremely dangerous situation. However we knew that everything that could be done was being done.”
Mr McManus, a contract worker for the construction company B Stabilini, was kidnapped in May last year. Northern Nigeria has become known for the activities of Boko Haram, an Islamic group blamed for killing almost 200 Christians in a church in the area last Christmas.
Gunmen stormed his apartment in Birnin-Kebbi, in the north west, and captured him with Mr Lamolinara. A German colleague escaped by scaling a wall but a Nigerian engineer was shot and wounded. The men were building a bank.
In December last year, a Nigerian group calling itself “al-Qaeda in the land beyond the Sahil”, announced it had captured Mr McManus.
It released a hostage video claiming it had kidnapped the Briton and showed a blindfolded and bearded man wearing a replica Manchester United football shirt. Three men in dark clothing stood behind him armed with rifles and a machete.
It was reported that the man pictured in the video called for the British Government to respond to the demands of the group, so they would spare his life, but the demands were not disclosed.
British officials had worked intensively to garner information about the men’s whereabouts and the Cobra committee met about 20 times to discuss the case. However, the intensive activity was hidden from the public to deny the “oxygen of publicity” to the terrorist group.
Mr Cameron said: “The terrorists holding the two hostages made very clear threats to take their lives, including in a video that was posted on the internet. After months of not knowing where they were being held, we received credible information about their location. A window of opportunity arose to secure their release. We also had reason to believe that their lives were under imminent and growing danger.”
The Daily Telegraph understands that between 16 and 20 members of the commando unit were involved in the rescue. After the raid, soldiers were said to have surrounded a house in the city. Gunfire continued into the night and ambulances took away the wounded. On Thursday night, there were reports that some of the terrorists had been injured or killed.
Military leaders will face questions about the rescue operation.
Italy’s prime minister, Mario Monti, asked Nigeria’s president to provide a “detailed reconstruction” of events leading to the hostage deaths.
Senior British military sources said: “This has not been a good day but that should not take away from the fact that it was properly scoped, intelligence-driven operation that our special forces undertook. You can be the best in the world and still be unlucky.
“This operation was the best opportunity for a successful conclusion and everyone is mortified it went wrong.”
A number of foreigners have been kidnapped in Nigeria in recent years. In September 2008 two Britons were held by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta.
A Scottish oil worker was abducted and his guard killed in April 2009, in Port Harcourt. Three Britons and a Colombian were kidnapped in January 2010 and in November of the same year, four men from the US, Canada and France were abducted from the Okoro oilfield.
British hostage killed in failed SBS rescue bid
A British engineer held hostage in Nigeria by Islamist terrorists for almost a year was killed on Thursday during a failed rescue mission by special forces.
By Robert Winnett, and Thomas Harding
9:48PM GMT 08 Mar 2012
Chris McManus, a 28 year-old from Oldham, Greater Manchester, was murdered by his captors as commandos from the Special Boat Service (SBS) and the Nigerian army attempted the rescue. Franco Lamolinara, an Italian colleague of Mr McManus, was also killed.
The SBS squadron killed at least two of the terrorists — members of a jihadi group associated with al-Qaeda — during the daylight raid on a house in the northern city of Sokoto, Ministry of Defence sources said. The Nigerian government said last night that the two suspected killers of the hostages had been captured.
David Cameron authorised the operation on Thursday morning after being informed that the hostages, whose location had only recently been discovered, were at risk of being moved and murdered. This followed demands from the kidnappers for the Nigerian government to release prisoners.
Intercepted mobile phone calls suggested a move was imminent and the SBS squadron, which had been in Nigeria for up to two weeks, was forced to launch an emergency rescue in broad daylight.
“Their demands kept changing,” an intelligence source said. “They wanted the release of prisoners by the Nigerian government but could not work out which prisoners these were and this kept changing. We had intercepted telephone calls that suggested the hostages were about to be moved and killed.”
In London, the Cobra committee which includes the Prime Minister and oversees national security operations met to monitor the situation. The Director of Special Forces was in constant contact with the SBS commanding officer and other intelligence agencies, including MI6. The Government’s listening service at GCHQ Cheltenham used mobile phone and satellite technology to inform the commandos of the hostages’ position. Backed up by Nigerian forces, the SBS team launched the raid at 10am British time. Despite killing at least two of the terrorists, they were unable to prevent other kidnappers murdering Mr McManus and Mr Lamolinara. The raid led to a lengthy firefight between jihadists and the British and Nigerian forces.
The Prime Minister is understood to have learnt that the rescue attempt had failed late on Thursday morning and informed Mr McManus’s family. Mr Cameron also informed his Italian counterpart, who had not been warned, that the operation was under way.
Mr Cameron said: “Our immediate thoughts must be with Chris and Franco’s families, and we offer them our sincerest condolences. Both families have endured a terrible ordeal, and this is a devastating moment for all of them.
“The Foreign Office have been in regular contact with the McManus family since Chris’s capture. I spoke to them just before Christmas and I have spoken to them again with the news this afternoon.”
In a statement, the McManus family said: “We are of course devastated by the news of Chris’s death which we received earlier today.
“During this ordeal we have relied heavily on the support of our family and friends which has never waned and has enabled us to get through the most difficult of times.
“We are also aware of the many people who were working to try and have Chris returned to our family, and his girlfriend. We would like to thank all of them for their efforts. We knew Chris was in an extremely dangerous situation. However we knew that everything that could be done was being done.”
Mr McManus, a contract worker for the construction company B Stabilini, was kidnapped in May last year. Northern Nigeria has become known for the activities of Boko Haram, an Islamic group blamed for killing almost 200 Christians in a church in the area last Christmas.
Gunmen stormed his apartment in Birnin-Kebbi, in the north west, and captured him with Mr Lamolinara. A German colleague escaped by scaling a wall but a Nigerian engineer was shot and wounded. The men were building a bank.
In December last year, a Nigerian group calling itself “al-Qaeda in the land beyond the Sahil”, announced it had captured Mr McManus.
It released a hostage video claiming it had kidnapped the Briton and showed a blindfolded and bearded man wearing a replica Manchester United football shirt. Three men in dark clothing stood behind him armed with rifles and a machete.
It was reported that the man pictured in the video called for the British Government to respond to the demands of the group, so they would spare his life, but the demands were not disclosed.
British officials had worked intensively to garner information about the men’s whereabouts and the Cobra committee met about 20 times to discuss the case. However, the intensive activity was hidden from the public to deny the “oxygen of publicity” to the terrorist group.
Mr Cameron said: “The terrorists holding the two hostages made very clear threats to take their lives, including in a video that was posted on the internet. After months of not knowing where they were being held, we received credible information about their location. A window of opportunity arose to secure their release. We also had reason to believe that their lives were under imminent and growing danger.”
The Daily Telegraph understands that between 16 and 20 members of the commando unit were involved in the rescue. After the raid, soldiers were said to have surrounded a house in the city. Gunfire continued into the night and ambulances took away the wounded. On Thursday night, there were reports that some of the terrorists had been injured or killed.
Military leaders will face questions about the rescue operation.
Italy’s prime minister, Mario Monti, asked Nigeria’s president to provide a “detailed reconstruction” of events leading to the hostage deaths.
Senior British military sources said: “This has not been a good day but that should not take away from the fact that it was properly scoped, intelligence-driven operation that our special forces undertook. You can be the best in the world and still be unlucky.
“This operation was the best opportunity for a successful conclusion and everyone is mortified it went wrong.”
A number of foreigners have been kidnapped in Nigeria in recent years. In September 2008 two Britons were held by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta.
A Scottish oil worker was abducted and his guard killed in April 2009, in Port Harcourt. Three Britons and a Colombian were kidnapped in January 2010 and in November of the same year, four men from the US, Canada and France were abducted from the Okoro oilfield.
OldSolduer
Army.ca Relic
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To a stacked AT Mine(s)?Kirkhill said:
I am no expert, engineers are better able to tell you, but IMO I don't think so.
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
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Kirkhill said:
No. That's why you have to use helicopters and LPCs (leather personnell carriers), break patterns, and do alot of night work, in areas that are saturated with IEDs. Sweat saves blood, brains save sweat and blood.
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