CHRISTMAS DAY IN HELMAND

By Captain JS Beattie MBE SO3 J1 Ops HQ 52 Inf Bde
The morning of 25th December 2007 was very much like my 103 previous mornings spent in Lashkar Gah Helmand Province.
I was making my way to Brigade Headquarters for our Staff update, there was a distinct chill in the air and my thoughts were with all the troops located in the FOBs, Forward Operating Bases and beyond.
The Bde Comd, Brigadier Mackay OBE had already left very early in a helicopter with the DCOS Major Nick Haston SCOTS to visit the troops on the ground, starting with the HCR battle-group in Gasmsir to drop off their Christmas gift of a goat named 'Noel'.
Following the staff update I started my daily routine. This is made up of monitoring three computers and my primary role of reporting casualties from the ground.
The myriad of all things J1 come in dribs and drabs and my main effort in the build up to Christmas is spent trying to source more DWP deployable welfare equipment for all our troops.

This was Christmas day however and at around 0850hrs I was told that I had to be at the Heli Pad for 1100hrs as I was to be collected by the Bde Comd's helicopters as they made their way from Garmsir on route to FOB price and then on to FOB Inkerman.
My initial response was to think that it was some kind of cruel wind up, but none the less I headed to my room and got my kit together, quickly blowing the dust off, and oiling my rifle.
I made my way to the Heli Pad and met Nick Meo a TIMES correspondent who was also to be collected.
Sure enough at 1100hrs 2 Lynx swooped into Lashkar Gah and collected Nick and I, and we head off into the blue sky on route to FOB Price.

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On arrival at FOB Price the Bde Comd wished me a merry Xmas and told me that the day out of the HQ was my present!
We made our way to Battle-Group centre HQ where we received an update on what was going on in Gereshk which is the Danish area of operations.
Some 10 minutes into the brief, the briefing room shook with an almighty explosion. "What the hell was that" (it may have been a bit coarser) was our immediate response.
"Don't worry" come the reply from the Danish Ops officer, it is a controlled explosion. "It would have been nice to have been warned off" was our response. Following our briefing we made our way to the Cookhouse where we met the Camp Commandant Major DP Hall The Coldstream Guards Quartermaster.
He had laid on a quite excellent Christmas day spread for the troops, with roast turkeys and the complete works.
We were handed a paper cup of Mulled Wine which we were assured was non alcoholic?
It probably was but the mind can play tricks!

The Bde Comd and all officers then proceeded to serve the troops Christmas Dinner.
FOB Price is a well established camp and the QM had done a lot of work in improving it, and the set up for Christmas Dinner was truly Second to None.
Following serving dinner we then made our way to the Heli pad via the American unit stationed in Price.
In swooped the helicopters to take us much further north to a rather more austere location FOB Inkerman in the Upper Sangin Valley.
After only 2 minutes in the air we got the message that FOB Inkerman was under attack from the Taliban and we had to return to Lashkar Gah.
My heart sank but I was very grateful to have at least visited one location.
After some 30 minutes in Lashkar Gah we got the message to get back to the Heli Pad as the incident at Inkerman had quietened down enough for us to visit.
We boarded the helicopters and set off on our flight where we followed the Helmand River North and then flew between some very austere mountain ranges.
The doors to the Helicopter flew open and the gunner started fixing the machine gun towards the desert floor, we were approaching FOB Inkerman.
On arrival we were met by the Coy Comd of A Coy 40 Cdo RM and then taken to the briefing tent.
We received a ground brief and were told that helmets and body armour were to be worn as the alert state had risen.
FOB Inkerman is a Coy strength location and is made up of a 40 Cdo Coy and Guns from 4 Regt RA.
Looking into the valley for our ground brief the bullet ridden and damaged compounds bear testament to the fierce fighting that takes place there.
Alas no Christmas dinner for the troops in Inkerman, they had a Christmas breakfast and evening meal would be all in Stew with Smash!
The Bde commander spoke to all the troops and this would be followed by a Christmas Day Carol service gathered around a rock memorial to those members who had lost there lives.
We had formed up in 3 sides of a square around the memorial with the exception of the Sanger sentries and odd Mortar man who continued to scour there arcs. What followed was quite bizarre. Loud explosions and continuous machine gun fire suddenly erupted.
A huge cheer from the formed body of men and women with song sheets flying in all directions as troops dashed in all directions
to take post and repel the apparent attack.
After a short spell shouting was heard and we were told that Patrol Base Downes was the base under attack not us,
quickly we all scurried back to our positions to start the carol service.
The singing got under way and we tried not to listen to the Mortar rounds being fired from our pits and the continuous machine gun fire and distant explosions.
It was very surreal to say the least.
Following the Carol service we then made our way to the Galley where we served our Christmas day all in Stew.
The Sun had gone down and as I overlooked the valley into the darkness watching the odd tracer bullet whiz past awaiting my helicopter.
I was really struck with the morale, diligence, enthusiasm, sheer commitment and professionalism shown by all our young soldiers,
and it is quite humbling. I was very proud to be a part of it.
I would have loved to have spent Christmas with Karen Laura and Danny, but it really was a fantastic Christmas Day.