Page 12 - MERCIAN Eagle 2011

10
Company Group, totalling over 145 soldiers in all.
The Company set about seizing the initiative, at first denying the village of Rahim to the insurgents and then surging out into the Green Zone to squeeze their freedom
of manoeuvre further. It was during one such operation on the 9th June, whilst clearing an area of suspected IEDs, that Pte Jonathan Monk was fatally wounded from an IED blast as he cleared a safe passage for his section. Whilst those around him sprang instinctively into action, having him on a medevac helicopter within only a short period of time, his injuries were sadly far
too severe. In the aftermath, the men of
10 Platoon, formed predominantly from the FSG, remained in contact for over 24 hours inside the Green Zone, whilst the clearance operation continued to their rear, an action that saw inspirational leadership and determination all round, most notably from Cpl Ward MC and LCpl Redford MC.
disrupt our operations. This was also where Pte Tom Sephton sustained fatal injuries from an IED blast as he led one of many patrols as point man.
By mid July, C Company was well
and truly split, with more than half of the company covering the ongoing Danish rotation on the Patrol Baseline, whilst just over a multiple attempted to hold the ground cleared in Rahim. All this at the height of
the Taliban fighting season and when foreign fighters were regularly being encountered.
It was also at this time that Maj Taaffe assumed command of C Company, WO2 Hayes took up the reins as CSM from
WO2 Heaton and Lt Alex Kersey replaced Lt Dave Payne as 6 Platoon Commander.
In the weeks that followed on the Patrol Baseline, 9 Platoon led by Lt Sawyer and Sgt Frost and supported by a multiple in the ‘sinking ship’ that was PB Spondon, were identifying IEDs emplaced on or around the road at an alarming rate, one of which was
Cpl Ward MC gets some shut-eye.
eventually regrouped back in Rahim and worked to regain ground lost during the period of minimum manning. Fortunately our dominating position and our developing relationships with the local elders provided us with an upper hand that clearly annoyed the insurgents. On numerous occasions they attempted first to attack us, and then our nearby militia, with up to 30 fighters at a time, although all such attacks were swiftly beaten back.
By the completion of the tour and
despite the setbacks, C Company had been successful in reinforcing the protected community of over 150 families in the village of Rahim and many more nearby, and in supporting a newly elected local leader
and the establishment of a regular Security Council meeting between the villagers, the ANSF, our local militia and C Company. Despite their limitations, the ANSF were growing in confidence and were patrolling independently, suggesting and co-planning joint Company operations. The positive influence of the Mercians in the Upper Gereshk Valley is also set to continue, and after a brief handover to the Irish Guards, A Company 3 Mercian are now set to pick up from where C Company had finished last year.
prowess of C Company, and having achieved 2nd and 3rd place during the Earl of Chester’s Cup, the Company has won both the inter-company boxing and swimming events.
instructor appointments within individual training and Corporals McQueen and Miller having both promoted to Sergeant have moved across to the recently re-instated B Company. Finally, Corporal Hough moves on the Sp Coy and the FSG after passing PSBC.
C Company is also working hard to
grow its future junior commanders, which has so far resulted in promotions for LCpls McKeown, Isaacs, Kilby, Pratten and Stevens after their successful completion of a JNCOs Cadre and LCpls Angus, Morrish, Iddison and Walls have successfully completed SCBC. C Company is beginning to take shape again and prepare itself for what promises to be an eventful year ahead of us.
Operations to
dominate the Green
Zone continued for
several more weeks,
until a shift in Danish
priorities pulled C
Company towards the
nearby Patrol Baseline.
A Danish Company
here had sustained
a large number of casualties after a well coordinated insurgent attack and the fighting men of C Company were required to assume command of PB Malvern and help clear the area of insurgents whilst Royal Engineers improved the road. In
the weeks that followed C Company sustained its highest numbers of casualties as insurgents put up a concerted effort to
Recuperation and HFT
After the highs and emotions of Afghanistan, returning to UK was a welcome change
of pace and after an all-too-brief period of normalisation and reflection, we are back on to the treadmill preparing for Op HERRICK
Personnel Changes
Of course, having returned from operations the Company has seen a large change- over in personnel. Captains Mike Coyne and Rich Sawyer have both moved on to Support Company, with Lt Alex Kersey stepping up to cover as Company 2IC whilst he develops an escape plan. CSM
The C Company Group – Sep 2011
set up as an audacious pre-planned ambush to target our response. Fortunately, this was anticipated and whilst Cpl ‘Steve’ McQueen gave them what-for from inside the killing area, Danish snipers opened up and began
picking insurgents off from their rooftop fire-positions before Danish IFVs moved
in to finish the job. Sadly, in the days that followed the persistence of the insurgents resulted in an enormous IED blast which flipped a 33 ton vehicle, killing three Danish soldiers that we had been working closely with.
In the weeks that followed, C Company
17. The few months spent on HFT have been a challenge but also provided a little time for fun, particularly the two weeks in Dartmoor on a Company exercise. A little routine has also been good for the sporting
Hayes leaves us for RQMS at ITC and has been replaced by WO2 Glynn. CQMS Peckitt, having promoted to WO2 has moved across to CSM A Company, with CSgt Muir joining C Company after a spell away from Battalion. Sergeants Frost, Evans and Corporal Waters all leave for
...inspirational leadership and determination all round, most notably from Cpl Ward MC and LCpl Redford MC
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