Page 70 - Bugle Spring 2025

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BACK TO BUGOJNO
Revisiting the frontlines of Bosnia 30 years on
Thirty years ago, C Company, 1RGBW,
deployed to Bugojno, Bosnia, as part of Op
GRAPPLE 5. Stationed in a shoe factory on the
outskirts, we patrolled supply routes, manned
checkpoints, and monitored the frontlines
between BiH and Serbian forces. The cold
was brutal, dropping to -24 degrees, freezing
everything—even water bottles. But it wasn’t
all patrols; we delivered aid, repaired schools,
and worked to restore some normalcy.
In September 2024, 14 of us returned. Our
Company Commander, Farren Drury, arranged
a visit to the Stipo Derek School via Facebook.
The school was one of two we made safe
during the 48-hour “Brandywine Challenge,”
which later expanded to five schools and
returned 5,000 children to education. As we
walked over, we met a local journalist who
wanted to cover the story and contacted Jupe,
the former BiH 307 Brigade commander, who
came to the school and welcomed us like old
friends. Touring the grounds, memories of the
renovation work resurfaced, along with the
heart-breaking letters children had exchanged
with their British pen pals – raw, unfiltered
accounts of life during the war.
We also visited our old base, the shoe
factory, still frozen in time, bullet holes and all.
Then, we headed to BM8, the observation post
overlooking the frontlines. The “Tinkerbelle” arc
of Serbian SA2 missiles streaking down the
valley came to mind, that left double-decker-
sized craters in Bugojno.
In Sarajevo, we attended a wreath-laying
ceremony hosted by the British Ambassador to
commemorate the four 1RGBW soldiers killed in
Gorazde and the 59 British personnel who died
in Bosnia. The trip ended with a tour of Sarajevo
and Mostar, and a final celebration in Split.
Reconnecting with old comrades, we
realised how deeply the tour shaped us —and
how our role helped shape Bosnia’s future.
heart-breaking letters children
had exchanged with their pen
pals – raw, unfiltered accounts
of life during the war
C Coy, 1RGBW Veterans at the Shoe Factory,
Bugojno (Colin Simmons, 13-09-2024
C Coy, 1RGBW Veterans at the British
Ambassador’s Residence, Sarajevo
(Anthony Boocock, 14-09-2024)
70 RIFLES The Bugle