Soldiers from the north and north-east are helping to stem the flow of weapons, drugs and people into Iraq from across the Iranian border. Reporter Morag Lindsay and photographer Kami Thomson find out how the Highlanders are helping the Iraqi army
It looks more like the set of Mad Max than an Army camp. Jagged skeletons of bombed-out warehouses loom out of the dust, framing a tangle of towers, domes and bridges and piles of charred and buckled steel.
Packs of semi-feral dogs roam the barricades, their howls competing with the drone of generators and the frequent calls to prayer from the mosque in nearby Abu al Khasib. Welcome to Camp Craw – home to the Assaye platoon of the Highlanders, 4th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland, and the most southerly base for the Scottish troops tasked with restoring security to Basra.
For more news from Basra and to view video messages go to: http://basrablog.blogspot.com/
|
THE battle to restore security to Iraq is not just taking place on the ground.
Airmen from the north and north-east are also playing a part in returning the country to something approaching normality.
About 135 soldiers from 51 Squadron, RAF Regiment, from RAF Lossiemouth, are responsible for protecting the airspace around the British Army's main base next to Basra Airport.
It's their job to protect against small-arms fire, surface-to-air missiles and rocket attacks on the base itself. They also carry out patrols in their armoured vehicles and on foot in the towns and villages surrounding the camp.
And another Moray squadron spent two months flying Tornado jets from the nearby Ul Udaid base.
Members of 617 Squadron, from RAF Lossiemouth, provided air support to coalition troops on the ground.
More than 100 personnel – 18 aircrew, 90 aircraft engineers and about 15 others handling operations and administration – kept the Tornados flying as they carried out reconnaissance and provided close air support, in the shape of videos and photographs for the British, Iraqi and American forces, as well as others in the coalition.
|
Scottish soldiers are playing a key role in restoring security to Basra, and as MORAG LINDSAY found out when she joined them on patrol, they are witnessing big changes for the better.
Back home, the prospect of sitting in traffic in temperatures of 50C would fill Lieutenant Colonel Felix Gedney with dread.
In Basra, where he is commanding the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, the everyday congestion that now plagues the city is a welcome sign that life is gradually returning to something approaching normality.
|
As the youngest tank commander and troop leader stationed at the British Army's base at Basra Airport, 2nd Lieutenant Lewis Ballard-Whyte is carrying a lot of history on his shoulders.
His regiment, the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, was instrumental in toppling Saddam Hussein’s regime and played a key role in the war fighting phase of operations in Iraq in 2003.
It is a source of pride to the 23-year-old, who grew up in the north-east.
|
Do you have a picture you would like to share with P&J readers? Photographs from the 70s, 80s and 90s would be particularly welcome, black and white or colour. Please send prints to: Past Times, The Press and Journal, Lang Stracht, Mastrick, Aberdeen AB15 6DF. Remember to include your name and address if you want us to return your picture.
|
Amateur photographers are invited to submit pictures for possible inclusion in the Scottish Life section of the print edition of the Press and Journal. Please send horizontal prints only to: Scottish Life, The Press and Journal, Lang Stracht, Mastrick, Aberdeen AB15 6DF. We are sorry that we are unable to return photographs. You may also e-mail photographs to pj.pictures@ajl.co.uk
To view and buy selected Scottish Life photographs, simply click on the “Photo Sales” link on the Home Page. Alternatively, call our shop on 01224 338011.
|
