• Welcome to the Land Rover UK Forums

    You are currently viewing the site as a guest and some content may not be available to you.

    Registration is quick and easy and will give you full access to the site and allow you to ask questions or make comments and join in on the conversation. If you would like to register then please Register Now

Helicopter rescue in Afghanistan

Snagger

Snagger

Posting Guru
One of the bravest and most incredible rescue missions I have ever heard of: three Royal Marines and a Royal Engineer held on to the side of a British Army AH64 to rescue a wounded colleague from adavncing Talleban forces. They had no way to secure themselves on the return trip with the wounded soldier and just had to hang onto whatever parts of the airframe they could. Apparently, the helicopter landed back with only 2 minutes of fuel remaining as it was a rush mission and there had been insufficient time to fuel the helicopter before the mission. Another AH64, still armed, flew with them to give them some top-cover.

I hope the lot of them get the VC for what they did. I understood from the first report I read that the wounded soldier lived long enough to get to the base medics, but they were unable to save him - a tragic end to such a heroic rescue.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6285091.stm
 
Other reports suggest he was already KIA when they found him Snagger.
Already read this elsewhere but even so, top job! Balls of steel or what?!!!
Can't praise the AH crews enough. We've worked with them constantly out there and despite inter-service rivalry they're doing a top job, and despite initial criticisms (usually from those who haven't got a scooby what they're talking about) the Apache is a devastatingly effective weapon system. We had one call our LZ visual via his sensors (FLIR/IR) from fourteen miles out.
Gotta say it reminds me of WW2 heavy bombers (us) being escorted to a target by P51s and the like (them). :D
 
PS. Personnel recovery using AH isn't new, untried nor untested, it's just never been this well publicised. Bodies riding on the external pylons isn't entirely outside of the design remit of the Apache.
























Which is why I have a climbing karabina clipped on to my CBA. ;)
 
Totally agree guys. A very brave evolution and done - on the fly - with a skill and finesse our 'cousins' don't seem to be able to match. Such a tragedy that their buddy didn't make it. I wonder if it says anything to our enemies that we actually care about our people - rather than sending them into the teeth of the overwhelming firepower we command, to be martyred? Probably not.:(

Roger.
 
I've just watched that news clip, cracking skills and great to see the effort involved in resucing downed mates.

I've been strapped to the outside of a Gazelle seated on the skids OMG:eek: what a laugh!!
We were doing some SF styley excerises in Berlin, fast roping and the like.
If anyone gets an offer to do that take it!!
 
AJC said:
Yeah, most likely a sleek, grey messenger of death - a Warship.
Click to expand...

Ha! Do me a favour. Last time I "flew Navy" the reply to the question "Can't you park this barge a bit nearer Iraq...we're wasting loads of fuel flying over 90 miles of nothing but ogin before we even see the coast" was...
"But....but.....it's..it's..it's dangerous there! :( "

Not seen a warship up the Helmand River yet either. (Bit narrow, and shallow come to think of it)

Fly Air Force, Float Navy.
 
I am totally full of admeration for those brave lads, its just a shame their heroic story came after some rubbish about an ugly non-entity on the news (CBB on C4).

45 Commando pulled me out of a potential 'situation' near Divis Flats in 1982 - I owe them a lot.........
 
havent seen the clip but im always proud of our forces when i hear of actions such as this. ive watched few clips on you tube (some disturbing ones of people showboating with big weaponry) but i have to say the ones with gunfire and artillery exchanges are quite harrowing when you crank the speakers up. The footage we see on the news doesnt give a true reflection of how terryfing it must be. On a slight tangent on monday there was a pair of apaches circling over wetherby (nr Leeds) at probably 4000 feet in a circle maybe a mile across. they were there for ages, the last night when i went thorugh wetherby they were there again - this time it was dark but the lights could be clearly seen as they followed the same circular route. seemed a weird place to practice flying in big circle for hours on end - wonder if the police have hired them in for detection and on the spot punishment for motorists on the A1???!!
 
Cannonball Bob said:
Ha! Do me a favour. Last time I "flew Navy" the reply to the question "Can't you park this barge a bit nearer Iraq...we're wasting loads of fuel flying over 90 miles of nothing but ogin before we even see the coast" was...
"But....but.....it's..it's..it's dangerous there! :( "
Click to expand...
Like always Bob, we all do as we're told and operate within parameters and with an element of sense and safety. I doubt a ship is going to make itself a sitting duck to save on fuel elsewhere. :rolleyes: I'm sure there would have been an offer of fuel depending upon the type of platform. (Are you capable of HIFR?)

Bob said:
Not seen a warship up the Helmand River yet either. (Bit narrow, and shallow come to think of it)
Click to expand...
RN and RM personnel are operating craft, albeit a lot smaller than the grey variety in Iraq as well as the two Naval Air Squadrons operating there.

Bob said:
Fly Air Force, Float Navy.
Click to expand...
No Bob, I've said before: Fly Navy, Sail Army, walk sideways.;)

Anyway, not get away from the original post, a marvelous display of bravery by all concerned.

AJ
 
Just a side issue for a mo, I have a client who is a ships Captain and he talks about pongos, when talking about army. Any of you forces guys know what that means?
Sorry for the wee diversion and yes great job done.
 
Hubber said:
Just a side issue for a mo, I have a client who is a ships Captain and he talks about pongos, when talking about army. Any of you forces guys know what that means?
Sorry for the wee diversion and yes great job done.
Click to expand...
Where the Army goes the pong goes. :D

AJ
 
Hubber said:
Just a side issue for a mo, I have a client who is a ships Captain and he talks about pongos, when talking about army. Any of you forces guys know what that means?
Sorry for the wee diversion and yes great job done.
Click to expand...

I think he was being polite Mark!

I think the Navy refer to the RAF as Crabfats :confused: and the clergy as Sky Pilots.:)

Roger.
 
Roger Whittle said:
I think the Navy refer to the RAF as Crabfats :confused:
Click to expand...
Correct Roger.

Crab, crabfat - (RN) A member of the Royal Air Force. From the light blue color of the uniform, which is the same as that of the grease (known as 'crabfat') used on gun breeches, etc., in the RN. Accounts vary, but apparently the grease was called 'crabfat' because it resembled in colour the ointment used to treat sailors for 'crabs' (pediculosis pubis, genital lice), and of which fat was a major constituent.

The Army operate ships as large as frigates, the Navy fly both fixed and rotary winged aircraft and the RAF.............., well that's where the slogan below comes in;

Fly Navy, Sail Army, walk sideways (crabs).

AJ
 
Last edited by a moderator:
AJC said:
..........................................................The Army operate ships as large as frigates, the Navy fly both fixed and rotary winged aircraft and the RAF.............., well that's where the slogan below comes in;

Fly Navy, Sail Army, walk sideways (crabs).

AJ
Click to expand...

Of course the Airforce have 'squaddies' - Rockapes; the Army have gunship jockeys - AH64 Apache and the Navy have 'proper' soldiers; Royal Marines.

Roger.
 
Roger Whittle said:
Of course the Airforce have 'squaddies' - Rockapes; the Army have gunship jockeys - AH64 Apache and the Navy have 'proper' soldiers; Royal Marines.

Roger.
Click to expand...
Just to be fair on the Crabs Roger, some years ago they operated a couple of torpedo recovery boats which were the same size as the RN's Bird Class patrol boats. The Navy had to take them from them in the end though. If you want a job doing properly and all that. :D

AJ
 
AJC said:
Just to be fair on the Crabs Roger, some years ago they operated a couple of torpedo recovery boats which were the same size as the RN's Bird Class patrol boats. The Navy had to take them from them in the end though. If you want a job doing properly and all that. :D

AJ
Click to expand...

:LAA: And during the war, they operated those lovely Vosper-Thornycroft Air/Sea rescue boats, with twin or even triple Packard-Merlin engines and a quad Browning turret like a Lancaster.;)

Roger.
 
Hubber said:
Just a side issue for a mo, I have a client who is a ships Captain and he talks about pongos, when talking about army. Any of you forces guys know what that means?
Sorry for the wee diversion and yes great job done.
Click to expand...
I know it as a term of endearment :)
Had 2 welshmen from Merthyr Tydfil use my old house as a stoppover :) One a navy chopper engineer & the other a Pongo.

What are the flat boats called that ship army onto land called & is a pontoon a floating bridge?
 
Back
Top Bottom