Bayonet Brits kill 35 rebels

OUTNUMBERED British soldiers killed 35 Iraqi attackers in the Army’s first bayonet charge since the Falklands War 22 years ago. The fearless Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders stormed rebel positions after being ambushed and pinned down.

Despite being outnumbered five to one, they suffered only three minor wounds in the hand-to-hand fighting near the city of Amara.

The battle erupted after Land Rovers carrying 20 Argylls came under attack on a highway.

After radioing for back-up, they fixed bayonets and charged at 100 rebels using tactics learned in drills.

When the fighting ended bodies lay all over the highway — and more were floating in a nearby river. Nine rebels were captured.

The last bayonet charge was by the Scots Guards and the Paras against Argentinian positions.

208th Engineers, combat battallion.

That is about all I know. He is now 85 and when I ask him about it he starts telling disjointed stories about people, I of course never knew (with one exception).

I do recall him saying that they built the longest bridge ever built under fire. Also know when he farmed when I was little that he could buy dynamite. He blew quite a few stumps.

They allowed them to buy cameras after the war ended and he has a large number of pics of Berlin, Russians etc. He had even more but Mother threw a lot of them away a few years ago.

We have a bunch of pix that dad took - completely unauthorized of course.

The roll I really want to see is the one he took in Milan when the partisani killed Il Duce and Clara Petacci and hung their bodies up by the heels in the gas station. The pix you see in the history books aren't all that good or clear. But we can't find the negatives!

Sounds like your dad went in in France and went east to Germany. Dad was in Italy, then Trieste, then went over to the Greek islands to supervise the elections (and get shot at by Communists).

Dad's turning 80 this year (he enlisted when he had just turned 18) and he did a couple of tapes for my daughter for a history project. My advice to you is to set up an inconspicuous tape recorder with a LONG tape on a SLOW speed and just let your dad ramble. I've done many, many taped interviews of elderly people for oral history projects, and the secret is just to let 'em go at their own pace. They settle down after they get started, and you've got it all on tape. By interjecting questions like "Where did you say that was?" or "Was that before or after you crossed the Rhine?" you can get one end of the story pegged, and you can sort it all out afterwards.

Give it your best shot, because this is history and we have an obligation to save all of it we can! (Speaking as an old history major, I wish more folks had interviewed Civil War veterans!)

It is because of these men that the great Highland tradition remains in the armies of the British Commonwealth. Lest We Forget.

Hear, hear. Thank you for that.

My grandfather (CSM, 2/6 City of London Rifles) fought alongside Highland regiments at Passchendaele. My dad told me he could never again stand the sound of the pipes.

-ccm

So now in those sands we have Cavalry AND Bayonet charges.

Special Forces in Afghanistan, 2002.

What a tale they will have for their grandchildren.

-ccm

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.