Posted on 12/11/2004 3:12:46 PM PST by naturalman1975
A BRITISH soldier who led a perilous bayonet charge on rebels in Iraq has revealed details of bloody hand-to-hand fighting in enemy trenches.
Corporal Mark Byles, 34, who will receive a bravery award for his service in Iraq, spoke publicly for the first time this week of the battle that left three heavily armed insurgents dead.
Cpl Byles, of Portsmouth, England, said: "I slashed people, rifle-butted them. I was punching and kicking. It was either me or them.
"It felt like I was in a dream. It didn't seem real. Anybody can pull a trigger from a distance, but I got up close and personal."
The trench battle ended with three Iraqis dead and eight captured.
Cpl Byles, who entered the trench with four other British soldiers, shot and killed two more insurgents who were firing from a second position.
On May 14, his battalion, known as the Tigers, was deployed to assist ambushed troops near a checkpoint on the main road between Basra and Baghdad.
When the squad's Warrior armoured vehicle was attacked, the corporal and another soldier jumped clear.
They immediately came under small arms fire and grenades. After linking up with four comrades, Cpl Byles identified the enemy in a drainage ditch about 200 metres away.
He said: "I decided the best way to attack was a full-frontal assault. It was my decision to fix bayonets."
It marked the first time British soldiers had gone into battle with bayonets since the Falklands War in 1982. His surprise order horrified his own men.
Cpl Byles, who has a six-year-old son, said: "They were under the impression we were going to lie in our ditch, shoot the enemy from a distance and they would run away.
"But I believe we caught the enemy on the hop that day and we had to take the fight to them."
As they stormed the ditch, Cpl Byles saw about a dozen rebels with weapons.
He said: "The look on their faces was utter shock." The 1st Battalion squad, the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, quickly overcame the insurgents. Only when the adrenalin stopped pumping and grisly reality kicked in did Cpl Byles realise the horror of what had occurred.
He said: "The worst thing was collecting the dead, seeing the damage that I did to those people. Lots of our guys were just 18 or 19 and I had to tell them to treat the bodies like bits of meat, not human beings.
"I got back to camp after six hours on the ground, covered in blood from head to toe. The first thing I did was pull out a photo of my family."
The corporal, who estimated he killed between 15 and 20 insurgents in Iraq, revealed he was still haunted by the faces of the dead.
According to British Army estimates, about 30 rebels died at the checkpoint named Danny Boy, which is 15km south of the lawless town of Al Amarah. The British troops came out of the gunfight almost unscathed.
Cpl Byles has been recommended for a bravery award for his part in the skirmish by platoon commander Lt Ben Plenge, who said: "He showed immense professionalism under fire, bravery in the face of the enemy and strong leadership qualities."
The corporal, who denied he was a hero, said: "I have been an infantry soldier for 13 years. I've done it time and again in training -- it was second nature. I'm just glad I did my job."
The regiment has returned to Britain after seven months in Iraq, where they were attacked 863 times, lost two soldiers and suffered 42 injuries.
Beyond words...buy this guy a keg.
Wow. I can only imagine. What courage. I'm stunned.
How about a promotion?
Apparently, no more so than were the terrorists in the trench.
I say Victoria's Cross!!!!
He said: "The look on their faces was utter shock."
Probably a bunch of local Iraqis (this was back in May) who thought they could take a few pot shots at the Brits and scurry away.
Wrong Brits.
bump
God bless Corporal Byles and all these brave men.
That may be going a bit far, but he deserves at least the Brit equivalent of the Silver Star.
SO9
Golly, it sure sounds like those rebels were mistreated by these mean old soldiers. Someone should press charges. Call the ACLU.
But - it was them. God bless Byles, and may he send lots of stunned terrorists to meet their Helen Thomas virgins.
FWIW I am almost certain the guy on the right, in the picture, is Keyser Soze.
These guys have major guts
Stunning assault - BTTT
It has been this way since the vile Muzzie cult spawned in the 600s. They have never been able to stand up to the Christian forces head on, unless they vastly outnumbered us.
Muzzies are worthless soldiers because they are worthless men. God bless this fine soldier who gave them the old message once again.
My first thought is...
Don't militaries these days beleive in handgrenades and/or shotguns?
Just the thought of bayonets freaks me out, I can't even immagine actually using one.
I took the caption to the picture from here: http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=455&ArticleID=901017
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.