A soldiers perspective

[may18]

THE hero soldier who inspired the nation as his troops blazed a trail through Iraq has finally opened his heart about the war that changed his life.

The News of the World was the only paper invited to be present as Lieutenant Colonel Tim Collins left his beloved Royal Irish Regiment after being promoted to full colonel.

"I look at Iraq and it's a bit like living in a street where there's a nice house," he said. "But every night you can see a father going home drunk and hearing his wife and children crying.

"And finally some neighbours have taken it upon themselves to kick the door in and hand him over to the police. And this is what's happened here."

Detailing a moment where the even the threat of violence from his 1st Battalion was greater than the real thing, he added: "I talked with an officer in the Iraqi army who spoke good English.

Evil

"I said, ‘Did you see the Royal Irish coming up the road?' And he said, ‘Yes'. I asked, ‘Well, what did you do?' He said, ‘I ran away'.

"I wondered, ‘What did everyone else do?' And he said, ‘They ran away too'."

Speaking exclusively to the News of the World on Thursday, he explained why he was so proud to lead his men into the jaws of battle.

"We brought them security and freedom to worship as they chose, something they'd been denied under the evil regime," he said. "We brought them the first call of prayer to one village in 15 years.

"I don't think one could overlook the poignancy of that and I think that moment summed up why we'd gone to do it.

"I also particularly remember a young Iraqi 18-year-old we buried shortly after crossing the border. Even though he was fighting for a cause that was clearly wrong he had given his life for his country.

" We must remember young men like him and rebuild a strong, free Iraq, because that's ultimately what he died for."

Father-of-five Tim was a largely unknown soldier's soldier, before he was sent into Iraq. Then, gathering his 650 troops together, he made the greatest war speech since Churchill.

Rock

Wearing his kukri, the curved blade he is entitled to carry as a Gurkha commander, he stood in the face of a dust storm and now famously said: "We go to liberate not to conquer...we are entering Iraq to free a people.

"There are some who are alive at this moment who will not be alive shortly. Those who do not wish to go on that journey, we will not send. As for the others I expect you to rock their world. But if you are ferocious in battle, remember to be magnanimous in victory." His men, and most of Britain, had tears in their eyes. President Bush had his entire speech printed out and hung on his wall.

Colonel Collins told the News of the World: "For the leader of the most powerful nation on the earth to take some inspiration from anything I've said is hugely flattering. And I'm very proud."

The farewell parade took place at Canterbury in Kent. It was a ceremony to stir the soul.

First, every one of his men marched past him and saluted him on the parade ground. Then he stood in an open-backed Land Rover as, in time-honoured tradition, 75 officers and sergeants hauled the vehicle out of the barracks on huge ropes. And as he saluted, the rest of his regiment honoured their motto of Faugh-a-Ballagh, ‘Clear the way'. They stood at the sides of the road saluting him back as the battalion's band played the regimental quick march Killaloe.

Afterwards, in his soft Irish lilt, Colonel Collins, who will be officially confirmed in his new title when he takes up his next posting, paid tribute to those men.

He said: "It's often forgotten how young they are, these people in the field army who unselfishly leave their homes and families and children and go off to serve their country.

"Their needs are few and they ask for little. When we do receive the warm appreciation of our nation that's a bonus.

"It was a dream fulfilled to be able to command the battalion on operations. Although I've served on a number of ops I can't recall one where we've ever brought everyone back. That was more than one could hope or pray for.

"I'd also like to thank your readers for their support which was crucial to our confidence when we were in Iraq.

"And when we returned it was a great pleasure to see how many members of the public had taken up the call from the News of the World to support the Yellow Ribbon campaign."

Colonel Collins's war exploits are now legendary. At the height of the conflict he told a looter to stop stealing vital equipment. The man carried on — so Tim took out his sidearm, shot out all four of the man's lorry tyres and bellowed: "What part of ‘No' don't you understand?"

And after marching into the HQ of the feared Ba'ath Party, he said: "Its chief, who was Lord God on High in these parts, is now considering his options in a prisoner-of-war cage.

"We knew they were threatening people who co-operated with us so we paid some of them a visit. One man found that a shot through his kitchen floor somehow helped him remember where his weapon was hidden."

But this week he confessed to the News of the World that he did suffer one casualty during the war—his trademark sunglasses.

"The shades got broken at the Iraqi intelligence HQ," he said ruefully. "When we turned up the crowd were convinced there were Kuwaiti prisoners in an underground cell.

Ugly

"They were trying to show us where the entrance was.

"Then, at a critical moment, the crowd walked into some Ba'athist policemen. At that stage it all started getting very ugly. I leapt in to extract these two chaps and the sunglasses got broken."

Colonel Collins made such an impact during and after the war that the BBC are believed to have approached about a series of six documentary programmes on historic battles.

A BBC source said: "The provisional title is No Man's Land. He has been approached through the Ministry of Defence."

But ten million News of the World readers already know he's a star. And on Thursday, just before he was paraded out of his barracks, we presented Tim with a souvenir front page anouncing: "Welcome Home Hero."

"Thank you so much," he smiled. "I'll be giving it to someone who has supported me over the years, My mother."

[IoCaster]

British troops waiting to attack Iraq have been told to behave like liberators rather than conquerors.

But they have also been warned some of them may not return from Iraq alive.

Lieutenant Colonel Tim Collins gave the battlegroup of the 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish the pep talk as the US deadline for Saddam Hussein to leave Iraq or face action ticked away.

Reporters said the men listened in silence to the address at Fort Blair Mayne desert camp, 20 miles from the Iraqi border.

"We go to liberate not to conquer. We will not fly our flags in their country," he said.

"We are entering Iraq to free a people and the only flag which will be flown in that ancient land is their own. Show respect for them.

If you are ferocious in battle remember to be magnanimous in victory

Lieutenant Colonel Tim Collins

"There are some who are alive at this moment who will not be alive shortly. Those who do not wish to go on that journey, we will not send.

"As for the others I expect you to rock their world. Wipe them out if that is what they choose. But if you are ferocious in battle remember to be magnanimous in victory.

"Iraq is steeped in history. It is the site of the Garden of Eden, of the Great Flood and the birthplace of Abraham. Tread lightly there.

British troops await orders

"You will see things that no man could pay to see and you will have to go a long way to find a more decent, generous and upright people than the Iraqis.

"You will be embarrassed by their hospitality even though they have nothing.

"Don't treat them as refugees for they are in their own country. Their children will be poor, in years to come they will know that the light of liberation in their lives was brought by you.

"If there are casualties of war then remember that when they woke up and got dressed in the morning they did not plan to die this day.

"Allow them dignity in death. Bury them properly and mark their graves."

UK TROOPS PREPARE FOR WAR

To his 800 men - an arm of the 16 Air Assault Brigade - he said: "It is my foremost intention to bring every single one of you out alive but there may be people among us who will not see the end of this campaign.

"We will put them in their sleeping bags and send them back. There will be no time for sorrow.

"The enemy should be in no doubt that we are his nemesis and that we are bringing about his rightful destruction.

"There are many regional commanders who have stains on their souls and they are stoking the fires of hell for Saddam.

There may be people among us who will not see the end of this... We will put them in their sleeping bags and send them back, there will be no time for sorrow

Lieutenant Colonel Tim Collins

"He and his forces will be destroyed by this coalition for what they have done. As they die they will know their deeds have brought them to this place. Show them no pity."

He said: "It is a big step to take another human life. It is not to be done lightly.

"I know of men who have taken life needlessly in other conflicts, I can assure you they live with the mark of Cain upon them.

"If someone surrenders to you then remember they have that right in international law and ensure that one day they go home to their family.

"The ones who wish to fight, well, we aim to please."

He warned the troops not to get carried away in the heat of battle.

"If you harm the regiment or its history by over enthusiasm in killing or in cowardice, know it is your family who will suffer.

God doesn't want you for a sunbeam - he wants you for a soldier

Father Nick Gosnell, chaplain to 16th Air Assault Brigade

"You will be shunned unless your conduct is of the highest for your deeds will follow you down through history. We will bring shame on neither our uniform or our nation."

Warning that the troops were very likely to face chemical or biological weapons, he said: "It is not a question of if, it's a question of when. We know he has already devolved the decision to lower commanders, and that means he has already taken the decision himself. If we survive the first strike we will survive the attack."

His closing words were resolute: "As for ourselves, let's bring everyone home and leave Iraq a better place for us having been there. Our business now is north."

I remember reading that when it was originally posted. A great story and very inspiring. Thanks for posting this follow-up.

[IoCaster]

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