> 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards - Current Deployment

Battlegroup Situation Report
Camp Shorabak, Helmand Province, Afghanistan. 18th May 2007.Lieutenant Colonel Carew Hatherley, Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards.

As we approach a third of the way through our tour in Afghanistan it is time to take stock and explain some of the things that you will have read in the press and heard from your loved ones. The first big operations are now under our belt and all the Grenadier Battlegroup have worked hard in difficult conditions to achieve what has been asked of them.
Those working alongside the Afghan National Army have forged their bonds of friendship in battle. A mutual appreciation of both the courage and humanity of the soldiers from both our nations has been reached. Whether fighting in the green zones alongside the Helmand River or the sun bleached rocky deserts and hills on either side, we have fought side by side, facing the same dangers and the same hardships. This has, inevitably, led to a much stronger bond of trust between us. Sadly, there have been casualties both for the Afghans and for us. You will have seen in the UK press what I had to say about the death of Guardsman Simon Davison. Suffice to say, he died fighting to the last to protect his fellow Grenadiers. We are all so very proud to have known him and served alongside him. Similarly, we have not forgetten those who have been injured. Guardsmen McGhee, Hodgson and Harrisson, Drummer Wintle and Lieutenant Holgate have all been injured in actions against a vicious and sly enemy and as a result have been sent back to hospitals in the UK to recover from their wounds. There are also others with lighter wounds that remain with us to carry on the fight. We all wish those sent back to the UK our very best, our thoughts are with you and your families.

Number Three Company have seen some of the heaviest fighting so far. Barely a day goes by without them engaging the Taliban around Garmsir in the South of Helmand. They are giving the Taliban a bloody nose and are a constant thorn in their side. Likewise, the Brigade Recce Force have sought out and hit the Taliban hard whenever given the chance to do so. Those attached to the 1st Royal Anglian Battlegroup continue to impress and have been in the thick of all actions that their host battalion have fought. The LONDONs go from strength to strength with help from all their attached Grenadiers. On the face of it they have an un-glamorous task, but they are an essential part of the UK force out here, and everyone appreciates their contribution.

Even though the Welsh Guards are Trooping their Colour this year there should be some coverage of the Grenadiers in Afghanistan, filmed only last week for the BBC. Clearly Grenadier drill is far superior to that of all the other Foot Guards but it should be worth watching just to catch a glimpse of Afghanistan! Many of the Battlegroup have been filmed as part of an ITV documentary called “The Queen’s Guard”. If all goes well, three one hour episodes will be shown on ITV starting late in June. This will give you the chance to see what we are up to out here in moving images, hearing the voices and sounds of the various characters of the Grenadiers as they go about their tasks.

To learn of the death of Guardsman Simon Davison and the injuries sustained by the others will have come as a shock to many of you at home. For some it is the realisation that this is a hard and brutal campaign we are involved in. I know that we may seem rather remote and that at times you will not hear from us for days on end, but you are all in our thoughts wherever we may be. As a Regiment and a Battlegroup, in which I include all of you at home, we need more than ever to help each other through these worrying times. I ask you all to support your loved ones in any way you can, they are doing an outstanding job in all that is asked of them, and then some. I could not be more proud of the way they have all conducted themselves so far.