Our troops in Iraq ‘living on the edge’ as war hots up

Scenes from the southern Iraqi city last week showed British soldiers coming under attack from 500 rioters outside the police station where two SAS men were held.

Although the men were dramatically rescued hours later, this latest incident has made life in Basra more volatile than ever.

The grim realities of war are fast becoming part of daily life as the city comes under increasing attack.

Lance Corporal Chris Zachary, Rifleman Ric Fletcher and Rifleman Justin Thompson are just three of the soldiers from High Wycombe who are stationed in Basra on a six-month tour of duty. All volunteers, they are part of the 109-strong Roebuck Company, which is tasked with force protection in south-east Iraq.

LCpl Zachary, 26, who lives in High Wycombe and works as a magazine advertising manager in London, said: "It is getting intense out here. Our company was involved in the action of Monday night involving the Warrior and before that we had been involved in a number of incidents where there have been civilians and soldiers killed or injured."

LCpl Zachary, a team commander who has been in the TA for five years, said: "Car bombs and roadside explosions are a way of life here at the moment.

"Up until recently we had been lucky with the lack of attacks, but in the past few weeks several guys have been killed. These explosives present our greatest threat. The situation seems to be hotting up all the time and we're living on the edge."

In the past three weeks, car bombs and roadside explosions have become alarmingly frequent as Basra, previously a safe haven compared to Baghdad, has witnessed some of its bloodiest scenes since the 2003 invasion.

The company has been called out to five times the number of incidents than its predecessors and there are still two months of the tour of duty remaining. The Army has responded to this ever-increasing risk by reducing the number of men it sends out on patrol in Basra.

In the past two weeks there has been a 60 per cent drop in the number of patrols being carried out and no soldier ventures into Basra now unless absolutely necessary.

The warring, trigger-happy tribal factions in Basra are notoriously anarchic and lawless arguments which might be settled with fisticuffs here end in death and devastation in Iraq. Weapons are pulled from pockets and shots fired before questions are asked or peaceful negotiations considered.

All three of the High Wycombe men have been out on the streets of Basra dealing with Iraqi civilians in the course of their duties.

"I have mixed feelings about the Iraqis," said LCpl Zachary. "A lot of them are friendly to your face but you get the feeling that it's not genuine.

"During one of my first patrols in Basra a young Iraqi boy pointed at me and pretended to slit his throat, which was a bit disturbing."

Rifleman Ric Fletcher, 36, a self-employed decorator who lives in Lane End, High Wycombe, says although he has enjoyed his time in Iraq he is looking forward to returning home.

"It has been quite tough out here," he said. "But we've all come out for a reason and we know we have a job to do so we go out and do it." He says he cannot wait to return home to his family, mum Pauline, brothers Bob, 35, and Joe, 33, and sister Judy, 31.

Rifleman Justin Thompson, 32, a lorry driver who is based in High Wycombe but lives in Maidenhead, said the tour has "had its moments".

He said: "There have been days when there has been so much to do there just aren't enough hours in the day.

"The situation here has really hotted up and that's always playing on your mind. Some of the guys have been called out to the aftermath of some of the explosions and no doubt I will be too at some point. We have been trained to deal with it, but when it's for real it's still a bit different."

Rfm Thompson has a young family. His wife Kerry and their two children, Daisy, three, and Georgia, one, are at home eagerly awaiting his return.

He said: "It'll be great when we're back together as a family again."

Emma-Kate Lidbury