Scots troops ready for challenge in Helmand

By Rory Reynolds

STANDING proud and tall in his regulation issue desert combats, Shaun Garrett checks the contents of his army rucksack one final time, handling the gas mask, rations, and weaponry that could very well help keep him and his colleagues alive.

It won’t be lost on some, however, that while this strapping lad from the tiny port town of Stranraer may be old enough to fight and should fate decide, die for his country, at just 17-years-old he isn’t yet old enough to buy a farewell round.

He doesn’t turn 18 until Saturday, his birthday.

By then he’ll be in Afghanistan, the babe of his unit, after the young private signed up 10 months ago, travelling from his Wigtownshire home to Edinburgh to join the Royal Scots Borderers, known as 1SCOTS.

Despite being the youngest member of the battalion, he insists he is ready for Afghanistan, as he and his colleagues stowed their gear ready to fly out to Helmand today.

Wife Kylie pays tribute to best friend Tam Mason as Black Watch soldier loses brave fight for life

by Shaun Milne

THE wife of a Scots soldier who died after a brave six week battle to overcome injuries suffered in Afghanistan tonight described him as being her “best friend”.

Kylie Mason said she knew she had “struck gold” when she met and later married Corporal Tam Mason, 27, who passed away on Sunday.

Last night said she was “devastated” by his death.

TRIBUTES: Thomas 'Tam' Mason

Her 27-year-old husband, who was born in Bellshill in Lanarkshire but brought up in Rosyth, Fife, served with The Black Watch as part of 3rd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland.

Injured

The martial arts expert was evacuated to hospital in the UK for specialist treatment having been injured by an IED – improvised explosive device in Kandahar province on September 15.

But despite the best efforts of his army buddies, field medics and latterly specialists at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine in Selby Oak Hospital, he succumbed to his injuries.

Last night Kylie paid a moving tribute to her “honey”.

Family of Iraq war dead demand face to face showdown with former Prime Minister Tony Blair

By Rory Reynolds

FAMILIES of servicemen and woman who lost their lives fighting in Iraq have demanded they be allowed to meet former Prime Minister Tony Blair “face-to-face” when he gives evidence to the Iraq Inquiry.

They were today allowed to meet members of the independent inquiry into the war which is touring the UK speaking to bereaved families, and put their case for an emotional showdown.

And all the relatives agreed that they want to be there when the former Prime Minister finally appears before the inquiry into the invasion of Iraq.

Rose Gentle, who’s son Gordon was killed in Iraq, questioned the panel on its investigation at the Apex Hotel in Edinburgh.

Death

She said: “When it does go to London and Tony Blair gets asked to give his statement, will the families be allowed in to hear what he says?”

When the Sir John Chilcot, chair of the inquiry said he couldn’t “guarantee a seat”, Rose replied: “We want to be face-to-face with him – get a bigger hall.”

Valerie O’Neill also blamed Tony Blair for the death of her son, Kris, who was killed after his un-armoured Land Rover drove over an IED.

Black Watch raid smashes bomb making network

by Shaun Milne

SOLDIERS from the 3rd Battalion The Black Watch have smashed a vital network of tunnels used by enemy insurgents to launch attacks against British troops in Afghanistan – capturing a series of deadly bomb making factories.

Hundreds of Scots from the Royal Regiment of Scotland poured into the enemy front line under the cover of darkness to launch the surprise attack on Monday in the deadly Howz-e-Maded area in the Zhari district in the south.

Supported by fast jet air support, gun fire from 40 Regiment Royal Artillery, Canadian tanks and attack helicopters, the Scots were ferried in aboard three waves of six massive Chinook helicopters to kick off the assault.

The lightening raid not only saw ISAF troops capture what had been a stronghold for insurgents, but saw at least two motorbikes rigged as suicide bombs and a series of roadside bomb factories seized.

Captured

As dawn broke after the initial exchange, troops also captured guns, ammo, 28kg of explosives, communications equipment, medical supplies, recoilless rifle and a grenade launcher abandoned.

They had been used to target coalition forces for months, but captured as Bravo Company and Alpha Company surrounded their targets before fighting off a series of desperate counterattacks.

Corporal Richard Clark, 25, from Dunfermline, Fife, said: “All the months and years of training simply kicked in – the insurgents never stood a chance.”

Ditch the Viking and take to the skies to save lives, says ex-tank commander

By Michael MacLeod

A FORMER tank commander is calling on the MoD to scrap all road travel in Afghanistan by British troops saying they should travel only by air – even if it means commandeering civilian helicopters to make up a shortfall in military choppers.

Military expert Stuart Crawford, a retired lieutenant-colonel in the 4th Royal Tank Regiment who served in the 1991 Gulf war, spoke out after the deaths of two soldiers in vulnerable Viking vehicles.

Lt Col Rupert Thorneloe and Trooper Joshua Hammond were killed at the weekend when their Viking struck a Taliban roadside bomb, bringing the vehicle’s death toll to 20.

The Viking vehicles are due to be replaced next year by more than 100 larger and more heavily armoured tracked vehicles, known as Warthogs.