Royal Marines mount rescue mission on Apaches

Brilliant - Fosbery, do you have a link for that?

Edit: Never mind - found it here

Thank you muchly

Wow. Bravery really does look different than fanaticism doesn't it?

The greatest form of human valor and bravery, that a man would risk his life for another. God bless these men.

Here is a tribute to the Royal Marines...

“Soldier an’ Sailor Too”
(The Royal Regiment of Marines)
Rudyard Kipling

AS I was spittin’ into the Ditch aboard o’ the Crocodile,
I seed a man on a man-o’-war got up in the Reg’lars’ style.
’E was scrapin’ the paint from off of ’er plates, an’ I sez to ’im, “’Oo are you?”
Sez ’e, “I’m a Jolly—’Er Majesty’s Jolly—soldier an’ sailor too!”
Now ’is work begins by Gawd knows when, and ’is work is never through;
’E isn’t one o’ the reg’lar Line, nor ’e isn’t one of the crew.
’E’s a kind of a giddy harumfrodite—soldier an’ sailor too!

An’ after I met ’im all over the world, a-doin’ all kinds of things,
Like landin’ ’isself with a Gatlin’ gun to talk to them ’eathen kings;
’E sleeps in an ’ammick instead of a cot, an’ ’e drills with the deck on a slew,
An’ ’e sweats like a Jolly—’Er Majesty’s Jolly—soldier an’ sailor too!
For there isn’t a job on the top o’ the earth the beggar don’t know, nor do—
You can leave ’im at night on a bald man’s ’ead, to paddle ’is own canoe—
’E’s a sort of a bloomin’ cosmopolouse—soldier an’ sailor too.

We’ve fought ’em in trooper, we’ve fought ’em in dock, and drunk with ’em in betweens,
When they called us the seasick scull’ry-maids, an’ we called ’em the Ass Marines;
But, when we was down for a double fatigue, from Woolwich to Bernardmyo,
We sent for the Jollies—’Er Majesty’s Jollies—soldier an’ sailor too!
They think for ’emselves, an’ they steal for ’emselves, and they never ask what’s to do,
But they’re camped an’ fed an’ they’re up an’ fed before our bugle’s blew.
Ho! they ain’t no limpin’ procrastitutes—soldier an’ sailor too.

You may say we are fond of an ’arness-cut, or ’ootin’ in barrick-yards,
Or startin’ a Board School mutiny along o’ the Onion Guards; 1
But once in a while we can finish in style for the ends of the earth to view,
The same as the Jollies—’Er Majesty’s Jollies—soldier an’ sailor too!
They come of our lot, they was brothers to us; they was beggars we’d met an’ knew;
Yes, barrin’ an inch in the chest an’ the arm, they was doubles o’ me an’ you;
For they weren’t no special chrysanthemums—soldier an’ sailor too!

To take your chance in the thick of a rush, with firing all about,
Is nothing so bad when you’ve cover to ’and, an’ leave an’ likin’ to shout;
But to stand an’ be still to the Birken’ead drill is a damn tough bullet to chew,
An’ they done it, the Jollies—’Er Majesty’s Jollies—soldier an’ sailor too!
Their work was done when it ’adn’t begun; they was younger nor me an’ you;
Their choice it was plain between drownin’ in ’eaps an’ bein’ mopped by the screw,
So they stood an’ was still to the Birken’ead drill,2 soldier an’ sailor too!

We’re most of us liars, we’re ’arf of us thieves, an’ the rest are as rank as can be,
But once in a while we can finish in style (which I ’ope it won’t ’appen to me).
But it makes you think better o’ you an’ your friends, an’ the work you may ’ave to do,
When you think o’ the sinkin’ Victorier’s 3 Jollies—soldier an’ sailor too!
Now there isn’t no room for to say ye don’t know—they ’ave proved it plain and true—
That whether it’s Widow, or whether it’s ship, Victorier’s work is to do,
An’ they done it, the Jollies—’Er Majesty’s Jollies—soldier an’ sailor too!

That.....is simply incredible. Those are some of the bravest soldiers I've ever heard of. Those soldiers.....are why I continue to have hope in the human species.

Medals and Honors will never restore the life of their comrade, but these men and their deeds deserve recognition for their heroism.

glad they are allies bless 'em.

There is a thread at the round table about this, but I will post the pictures again.

Wow.

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/pages...ews.html?in_article_id=430251&in_page_id=1770

These are the astonishing images of the moment four heroic Royal Marines set off to rescue a fallen comrade - strapped to the wings of two Apache helicopters.

In pictures seen here for the first time, the brave volunteers are shown being briefed on last week's perilous mission before flying deep into enemy territory in Afghanistan's Helmand province. Dubbed 'Flight of the Phoenix', it was the first time such a risky operation had been conducted by British forces in the field of battle.

Despite coming under fire from heavily armed Taliban insurgents, the men were determined to risk their lives to recover their colleague Lance Corporal Mathew Ford, who had been shot as he led his troops in storming a heavily defended fort used as a Taliban headquarters.

Apaches cannot carry passengers, so the Marines strapped themselves to the outsides of the helicopters, buckling themselves to the handgrips the pilots use to climb into the cockpit.

They then flew back into the combat zone to swoop on the compound as two more Apaches hovered above, laying down fire to keep the Taliban at bay.

Tragically, Lance Corporal Ford, 30, of 45 Commando, was found dead - the 46th British serviceman to die in Afghanistan since 2001.

The four Marines jumped off their Apaches and retrieved his body before flying it back to the British military HQ at Camp Bastion.

Click to expand...

:O

Click to expand...

That is just plain nuts. One has to be pretty crazy to do a stunt like this, even for a comrade in arms. Though it would be one hell of a rush.

Our military is the best in the world, IMO, But these British Marines, SAS, etc. are BAAAAADDDD ASSSSSSSS.

The only thing I didn't understand, was why after they got their man out, they didn't level the place with Arty since they were still taking fire. Somebody fires on you, you return Arty until they DIE.

In the company of Men, indeed.
Salute...

Biker

As a Boer, my ancestors fought against the British military...we had a few run ins with the Dragoons as well - and I have to tell you, they are one hell of a lot of fighters.
That is real bravery right there - there is hope for Britain...with men of that calibre!
It takes big brass cajones to sit on the "wings" of an Apache, but it takes a heck of a lot more to jump off them in the middle of a compound full o' enemies - like they did.

They need to go back MOAB the compound to dust.

heheheh nice on Fosbery!

I read a story about a similar incident in Vietnam. I read this many moons ago and don't remember the source. Apparently, US Army ground forces were taking heavy losses during a patrol and called for a dust off. The Medevac Hueys were too full and had to leave with the wounded they had. There was one man left and the only other air assets were Cobra gunships. One pilot realized he had to do something to save the man and landed in the LZ. They put the wounded guy in the gunner's seat and the gunner/co-pilot straddled a weapon mount over the stubby wing for the trip back to the rear. Saved the guy's life from what I recall.

**If anyone has a link or can verify this, that would be appreciated.

Frostbiker,

I read about another incident in Afghanistan where US forces did the same, but not to rescue someone - they hitched a ride on Apache's to get a jump on a grout of Al Queda terrs. Apparently it worked....I can't remember if I read it or saw it on Military channel though.

Now I read that in Vietnam, if a Cobra was the only thing available to get someone out (like downed aircrew) that the pilot of the Cobra would sometimes land and jettison the extra ammo stored in the compartments under the cockpit and stuff the person in there if they could fit...

!!!

That completely redefines "testicular fortitude".

I just had an idea for my next fair-ride

You always know where your people, alive or dead!