Maj Hill ‘B’ Company by Maj Stuart Biggers
This edition of The Mercian Eagle will no doubt be packed full of articles about our recent tour in Afghanistan (Op Herrick 10). B Company’s submission is no different. I took over command of B Company from Maj Stewart Hill on completion of the Company’s POTL in Nov 09 so I will leave it to those who were on the tour to describe their experiences. It is, however, important to set the scene.
B Company was part of the Light Dragoons Battle Group (LDBG) and, therefore, separated from the remainder of 2 MERCIAN both geographically and in terms of command and control. Fortunately for us, A Company was also attached to the LDBG which meant that there was a quite substantial 2 MERCIAN presence within a different Regiment. The LDBG primary focus
The Mercian Eagle
during the tour was that of a striking BG; being a Formation Recce Regiment, it meant that LD were short of “boots on the ground” and in an operating framework that required ground to be CLEAR – SECURE – HOLD then the emphasis fell to the Infantry Rifle Companies that were attached – therefore B Company (and, of course, A Company).
B Company was involved in a variety of different operations, the biggest of which was Op Panchai Palang fought over the summer months of 2009; more about this later. These operations varied in size, duration, intensity and purpose and, as a result, B Company’s ORBAT was constantly changing. The core ORBAT consisted of 3 x Platoons (2 from B Company, one from FSp Company 1 WG), an FST consisting of a FOO, MFC, JTAC, an RMP Detachment, a Sect of Engrs and 4 x “Terps”.
4 Platoon was detached from the remainder of B Company and split into two Multiples. One multiple, under Lt Ed Hattersley and, latterly, 2Lt Terry Williams, was mentoring the ANP in Babaji (more of which later); the other multiple, under Sgt Brough, was initially held as a BG reserve with the LDBG but was subsequently utilised as another CLEAR – SECURE – HOLD unit. B Company was involved in operations along the PB line south of Garmsir for the first couple of months leading up to Op Panchai Palang and then spent the remainder of the tour in the Babaji AO.
To say that the tour was hard would be an understatement. It has taken its toll both mentally and physically and it is with deep sadness that I must report that Pte Robbie Laws and Pte Gavin Elliott were both killed
October 2010 35
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