'Martini Company'
45 Commando RM

Jetlagged and feeling the effects of some weeks of excess and leave, we deployed to Diyarbakir Airbase in Southern Turkey, fully pre­pared to take on the Iraqi forces in arctic conditions. The reality came to us as a huge surprise, as temperatures were reaching the high 80s. We boarded Chinooks supplied by the US Air Force and headed for a small village just East of our first objective, Zakho.

We discarded arctic kit into our already overflowing kitbags and moved into Zakho with the aim of restoring an air of normality to a confused and troubled town; our patrols were met by gifts and flowers from the overjoyed locals. Within hours of our arrival the Iraqi forces and Secret Police began to withdraw South and after a few days the town was effectively free of military rule. The people started returning from the mountains to begin the job of rebuilding their shattered lives.

An early meeting between 45 and Iraqi Police

We were subsequently relieved by a US Military Police Company. From Zakho we advanced East to Quadish. Before deployment we were briefed on the possibility of a hot LS, so on the touch down we 'bomb-burst' into fire positions only to find a handful of Iraqis with their weapons grounded, showing no sign of offering help to the distraught RSM who was 100 yards down the road struggling to change a flat tyre on his Landover.

We moved into an unoccupied school and began to sort the town out in similar fashion to Zakho. However, just as we thought things were returning to normal one of our 0Ps was opened up on by Republican Guards at Saddam Hussein's Winter Palace. After receiving a burst of automatic fire the OP returned the compliment and a brief fire fight ensued.

Iraqi Palace Guard Waving to 40 Cdo RM Advance Party 
relieving 45's locations.

With Quadish handed over to Mortar Tp, we moved West, living up to our name in South Armagh 'Martini Company' (Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere), to a settlement called Daudiya where we are currently running a budding temporary settlement and large food station feeding 10,000 people every day; a huge task.