View Full Version : Betrayed Behind Enemy Lines: Pathfinder breaks silence
TheWizard
5th May 2012, 22:27
Looks like this could be an interesting read when it comes out
Betrayed behind enemy lines: Army captain breaks silence on elite unit's fight for survival - Home News - UK - The Independent (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/betrayed-behind-enemy-lines-army-captain-breaks-silence-on-elite-units-fight-for-survival-7715789.html?)
http://www.independent.co.uk/incoming/article7715700.ece/ALTERNATES/w380/IA5-23-Army-2.jpg
British soldiers were abandoned behind enemy lines after a secret mission went disastrously wrong, their commander has revealed after almost a decade of silence.
For the first time, Captain David Blakeley, 33, has spoken of how his patrol of just nine men were surrounded by hundreds of Saddam Hussein’s most feared troops after being sent far ahead of the frontline during the initial invasion of Iraq.
Another disgruntled Exer writing a book?
Hint... " Captain David Blakeley, 33, has spoken of how his patrol of just nine men were surrounded by hundreds of Saddam Hussein’s most feared troops"
Nine men vs Hundreds of "feared troops"... He's still around to tell the tale?
Bet that was hell... :E
bakseetblatherer
6th May 2012, 00:05
There is a big difference between 'breaks silence' (whistle blowing) and 'publishes book' (makes money from Joe Public's enjoyment of 'real' war tales) :hmm:
P6 Driver
6th May 2012, 08:00
Spotty adolescents can be a bit stroppy, but taking on hundreds of troops is a bit much.
In my definition of the "first invasion of Iraq", it makes the action taking place in 1991. I'm probably missing something, but it sounds reminiscent of Bravo Two Zero again.
:confused:
In my definition of the "first invasion of Iraq", it makes the action taking place in 1991.1914, surely?
"Breaking silence after almost a decade" makes it sound like he has gone through some kid of torturous moral dilemma within himself before deciding that he could not live with staying silent any longer; rather than the clear money making opportunity that this is about.
I don't knock his courage during his time in service but this disclosure is also a betrayal, particularly of his colleagues on that patrol. His higher morale stance that this is to ensure lessons are learned, doesn't wash with me.
alisoncc
6th May 2012, 08:28
Thought Pathfinders flew Mosquitoes during WWII. Awfully long way off course if they turned up in Iraq and in 1991. Sounds a bit like the movie Close Encounters of a Turd Kind, where the pilots of some long lost flight turn up decades later minus their aeroplanes. :suspect:
dervish
6th May 2012, 09:10
There is probably more to this just below the surface.
Pathfinder Platoon used to have a lot of trouble when it came to all forms of support. At the time of GW2 many in London HQ dismissed them as a "not properly formed" unit and therefore not eligible to be included on the scaling for new equipment. BOWMAN was one example. Childish nonsense mixed with envy. IIRC they also relied on a company down in Yorkshire (N. Englandshire) providing free comms kit used when leaping out of aircraft (there, a link to aviation).
Good to see a pongo related post on here!
Pontius Navigator
6th May 2012, 09:16
Bum title. Still I didn't see reference to first invasion but initial invasion.
The blurb is undoubtedly a cringe-making effort by the publisher. I bet "when I was" is cringing too.
November4
6th May 2012, 11:28
Hundreds...? is that all... according to this site (http://www.davidblakeley.co.uk/Site/HOME.html) it was
9 men fighting against 2,000 enemies
... Remindful of Operation Rimau - A behind the lines attack on Jap
shipping in Singapore harbour 1944 - when an operation by a 23 man team led by Ivan Lyon went disastrously wrong and they were badly let down by a combination of high command muddle and especially in being badly let down by their recovery Submarine that failed to keep their pre-arranged rendevous - This was due to the Sub commander being more interested in searching for and notching up torpedo scores against Jap shipping rather than any thought of rescueing 23 very brave men. This resulted in the team being pursued for days through and around the many islands to end in capture and execution of the entire team - Most would be beheaded.
...
N.HEALD
6th May 2012, 17:05
If he's 33 that would have made him 12 in 1991 I smell a rat somehow :O
dervish
6th May 2012, 17:37
The blurb says it refers to a 2003 mission, and that he was promoted as the youngest Capt in the Army; so the dates line up.
It he isn't the author, whoever wrote it has access to some very accurate details, including nicknames. Never mind the MoD, I hope he got permission from the patrol members.
Re pasir's post: some (two, I think) of the Rimau force made it as far as Timor before they were captured - and beheaded - by the Japanese. That's Singapore to Timor in a canvas canoe, being hunted all the way. Take a look at a map and attempt to even begin to imagine the cajones and sheer physical stamina that would have involved.
The real culprits in the failure of Operation Rimau were the *** Australian unionists who played silly buggers and delayed and delayed and delayed the building of the purpose-built boat they were to use on the op. (holding out for more money). This forced a change of plan (the submarine hijacking a Malay boat and transferring all their kit onto the boat from the submarine and taking the Malay crew back to Oz).
It's very hard not to get angry, even after all this time, when you read of the attitude of the Australian unions to the war effort, particularly before Russia became an ally. But their attitude didn't change all that much after that. Their sons on the wharves played a very similar hand during the Vietnam War.
"Take a look at a map and attempt to even begin to imagine the cajones and sheer physical stamina that would have involved."
The Klepper canoe is a bitch to paddle because of the drag so the cajones to do what they did in the face of the enemy was second to none.
Have met some of the M & Z boys, IMHO they still had that quiet, nuggety toughness in later years.
Evalu8ter
7th May 2012, 07:21
Qalat Sikar?
Ohhh, that just stirred a few memories.......
chinook240
7th May 2012, 08:21
Thinking the same thing! 6 ship! Possibly the best thing that never happened.
Dan Gerous
7th May 2012, 16:56
Surrounded and low on ammo, I thought thats what Paras did.
November4
21st May 2012, 19:59
From the Today programme (http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9722000/9722405.stm)
....telling the story of a reconnaissance team that parachuted behind enemy lines.
"We went in by vehicles...."
dervish
21st May 2012, 20:09
From the Today programme
Quote:
....telling the story of a reconnaissance team that parachuted behind enemy lines.
"We went in by vehicles...."
Not entirely a contradiction. PFPL is far more than this one patrol. Like many units, they can operate simultaneous mixed mounted/dismounted patrols, with fixed/mobile HQ. My feeling here is the author has probably played by MoD rules and heavily diluted the tale. The real story is probably even more interesting.
Sorry, I'm a fan. :ok:
Trim Stab
21st May 2012, 20:37
I'm a bit puzzled. Either:-
1) He was a trained LRRP dude (or ISTAR or whatever they call it these days - which includes Pathfinder Platoon). In which case he volunteered for arduous selection for duties that would involve clandestine insertion behind enemy lines (by parachute or whatever) and was fully trained for the role, including escape/evasion/RTI if the planned exfil became impossible for more imperative brigade reasons.
2) He was a standard-but-worthy paratrooper who was sent on a one-way mission without proper authorisation and without proper exfil plans.
I suspect that he was genuinely from 1) but is pretending to be from 2) in order to make some money!