Chatted to an other ex Bootneck yesterday and it was intereting to hear his views. I was saying what a hoofing effort it was, brave, good advert for the corps etc.
He turned round and said it was a bloody disgrace and a complete f**k up. He went on to ask what the hell was a Captain and an RSM doing risking everything at the front line on a dangerous mission like that, Colonel H syndrome he called it. Why was the initial attack so badly planned, was their any recce of the fort before hand?
He believed that it was a case of trying to cover up a very poor effort in the first place.
I can see his point to an extent, did an RSM and a Captain have to do what they did? Were there no individual fireteams available who have the knowledge and experience of working together and who would have been better suited to pulling this off? Why was the initial assualt sent into retreat?