[ARCHIVED CONTENT] Operation Telic: Photos

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Ministry of Defence / UK Defence Today / Operations / Operation Telic Index

Troops from the Black Watch Battle Group began redeploying to a new area of operations within Multi-National Force (West) on 27 October 2004. As well as armoured infantry from the 1st Battalion The Black Watch, the battle group includes an armoured reconnaissance capability provided by B Squadron, Queen's Dragoon Guards, elements of 40 Commando Royal Marines, and supporting specialists from across the Army, including the Royal Engineers, Royal Logistic Corps, Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers, and Royal Military Police. The road move was supported by vehicle transporters from the US Army's 2123rd Transport Company.

The first part of the Battle Group's Main Body arrived at Camp Dogwood near Al Mahmudia on 29 October, but a vehicle accident, not involving hostile action, occurred en route. Sadly, one soldier from The Black Watch died, and a further three suffered minor injuries and shock; the injured men are now back at work. The Battle Group achieved operational capability at Dogwood on 2 November.

Three soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter were killed, and eight other soldiers wounded, by a suicide car-bomb attack on a vehicle check point on 4 November. The Battle Group established a Forward Operating Base on the eastern bank of the Euphrates on 7 November, and commenced interdiction operations against routes used by insurgents; two soldiers were wounded by a suicide bomb attack.

One soldier was killed, and two wounded, in a roadside bomb attack on a Warrior north of Camp Dogwood on 8 November 2004. An Army Air Corps pilot was wounded when his Lynx helicopter was hit by small arms fire on 10 November.

On 17 November, soldiers from The Queen's Dragoon Guards were manning a vehicle check point in the desert to the west of the Euphrates. They stopped two cars; while they were searching the first vehicle, the second exploded, it is believed as a suicide attack. There were no UK casualties, nor any among the Iraqi civilians in the first vehicle. Earlier the same day, a Black Watch Warrior suffered a roadside bomb attack whilst on patrol east of the Euphrates. One British soldier was wounded, and evacuated to a US military hospital in Baghdad.

The Battle Group mounted a major search operation on 25 November at a residential area on the east bank of the Euphrates suspected of harbouring former regime elements. A number of Iraqis were detained.

Another major search operation was mounted near Dogwood on the west bank of the Euphrates during the night of 30 November / 1 December. It was conducted in close coordination with similar operations by Iraqi and US Marine Corps units.

The Battle Group completed its thirty day mission on 2 December 2004, and returned south to Shaibah Logistics Base near Basrah over 3 and 4 December. As with the move north, US forces provided invaluable support during the potentially dangerous journey. The Battle Group's deployment had succeeded in freeing up US Marine Corps troops for the essential operation to eliminate the insurgents massed in Fallujah, and the Black Watch and Queen's Dragoon Guards patrols across the routes leading to and from the pockets of insurgency severely hampered enemy movement, while providing reassurance to the peaceful majority of the local population during the run-up to the planned elections. The Black Watch's area will now be taken over by two US and one Iraqi battalions.

Army and Royal Navy/Royal Air Force Combat Camera Teams' video footage:

Preparations for the move (26 October)	Departing Basrah & refuelling stop (27 October)	Final leg of journey to Dogwood (29 October)
RealMedia format (2.1 MB)	RealMedia format (3.5 MB)	RealMedia format (2.2 MB)
WMV format (9.2 MB)	WMV format (16 MB)	WMV format (10.4 MB)

Settling in at Camp Dogwood (29 October)	Eulogy following tragic death of Pte McHale (30 October)	Aftermath of an attempted IED attack (31 October)
RealMedia format (3 MB)	RealMedia format (1.5 MB)	RealMedia format (3.2 MB)
WMV format (14 MB)	WMV format (7.4 MB)	WMV format (14.7 MB)

Explosive Ordnance Disposal after a failed rocket attack on Dogwood (1 November)	Vehicle checkpoint and use of Warrior chain gun to disrupt roadside booby-trap (2 November)	Royal Engineers construct bridge over Euphrates tributary (4 November)
RealMedia format (2.7 MB)	RealMedia format (2 MB)	RealMedia format (3.9 MB)
WMV format (12.8 MB)	WMV format (9.6 MB)	WMV format (17.8 MB)

Queen's Dragoon Guards (The Welsh Cavalry) armoured reconnaissance (5 November)	Routine cordon search operation, supported by RMP and RE specialists (6 November)	The establishment of a Forward Operating Base east of the Euphrates (6 November)
RealMedia format (2.8 MB)	RealMedia format (3.7 MB)	RealMedia format (2.6 MB)
WMV format (12.9 MB)	WMV format (16.9 MB)	WMV format (12.3 MB)

	Return journey from Camp Dogwood to Shaibah Logistics Base, Basrah (3/4 December)
	RealMedia format (3.9 MB)
	WMV format (18 MB)

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