Burning Horizon

British Veteran Accounts of the Iraq War, 2003

Codenamed Operation Telic, the British component of the invasion of Iraq in 2003 was the largest gathering of British troops since the Second World War.

While the British public prepared for the worst as its soldiers were facing weapons of mass destruction, most servicemen and women were under no illusion that they were invading Iraq to rid the people of Saddam Hussein.

While much has been said about WMD and Tony Blair's government, not nearly enough has been heard from those men and women that took part in Operation Telic.

From controlling the vast Allied Air Forces in an AWACS plane down to submariners beneath the Persian Gulf firing Tomahawk Cruise missiles, from the steaming hot turret of a Challenger Tank as it is peppered with RPGs, to being on your belly in a sandstorm disarming unexploded bombs-these veteran accounts cover the whole spectrum of experiences.

Polarized public opinion and the post-war media portrayal of the war has detracted from what was achieved by these forces, when tasked to do so, often with insufficient or inadequate resources. These are their stories of courage, fortitude, pride, and brotherhood amidst the harsh realities of modern asymmetric warfare.

©2023 Julian Whippy (P)2024 Tantor