Hundreds cheer Royal Marines home from Helmand

Late was the hour, but ecstatic was the welcome as Royal Marines touched down on home turf after six months in Afghanistan.

Some 200 family and friends were waiting at Exeter Airport until nearly midnight for the men of Mike Company, 42 Commando, to return.

Around 100 green berets were greeted with balloons, banners, children wearing 'welcome' T-shirts, cheers, applause, hugs and not a few tears as they became the latest troops from 3 Commando Brigade to return home at the end of Operation Herrick 14, codename for the latest tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Mne Ben Turner was among the first five troops in the airport arrivals hall and was met by a wall of sound and flashing cameras. He was swamped by his family – grandmother, mother, stepdad and stepbrother and sister – all from Wirral.

He said:

“I am made up by seeing all the family and so many people here. It’s an amazing thing.”

His mother Debbie Partridge said:

“It’s so fantastic to see Ben again.  He is safe and sound, which is the main thing. We have all missed him.  We’ll all have a great time celebrating him being back.”

Signaller Mne Matthew Burnham from Plymouth was met by his wife Michelle – and was amazed by the large turnout despite the time of day.

“I can’t believe so many people have come to see us come back. It’s so good to see Michelle here. I am now looking forward to the luxuries of beer and sleep.

"We achieved a lot out there in Afghanistan.  So it was all worthwhile. But there is nothing as good as being back home,”

he said.

His wife added:

“I am really happy to see him again, especially safe and sound.  He looks so well.”

Mne Luke Cockles, 26, an anti-tank/heavy weapons specialist of London, was hugged by his girlfriend Zena from Exmouth.

He said:

“I have been waiting for this moment for a long time.  It’s a real boost to see so many people here so happy to see us. It shows what support we had back home.”

Lt Tom Lucy, who commands a troop of Marines which manned checkpoints, was welcomed by his mother Patricia.

Lt Lucy said:

“I am amazed at the huge welcome here.  I was asleep on the plane and suddenly there is this noisy crowd shouting and cheering us back. It is really moving. But we’re also remembering those who did not come back and their families.

“I am looking forward to hot showers whenever I want and a different diet and a beer or two with my mates. I’m planning a lads’ holiday away now when we’re on leave.”

Lt Lucy’s mother Patricia, from Monmouth, South Wales, said:

“It is wonderful to see Tom looking so fit and well.  It is his first operational tour, so my first homecoming event and a really happy occasion.”

Since the end of September the men and women of the brigade – as well as the Royal Marines, there has been a substantial dark blue presence such as medics, surgeons and bomb disposal experts, Fleet Air Arm in the form of the now returning Jungly Sea Kings, and Royal Marines Musicians who’ve provided medical support and so much-appreciated morale-raising concerts – have been coming home from Helmand, with Mike the latest to land back in Blighty; the rest of their 42 Commando comrades will be flying home over the next week.

The six months in Afghanistan has cost the lives of seven 42 Cdo comrades: Lt Ollie Augustin, Sgt Barry Weston, L/Cpl Martin Gill and Mnes Sam Alexander, Nigel ‘Deano’ Mead, James Wright and David Fairbrother all made the ultimate sacrifice.

The return to the UK brought home their loss all the more for the surviving members of the Bickleigh-based formation, said 42’s Commanding Officer Lt Col Ewen Murchison.

“First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of our seven brothers-in-arms who have tragically been killed during the tour,” 

he added.

“Their deaths are felt deeply across the Commando and a sad reminder of the daily dangers we faced; they will be sorely missed but their memory lives.

"Despite these tragic losses and injuries to others, the unit pressed on, resolutely focussed on providing security for the people of Afghanistan.”

The bulk of 42 was deployed in the northern Nad-e Ali District of Helmand with the aim of accelerating the development of Afghan forces such as the police and Army so that in the near future they can take over providing security for their own people.

“Many of our bases were shared with our Afghan colleagues and we conducted daily planning and patrolling together,”

Lt Col Murchison explained.

“We mentored them, encouraged them to increasingly take the lead and handed over a quarter of the checkpoints in our area to them; a clear indication of their increased capability and confidence.”

Other engagements included 140 meetings with Afghans to understand causes of instability and bring together the traditional powerbrokers and village elders with government officials.

The unit worked closely with Afghan ministries to improve the basic quality of life for the residents of Nad-e-Ali and helped open a new basic health clinic in Showal and school in Naquilabad Kalay.

Considerable progress was made in the area of Loy Mandeh. Although very tough initially, the unit’s actions brought security and development to an area long starved of basic requirements, due to the dominance of the Taleban.

Areas of the town were completely abandoned due to the threat from homemade bombs and intimidation – but once the area had been cleared, many displaced families moved back and work started to rebuild the once thriving bazaar.

Lt Col Murchison said:

“The locals are enjoying the new found security we have helped provide and are slowly turning their back on the insurgents; their trust in the Government has begun to supersede the fear they once had of the Taleban.

"However, the insurgents continued to challenge our efforts in certain areas; the threat from improvised explosive devices, their weapon of choice, was ever present.”

Indeed, 42 Cdo endured 238 improvised explosive device (IED) ‘incidents’ over five months – averaging one IED every 16 hours. Three quarters of those incidents were ‘finds’, which were rendered safe; including caches, the green berets safely removed 300 IEDs while in theatre.

Lt Col Murchison added:

“The job of UK forces is far from over but what is clear is that we have helped the legitimate Government gain ascendency and reduced the malign influence of the insurgency in the population centres.

"I am extremely proud of the achievements of everyone in the unit for the courage, bravery and determination they displayed in the course of discharging their duties.

“The complexity of the environment in which we operated cannot be overstated; we switched routinely between fighting a determined insurgent and interacting and engaging with the local population – who very often looked no different from the insurgent.

“This was full spectrum counter-insurgency writ large and took versatility, fortitude, intelligence, humility and total professionalism – attributes the Royal Marines have in abundance.”

There’s a chance for the public to show its gratitude for the men of 42 Commando on November 11 when the marines stage a homecoming parade through Plymouth.

“As a unit we were extremely grateful for the steadfast support and solidarity shown to us by everyone back home.”

“It was a source of huge encouragement, particularly during the many dark days we had. We look ahead now to some well earned rest and the chance to spend some time with our families and friends.”

Lt Col Murchison said.