0:00:02 > 0:00:04Welcome to Remembrance Week.
0:00:04 > 0:00:06I'm in Camp Bastion, Afghanistan.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08This place is huge.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Its perimeter is almost 35km long,
0:00:11 > 0:00:14making it roughly the same size as Reading.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17It's also home to thousands of our servicemen and women,
0:00:17 > 0:00:18but not for much longer
0:00:18 > 0:00:22because the process of bringing them home is in full swing.
0:00:22 > 0:00:23To mark Remembrance Sunday,
0:00:23 > 0:00:27we'll hear some of their incredible stories,
0:00:27 > 0:00:29and from those who stood before them.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31Coming up on today's programme...
0:00:31 > 0:00:32In World War II,
0:00:32 > 0:00:36gunners in Bomber Command knew every day could be their last.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39One man beat the odds to tell his tale.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42I got the name of being lucky,
0:00:42 > 0:00:44a bit of a lucky character to fly with.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46A heroic medic describes
0:00:46 > 0:00:50how she fought to save the lives of people caught in a bomb blast.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55They cry, "Man down" or they a shout for a medic.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59The initial thought is the worst and you know, I always get butterflies
0:00:59 > 0:01:01and think, "Oh, my God, what's going to happen?"
0:01:01 > 0:01:06And a young Army family gets ready for daddy to come home.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09The majority of it is just going to be sat-down hugging.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Seven months' worth of hugs are going to take quite a few hours.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22During World War II, the men of Bomber Command played a vital role
0:01:22 > 0:01:24in securing victory in Europe,
0:01:24 > 0:01:26but as we're about to find out,
0:01:26 > 0:01:29it wasn't just bombs that were dropped from their planes.
0:01:33 > 0:01:3690-year-old Bill Stoneman is turning back the clock to remember
0:01:36 > 0:01:41his time in Bomber Command, where he served in a very special squadron.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46I was always interested in the Royal Air Force,
0:01:46 > 0:01:51so in '42, I was 18 years of age.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54I made enquiries about joining the Royal Air Force.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59Just a few months later, he was accepted as a member of aircrew
0:01:59 > 0:02:01and was eager to serve straightaway.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05I sat in front of a squadron leader.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08I said, "When will I go? When do I go for training?"
0:02:08 > 0:02:11"Oh," he said, "It will be about six to seven months."
0:02:11 > 0:02:16So I said, "But I want to go now." He said, "The only way you can go now
0:02:16 > 0:02:20"is by becoming a gunner, a rear gunner, an air gunner."
0:02:20 > 0:02:21I said, "That's for me."
0:02:21 > 0:02:25He said, "Are you sure?" I said, "Yes, that's what I want to be."
0:02:26 > 0:02:30Bill's job as rear gunner was to protect the plane from enemy fire,
0:02:30 > 0:02:35a dangerous job that came with an appallingly short life expectancy,
0:02:35 > 0:02:36as little as two weeks.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42I was told by everyone, "You're going to be a rear gunner? Are you mad?"
0:02:42 > 0:02:43I suppose, youth being on your side,
0:02:43 > 0:02:46you feel a little bit, "It can't happen to me."
0:02:49 > 0:02:51Sat at the very back of the plane,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54rear gunners scanned the skies for signs of danger.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58I never waited for attacks.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02If I saw an aircraft, behaving belligerently,
0:03:02 > 0:03:05I knew he was going to have a go. I fired.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08GUNFIRE
0:03:08 > 0:03:12You're in a turret with four machine guns
0:03:12 > 0:03:17and that turret can move up, down, sideways,
0:03:17 > 0:03:19so you can point your guns at him.
0:03:20 > 0:03:27So you've got four machine guns firing 1,150 rounds a minute
0:03:27 > 0:03:30at this oncoming fighter aircraft.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35Bill's skill helped him survive many missions.
0:03:35 > 0:03:41I got the name of being lucky, a bit of a lucky character to fly with.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44Soon after joining Bomber Command,
0:03:44 > 0:03:47he was selected for covert operations.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50They said, "You're going to a special duties squadron."
0:03:52 > 0:03:55We hadn't a clue what they were talking about.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58This airfield held one of the biggest secrets of the war.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01It was from here that hundreds of agents and supplies by the tonne
0:04:01 > 0:04:03were delivered by air to occupied Europe.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08Bill was to serve in 138 Squadron,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11one of two special duties squadrons in Bomber Command.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17Their orders would come from a top-secret government agency,
0:04:17 > 0:04:19the Special Operations Executive.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23The special duties squadron
0:04:23 > 0:04:26was based at a place called Tempsford in Bedfordshire.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31It had a Halifax bomber aircraft, but instead of bombs,
0:04:31 > 0:04:34this was dropping supplies and agents...
0:04:37 > 0:04:39..these were trained saboteurs,
0:04:39 > 0:04:42into occupied territories, including Germany.
0:04:42 > 0:04:47The squadron I flew on was nicknamed, and was known as the Moon Squadron.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50Nearly all our missions were done by moonlight
0:04:50 > 0:04:53because the aircraft had to see what was happening.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55It couldn't drop in complete darkness.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04Bill and his comrades had an extremely dangerous role.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06To help them drop their secret cargo,
0:05:06 > 0:05:09they needed specially-modified aircraft.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13Bomb bay itself, two doors opened up,
0:05:13 > 0:05:18normally there would be 13 1,000-pound bombs in there,
0:05:18 > 0:05:21they'd now have, say, 12 or 13 canisters
0:05:21 > 0:05:25filled with what the agents would use for the sabotage.
0:05:25 > 0:05:30The canisters were loaded with explosives, pistols,
0:05:30 > 0:05:35ammunition, clothing, everything you can think of,
0:05:35 > 0:05:39compasses, you know, even aspirin,
0:05:39 > 0:05:41everything a person would need.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46One particular piece of cargo was more unusual than most.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49We carried pigeons.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53Now, these pigeons were in little Bakelite containers,
0:05:53 > 0:05:56with a little bottle of water,
0:05:56 > 0:05:58some seed, and
0:05:58 > 0:06:02this little canister had a parachute.
0:06:02 > 0:06:07There was also some rice paper with a questionnaire, and a stub of pencil.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11The dispatcher would release these pigeons.
0:06:11 > 0:06:16They'd float down to earth on these parachutes
0:06:16 > 0:06:20with the idea they'd be found by anyone.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24Hoping the pigeons wouldn't fall into enemy hands,
0:06:24 > 0:06:27locals in the area would fill out the questionnaires,
0:06:27 > 0:06:31then they would release the birds to carry the messages back to Britain.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35They came back with the most interesting information.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37We weren't privy to it, of course.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45Bill's secret missions took him many miles from home,
0:06:45 > 0:06:48dropping agents and supplies into occupied territories.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53At the bottom of the fuselage,
0:06:53 > 0:06:58there was a hole cut with two doors that opened, quite a big hole,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01and the agents could be dropped through this hole,
0:07:01 > 0:07:04straight out of the aircraft,
0:07:04 > 0:07:07and also any supplies carried inside the aircraft,
0:07:07 > 0:07:10they could also be dropped through this hole.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15Hiding in the dark, a reception committee of saboteurs
0:07:15 > 0:07:19would wait for the plane, then signal the location for the drop.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23They had torches on the ground to show where we should drop.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26When the light came on, bomber would say, "Drop them now,"
0:07:26 > 0:07:28as though he was dropping a bomb.
0:07:29 > 0:07:36And we would drop the supplies or agents to this reception committee.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39Those welcoming the planes were freedom fighters,
0:07:39 > 0:07:44ordinary men and women living in Nazi-occupied territories,
0:07:44 > 0:07:47willing to risk their lives to help the Allies.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49They were leaving their families at night
0:07:49 > 0:07:54and then they had to hide the supplies or help the agents.
0:07:55 > 0:08:00The curfews put in place by the Nazis made it even more risky.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04Those people had to make sure they were not captured
0:08:04 > 0:08:08because it was certain death if they were caught, I mean, that was it.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Very brave, very, very brave people.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16Bill had lost many friends serving in this highly dangerous unit.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20He had been extremely lucky,
0:08:20 > 0:08:23outlasting the short life expectancy of a gunner,
0:08:23 > 0:08:25but his luck was about to change.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29The crew I was flying with at that time,
0:08:29 > 0:08:32I'd flown two or three operations with.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34You become like brothers.
0:08:34 > 0:08:39It's a lovely family, or just like family, and you rely on each other.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44On the night of 11 July 1944,
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Bill was on his 23rd mission.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50Setting off from Blida, an airfield in Algeria,
0:08:50 > 0:08:53Bill's crew were heading back to base.
0:08:53 > 0:08:58We got 40 miles off the coast of North Africa,
0:08:58 > 0:09:01flying towards the South of France.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03There was one almighty bang.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10The surprise was just immediate. It was just, "bang", fire.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14There was nothing they could do.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17Their aircraft was now hurtling towards the sea.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20We were all huddled together,
0:09:20 > 0:09:24just praying that the pilot did a good job and managed to make it.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27It was all over in a moment.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34Extra fuel tanks on board burst on impact.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38Now, in the Mediterranean Sea, the crew were trapped.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43The plane had filled with water,
0:09:43 > 0:09:47and a terrible stench of a lot of 100 octane fuel.
0:09:47 > 0:09:52It was very overpowering, choking.
0:09:52 > 0:09:57Struggling against the toxic fumes, the crew managed to scramble out.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00They knew there should be an emergency dinghy,
0:10:00 > 0:10:04but to their horror, it hadn't inflated.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07The aircraft was sinking, and no dinghy.
0:10:08 > 0:10:13So I knew where there was a manual dinghy release,
0:10:13 > 0:10:16which is just inside the fuselage.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18All I had to do was get back in.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22By now, the fuselage was full of suffocating fumes.
0:10:23 > 0:10:29The bomber held me by my harness, let me back in and held me,
0:10:29 > 0:10:33and I managed to turn the handle and I heard the hissing.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35The dinghy began inflating,
0:10:35 > 0:10:38but now it started to float away.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42I went in the water with my clothes on, fully dressed,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45got the dinghy, being a strong swimmer, being a Newquay boy,
0:10:45 > 0:10:49brought up by the sea, got it back to the aircraft.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52We all managed to scramble in.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55Bill and his crew had made it just in time.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58They watched on as their plane started to sink.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02The aircraft started to tilt onto this level,
0:11:02 > 0:11:07until just the fin and rudders, two big fins sticking out of the water...
0:11:09 > 0:11:13..and shouts, two shouts of "help" came from the aircraft.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19That was the navigator.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23I didn't realise that Flight Officer Farr, Tony Farr,
0:11:23 > 0:11:26the navigator, was still in the aircraft.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34I can't really explain how it hurt,
0:11:34 > 0:11:35because knowing a man so well
0:11:35 > 0:11:38and flying with him and putting your trust in him,
0:11:38 > 0:11:43and then to hear those plaintive cries for help,
0:11:43 > 0:11:46and you can't do anything about it.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50I heard those shouts for a long time, I can tell you.
0:11:51 > 0:11:57Over 55,000 men from Bomber Command lost their lives in World War II,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00the highest death rate of any British unit.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04Those who lived carry the memory of those who died.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Our squadron alone,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12138 Squadron, lost 70 aircraft.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18I did lose an awful lot of friends during World War II.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23Wake up in the morning and there'd be empty beds.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25The aircraft just failed to return.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30As young as I was, it had a great effect on me.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51Throughout history, the role of the military medic has been vital.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54Their brave work under enormous pressure
0:12:54 > 0:12:58is a matter of life or death, and here in Afghanistan,
0:12:58 > 0:13:01a routine day can quickly turn into a lifesaving mission.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08Isobel Henderson started a career in the Army
0:13:08 > 0:13:10when she was just 16 years old.
0:13:10 > 0:13:16I joined the Army in 2004 and that was because
0:13:16 > 0:13:18my dad took me to the careers office.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23I wanted to be a dog handler, and I wasn't heavy enough!
0:13:23 > 0:13:27And then I wanted to be a driver, I wasn't tall enough,
0:13:27 > 0:13:29and then they said they were crying out for medics,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32and I thought, "Oh, yeah, let's go for that."
0:13:35 > 0:13:40At 17, Isobel became a medic with the Royal Army Medical Corps.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45As she threw herself into Army life,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48she received some upsetting news from her dad at home.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53He phoned me up and said, "I've been diagnosed with cancer."
0:13:55 > 0:13:58And then we found out it was actually quite terminal.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01I think it had been missed. You know, it was in his lymph nodes,
0:14:01 > 0:14:05it was in his lungs, it was in his liver, it was quite wild,
0:14:05 > 0:14:07and I was dead set, I was still young
0:14:07 > 0:14:10and I was like, "I want to come home, I want to be with you,"
0:14:10 > 0:14:11and he was like, "No,
0:14:11 > 0:14:15"I want you to carry on with your career as if nothing has happened."
0:14:15 > 0:14:20Sadly, in 2008, Isobel's father lost his battle with cancer.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23When Dad passed away, it was the hardest thing ever
0:14:23 > 0:14:25because my dad brought me up.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35He was a carer for my mum, who's disabled,
0:14:35 > 0:14:38he had his two girls, me and my younger sister,
0:14:38 > 0:14:40and he was my everything.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43Isobel struggled to cope without her father.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47But in 2010, with only two days' notice,
0:14:47 > 0:14:49she was called to the front line.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54When I got told I was going to Afghanistan in 2010,
0:14:54 > 0:14:57I was told I was going with the Scots Guards, so I was very...
0:14:57 > 0:15:00It was quite daunting because I didn't know anybody
0:15:00 > 0:15:03and it was a completely different regiment.
0:15:03 > 0:15:09Isobel was stationed at an isolated checkpoint in southern Afghanistan.
0:15:09 > 0:15:14I was the only female, had no female company, which was a bit daunting.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17But, yeah, the guys were welcoming enough.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21It is nice to know that there is guys looking out for you,
0:15:21 > 0:15:24especially when you're on foot patrols.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27Obviously not being as tall as some people,
0:15:27 > 0:15:31having to get over great big walls is a challenge in itself,
0:15:31 > 0:15:33so they'd help me over and stuff, so it was good.
0:15:37 > 0:15:42Word soon spread in the local area that a medic was at the checkpoint,
0:15:42 > 0:15:44and it became a busy time for Isobel.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49It wasn't all trauma and new casualties and stuff.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53We would have a lot of walk-ins. Locals would come in,
0:15:53 > 0:15:58they'd hear that there was some kind of medical facility there.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02However, as the only medic in the area,
0:16:02 > 0:16:06what happened next would really put Isobel's skills to the test.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13We were sat in the checkpoint doing our day-to-day business,
0:16:13 > 0:16:15having a chat, having a chinwag.
0:16:21 > 0:16:26A Mastiff, which is an armoured vehicle, came up to our checkpoint.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29They had a bit of a discussion with our platoon commander and stuff
0:16:29 > 0:16:31and then they left.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41As they left, we heard a large explosion.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48You kind of look up, because you can't see over the walls.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51You see a big dust cloud. Everyone just kind of froze,
0:16:51 > 0:16:56looked at each other and thought that Mastiff had been hit.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05Someone's ran out of the Ops room and shouted "mass casualty".
0:17:08 > 0:17:12So everyone is getting their kit, body armour, helmet.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14We thankfully had another vehicle,
0:17:14 > 0:17:19which we jumped into and we all made our way down to the explosion site.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25When anyone is injured, and they cry "man down"
0:17:25 > 0:17:29or they shout for a medic, your initial thought is the worst.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31And I always get butterflies
0:17:31 > 0:17:34and think, "My God, what's going to happen?"
0:17:41 > 0:17:44When you get there, you know, your training takes hold
0:17:44 > 0:17:46and you get on with it.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52As Isobel and the other soldiers approached the blast site,
0:17:52 > 0:17:56what they saw was not what they expected.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58The Mastiff was fine.
0:17:58 > 0:18:03And we looked over to the right and there was a civilian bus
0:18:03 > 0:18:06which was no longer a bus, it was more of a chassis.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14A lot of the males had died from the incident
0:18:14 > 0:18:17and they'd been blown from, you know, the wreckage. They were in a field.
0:18:17 > 0:18:22One was over a wall. One was up an alleyway.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25You know, they were blown afar.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29The women and children were the ones that had survived.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32Obviously with great injuries.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36There was a young girl still within the wreckage,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39and she was still breathing, so I kind of got focused on her.
0:18:39 > 0:18:44As the only medic on the scene, Isobel had to take charge,
0:18:44 > 0:18:47treating all the casualties from the blast.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49That was my first encounter with children.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53And obviously our training, we do do paediatrics,
0:18:53 > 0:18:58dealing with children, but it is an eye-opener.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01Me being the only medic, I couldn't...
0:19:01 > 0:19:04I haven't got octopus arms, I can't do it all.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07So the team medics had to assist, and some of them guys were dads,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10and they were having to do CPR on a child.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15At the time, you know, they carried on and they did
0:19:15 > 0:19:18what they were trained to do, but afterwards, speaking to them,
0:19:18 > 0:19:22it was upsetting hearing a dad from that perspective
0:19:22 > 0:19:24saying how hard it was to actually do CPR.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29The medical emergency response team were called in
0:19:29 > 0:19:32to take the severely injured to hospital at Camp Bastion.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37It felt like a lifetime we had the casualties for,
0:19:37 > 0:19:40but in...realistic, you know, the helicopter was en route
0:19:40 > 0:19:44and the helicopter was there within probably 25 minutes.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47But at the time it felt like a lifetime.
0:19:54 > 0:19:59Sadly, the young girl Isobel attended to first died in hospital.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02It hits home.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05Especially when you're having to treat that casualty,
0:20:05 > 0:20:09and say they do lose their life, it's soul-destroying.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12It doesn't matter if I'm not close to them, I still cry.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15You know, I shed a tear for them.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23However, Isobel's heroic actions that day
0:20:23 > 0:20:25helped to save the lives of several people.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28The only time I really thought about it was after,
0:20:28 > 0:20:32when we all sat down and was like, "What has just happened?"
0:20:32 > 0:20:36And the only way you get through it is talking about it
0:20:36 > 0:20:38and getting through it with each other.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41And you pull each other through it, I suppose.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50For brave conduct throughout her time in Afghanistan,
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Isobel was awarded an MBE in 2011.
0:20:53 > 0:20:58It's been ten years since I've walked into that careers office,
0:20:58 > 0:21:00and it's... It's my way of life.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08Probably my proudest moment is going to Buckingham Palace
0:21:08 > 0:21:12and actually marching up and receiving an award.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24If my dad was still about today, he'd still be talking about it now.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26That's how bad he would be.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29He would be a very proud dad.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38This weekend, we will honour those
0:21:38 > 0:21:41who have served and suffered in our name.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44And when we see the poppies fall,
0:21:44 > 0:21:47we'll remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57After 40 years of loyal service
0:21:57 > 0:22:00in one of the elite regiments of the British Army,
0:22:00 > 0:22:02our next veteran reflects on
0:22:02 > 0:22:05one of the toughest conflicts he ever experienced.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Colour Sergeant Brian Faulkner was a member of 3 PARA,
0:22:14 > 0:22:18a battalion in the elite Parachute Regiment.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21The men of the red beret stick together.
0:22:21 > 0:22:26Nobody could interfere with that little clique of men.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29He received a distinguished conduct medal
0:22:29 > 0:22:31for his bravery and dedication
0:22:31 > 0:22:35at the Battle of Mount Longdon in the Falklands conflict.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41His actions helped save the lives of many.
0:22:41 > 0:22:46But Brian will never forget the 23 men they lost that night.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48They should be remembered.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50We will remember them.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58Brian grew up in Yorkshire.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00Not sure what career path to choose,
0:23:00 > 0:23:03he decided to follow in his father's footsteps.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06I was a miner for a while,
0:23:06 > 0:23:09and my father was an ex-military man himself,
0:23:09 > 0:23:13who spent quite a long time in the military.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17He said, "I think that the best thing for you is to join the military
0:23:17 > 0:23:20"and try and get out of the mines."
0:23:20 > 0:23:23And then, at the age of about 18, 19,
0:23:23 > 0:23:26I thought, "I'll have a go at the Parachute Regiment."
0:23:26 > 0:23:29The first time I'd ever been in an aircraft
0:23:29 > 0:23:31is when I launched myself out of it.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36Brian spent the next 17 years in the Paras.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41In 1982, when war broke out in the Falklands,
0:23:41 > 0:23:44he was amongst 28,000 British troops
0:23:44 > 0:23:47that were deployed to recapture the islands.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50When we did operations in Northern Ireland, four, five,
0:23:50 > 0:23:54maybe six months, you knew the start date and you knew the end date.
0:23:54 > 0:23:59But you didn't actually know when this confrontation would finish.
0:23:59 > 0:24:0523 days into their journey, the reality of the situation hit home.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09I always remember sitting where we was having our meals.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14And it came over the ship's tannoy system
0:24:14 > 0:24:18that a British submarine had sunk the Belgrano.
0:24:21 > 0:24:26And we all cheered. Wahey! And everybody was elated.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29And then everybody realised that we'd made the first move,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32we'd sunk the ship, we were actually going to war.
0:24:32 > 0:24:38It was an eerie feeling. That's when I became scared.
0:24:41 > 0:24:46With the sinking of the Belgrano, the conflict escalated.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51On their way to the islands, it was decided that 3 PARA
0:24:51 > 0:24:54would form part of the land offensive.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58And Brian was about to be given a role of huge importance.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02I was a qualified medic. The doctor saw me
0:25:02 > 0:25:05and he indicated the commanding officer
0:25:05 > 0:25:08and said, "I need more staff." He said, "Any in particular?"
0:25:08 > 0:25:11"I would like that man over there," and that man was myself.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16On the night of June 11th, British troops launched
0:25:16 > 0:25:18a coordinated attack on three locations.
0:25:21 > 0:25:243 PARA's mission was to take Mount Longdon,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27a key target in the recapture of the islands
0:25:27 > 0:25:29and the liberation of the capital, Port Stanley.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36Brian's job was to support the medics in the battle to come.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40We knew that they weren't going to give up.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42They had the weaponry and the ammunition.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44And they'd been on that mountain
0:25:44 > 0:25:48and prepared that mountain for an assault by ourselves.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53There were these young lads of 19, 20,
0:25:53 > 0:25:56there with bayonets on the end of their rifles.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58They were killing and they were being killed.
0:26:03 > 0:26:04As the battle advanced,
0:26:04 > 0:26:08the fighting and firing became more and more furious.
0:26:11 > 0:26:16That particular face itself, it's called Grenade Alley.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19The Argentinians were rolling grenades down amongst us.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22At the same time we had snipers
0:26:22 > 0:26:25and heavy machine gun fire being fired at us.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29There was no let-up for Brian that night
0:26:29 > 0:26:32as he was needed all over the mountain.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36As soon as we got either a wounded person back
0:26:36 > 0:26:40or wounded personnel back, I would go up to the fighting platoon,
0:26:40 > 0:26:43the fighting section, and engage the enemy with them
0:26:43 > 0:26:46but try to establish where their wounded were.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52You're always thinking that "It won't be me, it won't be me,"
0:26:52 > 0:26:55but you're witnessing guys that's been shot and killed
0:26:55 > 0:26:57who were probably thinking the same.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00It was a dreadful night.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03It was a bleak, bloody mountain that evening.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Brian was close to many of the young men
0:27:11 > 0:27:13that lost their lives that night.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16In our time back in England, I was the battalion rugby coach,
0:27:16 > 0:27:19and a number of the guys that I actually saw
0:27:19 > 0:27:22had been members of the rugby team, that had been killed.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28That was distressful as well, seeing young men that had been killed.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30Young 19-year-olds.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33And in particular, which I didn't know at the time,
0:27:33 > 0:27:37a young man that was actually killed on his 18th birthday.
0:27:37 > 0:27:43255 British troops died in the conflict to reclaim the Falklands.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46When I retrieved the bodies,
0:27:46 > 0:27:50I was actually thinking of their wives, their mothers, their children.
0:27:54 > 0:27:59We had 23 killed and 47 wounded. That's just in one night's action.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02That's quite a lot.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04If you think about it.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12But if it hadn't been for Brian's bravery and determination,
0:28:12 > 0:28:15that number would have been a lot higher.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20The greatest satisfaction that I've ever got
0:28:20 > 0:28:23from the conflict down there is at the end,
0:28:23 > 0:28:29knowing that every wounded soldier that we got off that mountain,
0:28:29 > 0:28:35which includes Argentinians that were wounded, lived.
0:28:56 > 0:29:00Central to the operation out here in Afghanistan is the ability to
0:29:00 > 0:29:03get our troops and essential equipment in and out.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06Because of where Camp Bastion is in the middle of the desert,
0:29:06 > 0:29:10the best way to do this is by air, and it's a massive challenge.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17When Bastion Airport opened in 2006,
0:29:17 > 0:29:22it was designed to handle no more than 12 flights a week.
0:29:22 > 0:29:27Now they juggle an astonishing 2,500.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32Is that Thumper going to take off from nine, yeah?
0:29:32 > 0:29:34And it is the job of the control tower
0:29:34 > 0:29:37to make sure the airport runs like clockwork.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40What else have we got? Just those out to the south-west.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43Heading the team is squadron leader Andy Gibbins.
0:29:43 > 0:29:49This is the essential part of the Bastion cog, if you like.
0:29:49 > 0:29:53It absolutely is. This is an extremely busy and complex airfield.
0:29:53 > 0:29:57I would say we are about the fifth-busiest UK-run aerodrome.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59This is where everything comes in.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02This is where the troops come in, this is where your food comes in,
0:30:02 > 0:30:08this is where your mail comes in, so this is the morale hub, if you like.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11On any given day the controlling team will have 50 different varieties
0:30:11 > 0:30:15of aircraft, from fast jets, strategic air transport aircraft,
0:30:15 > 0:30:19rotary wing, to all different types of unmanned air systems.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22So it's the sheer variety you have got to contend to
0:30:22 > 0:30:24that you just don't get in the UK.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28So you've got aircraft coming at you from every single angle.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32Precisely, many of which we don't even see. What?
0:30:32 > 0:30:33Isn't that your job? You'd think so,
0:30:33 > 0:30:36but a lot of the unmanned air systems land at sites
0:30:36 > 0:30:39that are three or four miles away from here,
0:30:39 > 0:30:41so we've got to coordinate them into the airspace
0:30:41 > 0:30:43amongst all of the aircraft we can see.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45Fortunately we have pretty good radars.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47We're effectively playing a big game of chess
0:30:47 > 0:30:49both in the air and on the ground.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58One of the many aircraft flying in and out of Bastion
0:30:58 > 0:31:00are Chinook helicopters.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03These hard-working machines are in constant demand.
0:31:06 > 0:31:10Keeping the Chinooks fit to fly is a team of 70 engineers,
0:31:10 > 0:31:12led by Flight Lieutenant Phil Rea.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16I think the Royal Air Force Chinook
0:31:16 > 0:31:18is actually the workhorse of Afghanistan.
0:31:18 > 0:31:22It's just celebrated its 30-year birthday, last autumn, 2012.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24Happy birthday.
0:31:24 > 0:31:28The aircraft have been flying in every operation the Royal Air Force
0:31:28 > 0:31:31has conducted since they got into service.
0:31:31 > 0:31:37What are we talking? How many people will a Chinook take?
0:31:37 > 0:31:40In the last month we have actually transported 5,500 troops
0:31:40 > 0:31:43around this area of Afghanistan. That is amazing.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46That just shows how much we're working these beasts.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48They're like buses, basically.
0:31:48 > 0:31:52Exactly. Not only essential for carrying troops
0:31:52 > 0:31:54but also for essential supplies, too.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57Absolutely, there's a huge reliance on these
0:31:57 > 0:32:00to get out to the patrol bases and to the forward operating bases
0:32:00 > 0:32:03to deliver things just as simple as water.
0:32:03 > 0:32:07We're actually transporting about 100 metric tonnes per day.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10If you wanted to think about it, it is like putting 100 small cars
0:32:10 > 0:32:13into these aircraft and getting them out of these bases.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18Being in the air around here, obviously very dangerous,
0:32:18 > 0:32:20I imagine a lot of them have come under enemy fire.
0:32:20 > 0:32:22How does it deal with that?
0:32:22 > 0:32:29It is a really robust machine. This aircraft can take numerous rounds,
0:32:29 > 0:32:30it will continue flying.
0:32:30 > 0:32:32And some of the times,
0:32:32 > 0:32:36the aircrew won't even know that they have been shot. Really?
0:32:36 > 0:32:40Absolutely. We have rounds maybe go through the belly of the aircraft
0:32:40 > 0:32:43and through these blades here. That is remarkable.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46When we come back, my engineers will come around the aircraft
0:32:46 > 0:32:49and do a full, what we call a Battle Damage Assessment
0:32:49 > 0:32:52and it's only then we will know if that aircraft has been shot.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57This dedicated team work 24 hours a day,
0:32:57 > 0:33:02as these impressive machines are essential in life-saving operations.
0:33:02 > 0:33:07I am massive, massively privileged to lead the 70 engineers out here.
0:33:07 > 0:33:11They deliver at every step of the way. And...
0:33:11 > 0:33:16the big thing for me is, when you see these aircraft take off,
0:33:16 > 0:33:20when you see that medical emergency response team aircraft take off,
0:33:20 > 0:33:23every single person knows that they have played a part
0:33:23 > 0:33:25in getting that aircraft up in the air.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39Essentially a flying hospital in the back of a Chinook,
0:33:39 > 0:33:43it is the job of the medical emergency response team, or MERT,
0:33:43 > 0:33:45to evacuate casualties from the front line.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51Packed with essential life-saving equipment,
0:33:51 > 0:33:55medical teams treat casualties mid-flight as they race back
0:33:55 > 0:33:57to Bastion's first-class hospital.
0:34:01 > 0:34:05'Dr Harry Pugh is a MERT volunteer.'
0:34:05 > 0:34:08What's it like for you? What goes through your head when the call
0:34:08 > 0:34:11comes through? You are a reservist as well.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13You chose to come out here and be part of this.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15What goes through your head?
0:34:15 > 0:34:21Your heart rate goes up as you sprint out here, you just want,
0:34:21 > 0:34:24you are going out thinking and hoping you will be able to do
0:34:24 > 0:34:28the best job possible and making sure that the team will be working
0:34:28 > 0:34:33and everybody will be working together to get that casualty back.
0:34:33 > 0:34:37You're just wanting to do the best job you possibly can.
0:34:37 > 0:34:41When you get to a location you have no idea what's ahead of you.
0:34:41 > 0:34:47Sometimes it can be hot, meaning there are rounds coming in at you,
0:34:47 > 0:34:49so it can be quite full-on.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52The Chinook is a massive target,
0:34:52 > 0:34:56so to support the medical team while they are saving lives,
0:34:56 > 0:34:58an Apache helicopter flies alongside,
0:34:58 > 0:35:00protecting them against enemy fire.
0:35:00 > 0:35:07You try and shut out all of the difficult situations going on
0:35:07 > 0:35:11and the Apache's overhead, they are keeping you safe.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15I do it because I want to look after the soldiers
0:35:15 > 0:35:18because they are the guys on the ground,
0:35:18 > 0:35:21they are doing the hard work and they need to be, know that there are
0:35:21 > 0:35:24people out there who will look after them if they are injured.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31In the lead-up to Remembrance Sunday, who do you think about?
0:35:31 > 0:35:35When they read out the names, you think about them.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39People you have treated and their families.
0:35:39 > 0:35:45And it's a sad, sad time and you are remembering, really,
0:35:45 > 0:35:51and very especially about people who are left behind
0:35:51 > 0:35:53because that's the important thing.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11One of the hardest parts of deployment
0:36:11 > 0:36:13for our servicemen and women
0:36:13 > 0:36:15is the amount of time they spend away from home.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17We're about to join one family
0:36:17 > 0:36:22who are counting down the hours before seeing their loved one again.
0:36:30 > 0:36:34Sam Collier and her children, River and Wyatt,
0:36:34 > 0:36:37are getting ready for a very special occasion.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40Where do you want this one? Here?
0:36:40 > 0:36:45Today, loving husband and proud daddy Gary is coming home.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48He's returning from a seven-month tour of Afghanistan.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51I do get really excited.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54I tend to plaster the house with as many balloons
0:36:54 > 0:36:58and banners that I can fit around the place.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01I like to shout it out that he is home.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07He's coming home on a plane.
0:37:08 > 0:37:13Not a bus or a bike. Only a plane.
0:37:20 > 0:37:25Sam and Gary first got to know each other in April 2004.
0:37:25 > 0:37:30We met online and spoke for a couple of months and then eventually decided
0:37:30 > 0:37:33to have a meet and see each other face to face.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41I fell in love with him straight away.
0:37:41 > 0:37:45I can remember exactly what he was wearing at the time,
0:37:45 > 0:37:46and I just knew from there
0:37:46 > 0:37:49that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54After just three months together,
0:37:54 > 0:37:57Gary whisked her away for a romantic weekend.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00Camping, where he proposed.
0:38:00 > 0:38:05We spent a whole week camping together which kind of made me think,
0:38:05 > 0:38:09if I can spend a week camping with him with no TV, no outside world,
0:38:09 > 0:38:12then I reckon it will work in the long run.
0:38:12 > 0:38:18They married just before Christmas. But only five months later,
0:38:18 > 0:38:22Gary left for his first tour of duty, leaving Sam at home.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28He went to Iraq in the May time.
0:38:30 > 0:38:34At first it was a shock to the system.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37I was a little bit apprehensive about being here,
0:38:37 > 0:38:40but he went out and brought me a dog to keep me company.
0:38:40 > 0:38:45Gary is a sergeant in the infantry. His main responsibility
0:38:45 > 0:38:48is to maintain communications on the front line.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51Gary has been on three tours since we have been married,
0:38:51 > 0:38:55first in Iraq, then a few years later he went to Afghan,
0:38:55 > 0:38:58and this time he's gone back to Afghan again.
0:38:58 > 0:39:00Are you ready to watch Daddy?
0:39:00 > 0:39:04'It is Daddy, I just wanted to send you a message saying
0:39:04 > 0:39:06'I love you lots and lots and I miss you.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09'I miss you all the way to the moon and back.'
0:39:09 > 0:39:13As a loving father, Gary often sends video messages to Sam and children.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15'I love you beyond the stars.
0:39:15 > 0:39:17'Be a good girl for Mummy and I'll be home soon.'
0:39:17 > 0:39:21It never gets any easier for Sam.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24You know it will be a long time before he comes home,
0:39:24 > 0:39:28so you try and make yourself stronger and concentrate on the children,
0:39:28 > 0:39:32getting into a routine and focus your mind on something else.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36Otherwise you're just going to worry yourself sick.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40It's still hard, you never truly get used to it,
0:39:40 > 0:39:44but you get more understanding as each one comes along.
0:39:54 > 0:39:55For River and Wyatt,
0:39:55 > 0:39:59being away from their daddy for so long is hard to understand.
0:39:59 > 0:40:03With River being the older one she misses him a lot more.
0:40:03 > 0:40:07Quite regularly I do have to bring out a map to show River
0:40:07 > 0:40:11just how far away Daddy is, although to a four-year-old,
0:40:11 > 0:40:15that kind of looks like, "Well, it's only a handprint away, Mummy."
0:40:17 > 0:40:19Months of counting down the days
0:40:19 > 0:40:22until Daddy comes home are almost over.
0:40:22 > 0:40:24Today, they will see him again.
0:40:24 > 0:40:30It says Daddy is home in...no days!
0:40:30 > 0:40:35That means today Daddy's home!
0:40:37 > 0:40:39I do a countdown for the children
0:40:39 > 0:40:42so they can see that it is going down,
0:40:42 > 0:40:46so they have a visual that it's getting closer.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49I am excited now, really excited.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53Having Daddy home isn't the only celebration today.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56The day he comes home will be River's birthday.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58so there will be a lot of presents opening.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01It is my birthday when Daddy gets home.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07The majority of it will be sat there hugging,
0:41:07 > 0:41:10seven months worth of hugs will take quite a few hours.
0:41:13 > 0:41:17It's actually quite an amazing feeling.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21I don't think there will be a dry eye around, I do get so emotional
0:41:21 > 0:41:23when I see him for the first time.
0:41:23 > 0:41:28Come on, guys, are we ready to go and get your daddy? Yeah!
0:41:28 > 0:41:33All the emotions that you have been suppressing for seven months
0:41:33 > 0:41:37just burst out and, yeah, there will be a lot of tears.
0:41:42 > 0:41:44The moment has finally come.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47Sam, River and Wyatt join all the other families to welcome
0:41:47 > 0:41:49their brave men and women back home.
0:42:03 > 0:42:09MUSIC: "Paradise" by Coldplay
0:42:16 > 0:42:21The Colliers are reunited at last, and so are the many other families,
0:42:21 > 0:42:24all sharing the same tears of joy.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31After a prolonged time being away from the family
0:42:31 > 0:42:34it really feels pretty amazing to be home at last.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37And I managed to make it home for my little girl's fourth birthday
0:42:37 > 0:42:39so it's a double celebration.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45I love you, darling. I love you, too, Daddy.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58On tomorrow's programme:
0:42:58 > 0:43:03A German refugee describes how he almost died fighting for Britain.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05I was of course well aware
0:43:05 > 0:43:09that I was volunteering to fight against my country.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12I didn't think of it as my country.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15It was fighting against the Nazi barbarity,
0:43:15 > 0:43:18that's why we wanted to be in fighting units.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd