The Times Tearsheet on Killed Soldier
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the times | Thursday October 21 2010 3 News Corporal David Barnsdale was walking past an armoured personnel carrier in a small patch of safe ground surrounded by a minefield when a blast seemed to turn the world white. What happened next was so fast, so loud and so terrifying that it was hard to be sure of the precise order of events. When the dust settled, Corporal Barnsdale was dead, two soldiers were injured and I had witnessed — far closer than I would ever wish to — the gruesome random way that home- made bombs pluck soldiers off the Helmand battlefield. Corporal Barnsdale was less than ten metres from where I was sitting when he took his final step on Tuesday. The blast knocked me backwards and sideways against tracks of a Danish armoured vehicle in whose shade I had been resting. My mouth was gritty with debris and the air was thick with dust. As my hearing came back, soldiers barked orders and cursed. A hailstorm of stones and shrapnel fell out of the sky. “Journalist OK?” someone shouted. “OK,” I shouted back. There was a lull, then somebody screamed: “Man down!” Pause. “F***!” One of the soldiers had been sitting on a porta-potty when the bomb went off. One man was on his hands and knees near the middle of the plot, dazed and disorientated with others trying to drag him clear. A lance corporal walked to the edge of the safe area sobbing. There were lumps of blood and cloth in the sand. The soldiers were picking up the debris and putting it in clear plastic bags. Half a flak vest — front or back, it was hard to tell — lay in the dust where it had been thrown at least 30m, clear over two armoured trucks. One mournful looking soldier found Corporal Barnsdale’s Help for Heroes wristband severed in the dust and he passed it reverently to a colleague. A young soldier, perhaps in his twen- ties, blamed himself. The more senior men urged everyone “not to think like that”. The bomb had gone off inside the safe area. It was just after 11am on Tuesday, about 7.30am in Britain. Corporal Barnsdale, 24, had been leading one of two Royal Engineers high-assurance search teams, sweep- ing back and forth across with hi-tech metal detectors to clear a strategic mound of Taleban mines. It was part of Operation Omid IV, the largest Afghan-led operation since British troops were deployed to Helmand in 2006, and senior officers hope that is a watershed along the road towards transition, which should, they hope, spell an end to British combat operations. Their mission was to clear a Taleban safe haven, a few miles upstream of Gereshk, and build two new check- points for the Afghan Army. Difficult tasks, such as mine-clearing high-risk areas for construction, are usually done by Nato forces. The search teams had already found one improvised explosive device (IED) the previous day and another two earlier on Tuesday morning. The crude but deadly explosives were set inside yellow plastic 20-litre palm oil drums, wired with white electrical flex to small battery packs and deceptively clumsy-looking pressure plates, wrapped in clear, dusty polythene. A massive American mine-clearing truck had hit a mine on another hill, a few hundred metres to the north, the day before. No one was hurt. The wreckage of an enormous, six-wheeled British Mastiff lay askew in a crater less than 50m to the south. It had also triggered an explosion on Monday. Although the Mastiff was immobi- lised — its wheels and part of the undercarriage in pieces — the three men on board had walked away unscathed. The search teams were based inside a 50m square plot, cleared and marked off with spray paint and plastic glow-sticks. It was access-ible only via a narrow track cleared and marked the same way. It was supposed to be safe. Moments before Corporal Barnsdale died, a member of his team, Lance Corporal Robert Corke, 22, had explained how he overcame the fear of a detonation. “It’s a high-risk job,” he said. “But we are the best trained to do it. I’m confident in my job, I’m confident in my team and I’m confi- dent in the kit. It’s a dangerous game altogether, really.” Moments after the blast they proved it. Sergeant Hobden was in the crater looking for clues. On the other side of the square, young sol- diers like Lance Corporal Corke were trying to clear an area in case a helicopter had to land. Instead, Corporal Barns- dale’s body was carried by two of his friends, on a stretcher under a camou- flaged plastic poncho, to an armoured ambulance that had arrived at the scene within minutes. “He was a really brilliant bloke,” said Sapper Simon Kerr, 22. “Top-notch. Just write that and you won’t go wrong.” Final, fatal step of ‘a really brilliant bloke’ Soldiers from a Royal Engineers high-assurance search team after the loss of Corporal David Barnsdale, who was killed in an explosion on Tuesday morning Another young life was lost in a blinding flash and terrifying roar. Jerome Starkey was with him on the battlefield Corporal Barnsdale died while checking a Taleban minefield PAKISTAN TAJIKISTAN AFGHANISTAN IRAN Gereshk Helmand province Kabul Herat 100 miles PHOTOGRAPHS: JEROME STARKEY FOR THE TIMES
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Final, fatal step of 'a really brilliant bloke'. - Jerome Starkey
Transcript of The Times Tearsheet on Killed Soldier
the times | Thursday October 21 2010 3
News
Corporal David Barnsdale waswalkingpast an armouredpersonnel carrier in asmall patch of safe ground surroundedby a minefield when a blast seemed toturn the world white.What happened next was so fast, soloud and so terrifying that it was hardto be sure of the precise order of events.When the dust settled, CorporalBarnsdale was dead, two soldiers wereinjured and I had witnessed — farcloser than I would ever wish to — thegruesome random way that home-made bombs pluck soldiers off theHelmand battlefield.Corporal Barnsdale was less than tenmetres from where I was sitting whenhe took his final step on Tuesday. Theblast knocked me backwards andsideways against tracks of a Danisharmoured vehicle in whose shade I hadbeen resting.Mymouthwas gritty with
debris and the air was thick with dust.As my hearing came back, soldiersbarked orders and cursed. A hailstormof stones and shrapnel fell out of thesky.“Journalist OK?” someone shouted.“OK,” I shouted back. There was a lull,then somebody screamed: “Mandown!” Pause. “F***!”One of the soldiers had been sittingon a porta-potty when the bomb wentoff. One man was on his hands andknees near the middle of the plot,dazed and disorientated with otherstrying to drag him clear. A lancecorporal walked to the edge of the safearea sobbing.There were lumps of blood and clothin the sand. The soldiers were pickingup the debris and putting it in clearplastic bags. Half a flak vest— front orback, it was hard to tell — lay in thedust where it had been thrown at least30m, clear over two armoured trucks.One mournful looking soldier foundCorporal Barnsdale’s Help for Heroeswristband severed in the dust and he
passed it reverently to a colleague.A young soldier, perhaps in his twen-ties, blamed himself. The more seniormen urged everyone “not to think likethat”.The bomb had gone off insidethe safe area. It was just after 11am onTuesday, about 7.30am in Britain.Corporal Barnsdale, 24, had beenleading one of two Royal Engineers
high-assurance search teams, sweep-ing back and forth across with hi-techmetal detectors to clear a strategicmound of Talebanmines.It was part of Operation Omid IV,the largest Afghan-led operation sinceBritish troops were deployed toHelmand in 2006, and senior officershope that is a watershed along the roadtowards transition, which should, theyhope, spell an end to British combatoperations.Their mission was to clear a Talebansafe haven, a few miles upstream ofGereshk, and build two new check-points for the Afghan Army. Difficulttasks, such as mine-clearing high-riskareas for construction, are usuallydone byNato forces.The search teams had already foundone improvised explosive device (IED)the previous day and another twoearlier on Tuesdaymorning.The crude but deadly explosiveswere set inside yellow plastic 20-litrepalm oil drums, wired with whiteelectrical flex to small battery packs
and deceptively clumsy-lookingpressure plates, wrapped in clear, dustypolythene.A massive American mine-clearingtruck had hit a mine on another hill, afew hundred metres to the north, theday before. No one was hurt. Thewreckage of an enormous, six-wheeledBritish Mastiff lay askew in a craterless than 50m to the south. It hadalso triggered an explosion onMonday.Although theMastiffwas immobi-lised — its wheels and part of theundercarriage in pieces — thethree men on board had walkedaway unscathed. The searchteams were based inside a50m square plot, clearedand marked off with spraypaint and plastic glow-sticks.It was access-ible only via anarrow track cleared andmarked the same way. It wassupposed to be safe.Moments before CorporalBarnsdale died, a member of his
team, Lance Corporal Robert Corke,22, had explainedhowheovercame thefear of a detonation. “It’s a high-riskjob,” he said. “But we are the besttrained to do it. I’m confident inmy job,I’mconfident inmy teamand I’m confi-dent in the kit. It’s a dangerous gamealtogether, really.”Moments after the blast theyproved it. Sergeant Hobden was inthe crater looking for clues. On theother side of the square, young sol-diers like Lance Corporal Corkewere trying to clear an area incase a helicopter had to land.Instead, Corporal Barns-dale’s body was carried bytwo of his friends, on astretcher under a camou-flaged plastic poncho, to anarmoured ambulance thathad arrived at the scenewithin minutes. “He was areally brilliant bloke,” saidSapper Simon Kerr, 22.“Top-notch. Just write thatand youwon’t gowrong.”
Final, fatal step of ‘a really brilliant bloke’
Soldiers from a Royal Engineers high-assurance search team after the loss of Corporal David Barnsdale, who was killed in an explosion on Tuesday morning
Another young life waslost in a blinding flashand terrifying roar.Jerome Starkeywaswith himonthe battlefield
Corporal Barnsdalediedwhile checkinga Talebanminefield
PAKISTAN
TAJIKISTAN
AFGHANISTAN
IRAN Gereshk
Helmandprovince
KabulHerat
100 miles
PHOTOGRAPHS: JEROME STARKEY FOR THE TIMES
