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April 2, 2003, The Daily Mail Red hackles rise as the Black Watch stride out Gethin Chamberlain From Gethin Chamberlain of The Scotsman, with the Black Watch near Basra TAM O'SHANTER on his head, pistol in his belt, Lieutenant Colonel Mike Riddell-Webster, commanding officer of the Black Watch, is striding ahead through the crowded market place in the centre of the town of Az Zubayr. Yesterday, this street was considered too dangerous to drive down, but the 42-year-old CO, pictured above, has decided that enough is enough. After days of watching his troops come under attack from militiamen armed with mortars, AK47s and rocketpropelled grenades, he has decided that he and his men are not going to hide behind the safety of the armoured plates of their Warriors any longer. The order has gone out that the Black Watch is going to patrol the streets of Az Zubayr on foot. The dozen or so officers and men chosen to accompany him have been told they can keep their helmets on if they wish, but he will be donning his 'To-S' with the regiment's distinctive red hackle. It is 8am and already the town is teeming. Men stand in huddles, women carry empty plastic containers to where the water bowsers park. There are children everywhere. Out stride the British officers, the CO in the lead, chatting to the man by his side, divisional staff officer Lt Col Roger Warren, a fluent Arabic speaker. They head for the blue-domed mosque, past where the mortars fell and scattered the crowd gathered for the first attempt to distribute aid last week, heading straight for the centre of town. The locals look up, bemused, as they approach, but the CO does not break his stride. Hand outstretched, he greets the first wary Iraqis. The CO listens as Lt Col Warren addresses the crowd. They are not there to hurt anyone, he tells them, they are there to help. The crowd is growing, eager to see these strange foreign soldiers in their unfamiliar hats who have appeared in their town and driven out the other army. Now the crowd has found its voice. They all talk at once, gesturing with their hands, pointing to their mouths. Water is the most important thing. It is coming soon, the CO assures them. The men jabber again. The electricity is broken, they say. A team of engineers is on its way to fix it, the CO replies. He wants to know if there are any water engineers in the crowd. An angry man with a huge moustache pushes to the front. People have been taken prisoner by the British, he says. The British are too aggressive, with their tanks and their guns. The people are afraid of the troops. The boss of the water engineers is afraid of the British, he is afraid to come out. Everyone is desperate for water. The CO tries again. There is no need to be afraid. The old regime is not coming back. We are here to stay, he says. They have had a difficult regime for 30 years, but now it is gone. The CO walks on. This is the street where D Company faced a real battle, being hit with rocket-propelled grenades from all sides. It is not so surprising there was some damage. They want compensation, but that's not the game he's in, he tells them. When they last drove down the street, many shops were still closed, but now they are open again, life is returning to normal. The CO walks on, past more people clamouring for water. Finally, they are at the end of the street. The crowd is drifting away. The CO turns to survey the town and says: 'Water is everything now. It is win or lose in this town. We are going to win or lose this by getting them water.' Meanwhile, the CO's wife, Sarah Riddell- Webster, was saying how immensely proud she was of her husband. From her home at the regiment's base in Germany, Mrs Riddell-Webster, 40, said: 'He has been a soldier for 20 years and I know this will be the high point of his Army career. 'He is extremely proud of the fact he is the commanding officer of the Black Watch. This will have been a defining moment for him. It's so very typical of him to go striding in, proudly wearing his Tam O'Shanter. 'The last time I spoke to him was on March 19. We have had very little news, so it is a great relief to hear he is well.'
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................................................................................................................. Copyright ©2004 Gethin Chamberlain. All rights reserved. |
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