Bosnia Herzegovina 1992-1993

In 1992 I deployed as a platoon commander with the first British unit to deploy to Bosnia Herzegovina - The 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment. All images taken with a 35mm Olympus OM1 camera / 50mm lens. These images still need sorting / captioning.

Pre-deployment training in Germany, autumn '92.

Captain Matthew Dundas-Whatley cleaning down his warrior after a day on the ranges.

The warriors, painted green for their conventional role were re-painted white for the UN tour.

Soldiers from 8 Platoon stop to pose for a photo whilst they look over a destroyed spartan armoured vehicle

My platoon (8 Platoon) emerging from the Vareš tunnel.

Private Herbert had a dry sense of humour but he was one of the most reliable and capable private soldiers in 8 Platoon.

My warrior - waiting for the Royal Elctrical and Mechanical Engineers to drag us out of a snowy ditch!

... and here we go!

Racing accross the front lines on 'Operation Cabinet'

Corporal Mckinney stands in the turret of Charlie 21in the village of Memici on Operation Cabinet around Christmas 1992. Shortly afterwards I had to order him not to respond to incoming machine gun fire as I considered that he was safe enough inside the warrior and I was more concerned that a response would needlessly escalate the situation.

The union flag flies above my 22nd Regiment pennant on the antenna of my warrior armoured fighting vehicle 'Charlie Two Zero' as we race through the beautiful Bosnian countryside in the winter of '92 / '93

Approaching the village of Memici having just crossed the front lines - a tense time with weapons ready as we arrive at the Serb positions.

Sadly, not an uncommon sight in Bosnia - homes being burned by hostile militia.

One of several 'dug-out' positions we would pass regularly.

Chatting with Kate Adie and Private Latham in front of my command vehicle during the Srebrenica airlift - waiting to receive civilian casualties at Tuzla Airfield.

Me in my corner of the lieutenants' accommodation at Kladanj fibreglass factory.

LCpl Stone and Pte Pennington.

Approaching Memici (I think) on Operation Cabinet.

LCpl Stone amusing the locals (and us)!

Lt Justin Freeland's scimitar armoured reconnaissance vehicle dashes back from a forward position where he has just been wounded by artillery fire.

My company commander, Phil Jenkins, negotiates with local soldiers

The fuel station just outside Vitez School camp - where all of the armoured vehicles were re-fuelled.

With no internet, TV or telephones we made our own entertainment - here singing with Platoon Sergeant "Smudge' Smith, Lt 'Otter' Bellis, Company Sergeant Major 'Blue' Reesand Lt Justin Freeland - later to become the first British soldier wounded in Bosnia when some shrapnel entered his upper arm. Lt 'Micky' Murdoch accompanied us on the guitar (off shot)

Micky Murdoch accompanies us whilst we sing in the lieutenants accommodation - a former office in a fibreglass factory.

8 Platoon's Gunnery Sergeant - Taff Edwards

Ambulances, lorries and flat bed trucks wait to accept injured civilians from the shelling of Srebrenica at Tuzla Airfield - late 1992

The remains of a Un vehicle that came off one of the rather precarious bridges.

Private Warrington - the primary driver of my command vehicle.

Gunfire (black tea and rum) is served to the troops on Christmas morning 1992.

My badly damaged warrior being back- loaded after we slid off an icy mountain track and ended up upside down in a frozen river bed (see following image).

Soldiers from 8 Platoon salvage anything they can from my damaged [first] warrior prior to recovery by the superb REME guys who operated alongside us.

The local fighters came up with imaginative solutions!

8 Platoon lads playing with their adopted Alsatian pups and keeping themselves warm at Kladanj fibreglass factory around Christmas 1992.

Cpl McKinny supervises the cleaning of a Rarden canon - a regular chore for the troops.

The Tank Park at Vitez School - late 1992

Patrol to Breza Coal Yard

Private Pennington peers out of a hole made by a shell that was fired at us but which, thankfully missed. The next round hit a lorry parked next to us (see following photo).

Lorry hit by HE (high explosive) round at Breza Coal Yard. No giant explosion like on the movies but it took out his rear wheels / tyres and rendered his truck inn-operable.

Breza Coal Yard

Me (on the left) relaxing with the lads on a break from patrolling.

Major Alan Abraham, Officer Commanding the attached B Squadron, the 9/12 Lancers.

It was always a nervous experience squeezing 36 tonnes of armoured fighting vehicle over old bridges.

As we pass a 9/12 Lancers patrol coming from the opposite direction you can see the difference in size between the warriors (left) and the scimitar recce vehicles.

Vitez tented accommodation early in the tour.

I pose for a photo at Sarajevo Airport

Sarajevo Airfield

The French Foreign Legion at Sarajevo Airfield

Moments before this photo was taken I was in the open observing a mortar attack on the far side of the airfield. A short burst of machine gun fire over my head had me sprinting for cover. At this point I am crouching tensely with Corporal Latham and Sergeant Smith.

Sarajevo Airfield

Meeting the locals