Soldiers praised for action over North Africa
British troops involved in Operation Ellamy have taken pride of place alongside their Service colleagues during a homecoming celebration at RAF Waddington.
At the forefront of the confict in Libya were personnel from 4th Regiment, Army Air Corps, who brought the might of the Apache helicopter to the decks of HMS Ocean for the first maritime operations conducted by the fearsome asset.
The crews flew a total of 22 missions, during which 99 hellfire missiles were launched along with 4,800 rounds from the platform’s fearsome 30mm canon.
“We faced a significant threat from surface-to-air missiles and small arms fire,” explained pilot WO1 Jon Lane.
“We came under contact quite frequently and when the enemy attempted to engage us we fought back immediately, destroying their position.
“I have served in both Iraq and Afghanistan but the combat in Libya was much more like traditional warfare. It was low-level flying with a high threat from the ground.
“When you are flying missions such as these it makes you quite proud of the aircraft and how well it can perform in such a tough and complex environment.”
Soldiers from 656 Squadron had been engaged in a maritime training programme as the conflict unfolded and Lt Col Jason Etherington, the regiment’s commanding officer, was delighted with the way they immediately adapted to the challenge.
He said: “They had been away on exercise and were about to prove their capability when the deployment came.
“We did everything from attacking coastal targets to flying 60 kilometres inland to strike at different locations.
“We had to launch with certainty and ensure we were targeting pro-Gaddafi forces. If there was any chance of collateral damage, or if there was a risk to civilians, we were in no doubt about what we should do.”
The Libyan campaign came during a busy spell for the regiment. Read more in December’s magazine.