Op GRANBY - 25 Years Ago

[Bad CO]

Well just over as the air war kicked off in the early hours of 17 Jan 1991. I remember it extremely vividly watching 'shock and awe' from the comfort of the sofa in various messes!

The BBC has an interesting retrospective on their website suggesting that it was the last war of its kind. Well who am I to criticise the BBC but I feel that force on force in conventional conflict hasn't quite disappeared. I can't imagine anyone will be daft enough to take on the US again in that manner for a while but there have been plenty of other countries who seemed to have managed ok (Russia versus Georgia for example).

 

[Bubbles_Barker]

On that day (night) I was sat in Bn HQ in Bomoen Camp grinding my teeth.................

 

[greyfergie]

Bleeding hell, where does the time go?

 

[skid2]

I was on my way out the door.
'Skid2, phone'
'Oh good you're still there, don't go home for a while yet'
I didn't.

 

[tiger stacker]

The joy of primary school where all the news showed tanks tanks and Salmon shaded Jags & Tonkas
I got my XV tee signed by John Peters at Leuchars later, thinking the man was a hero.

 

[Old Nig]

I remember watching Shock and Awe on the telly in barracks, a few days later was on a tri star to go and play my small part in a big event.

I don't have any horror stories, or sob stories, I was 20 (and therefore indestructible) and I quite enjoyed the experience.

Glad I went, glad I'll never have to go again!

 

[06FA56Paderborn]

I was on a flight to Hong Kong when the air war started, the first we knew about it was when the pilot told us we would be a little late landing as we had be rerouted around the exclusion zone when in flight.

On return to UK spent the next few weeks wondering why all sorts of people were being lifted from their jobs to fill slots in various ad hoc orbats when they had no obvious specialist skills, whilst I was told that despite being a colloquial arabic speaker, NBC (as it was then) Operational Advisor recent experience in an Armd Bde HQ as an SO3 that I was not qualified to fill any of the slots they had manufactured, strange old world.

 

[Uglyfatgit]

25 years ago, I can't believe how time has flown. For those who servered in 57 Bhurtpore Bty, 32 Heavy Regt RA -we didn't know how things would work out, but we stood fast and did our duty. Regards.

 

[FORMER_FYRDMAN]

Spent the first one wishing I'd stayed in. Spent the second one wishing I'd stayed out.

What's really shaking for folk like me is when I meet some of the youth of today and realise that they've been born further from Desert Storm (and the Falklands) than I was from World War Two.

 

[bumgrapes]

Spent the first one wishing I'd stayed in. Spent the second one wishing I'd stayed out.

What's really shaking for folk like me is when I meet some of the youth of today and realise that they've been born further from Desert Storm (and the Falklands) than I was from World War Two.

Soon it will be 50 years. Life is but a flash...

 

[CanteenCowboy]

Well I watched it all in between patrols from NHSM getting soaking wet, as is the norm in Norn Iron. And yes we were fast balled to replace a unit which went out to the War.

 

[Draft Dodger]

Well I watched it on telly and thought it looked ace.

 

[philc]

Pissed up in a nightclub down West London, back to work and spent the night/morning on the phone to Jurnos and snappers pulling their hair out trying to send copy and images to the news desks. Looked impressive, not my idea of fun though all that running around in NBC kit.

 

[Grey_Mafia65]

I'd got out in Sept 1990, around December time I came home from work to a letter with HMSO on the envelope. Joked to my husband as I opened it "oh this will be them wanting me to rejoin"... it was a letter asking me to state what my trade had been (which puzzled me, surely they knew?) and if any personal circumstances prevented me from being recalled.

Unfortunately they didn't feel the need for any more combat typists.

 

[hackle]

I wrote the log entry at 1xx Main beginning with the report that x missiles were on their way. One of my oppos was on his 48 hrs R&R back in Al Jubail, much of which he spent in 3R.

 

[engee]

I was asleep on the back decks of my tank when the guy on stag, bless him, woke everyone up to let us know. I think I just went back to sleep.

Certainly doesn't feel like 25yrs ago.

 

[Tinman74]

Was studying for my GCSE's little did I know I'd be there in 2003.

 

[ADBO]

I was Duty clerk at 16 AD Regt in Kirton in Lindsey and rather grandly wrote "war has been declared" in the Duty book. I was gagging to get out there - I was 24 and also indestructible. Unfortunately, I had to go on a 9 month UN tour in Cyprus...

 

[Anglesey red]

I was on my B2 Rad ops course in Leconfield. One of the instructors came in and askerd who were from 1 ADTR. Four of us put our hands up. He said "Get your desert wellies on guys, youre flying back to Germany tomorrow"

That was that. Flew out in september 90 for 7 months.

Great experiance. Went there a boy and came back still a boy

 

[jimmys_best_mate]

I was in primary school. Remember my Dad coming home off night shift as we were getting up and telling us the war had started.

I think all the sexy videos of guided weapons blowing things up were what decided for me that I had to join up when I was older.