Ed Macy - Apache

arrival at 12, 15–17

Christmas in 183–6

conditions 14, 18

descent into 12

front gate 162, 163

hospital 148

role of 12

security 162

surrounding landscape 15–16

Taliban observation of 162

Tony Blair visits 127–34

VIP visits 127–34, 191

Carl (Ewok) 109, 110, 111, 186, 187, 190

Blair visit to Camp Bastion and 127, 128

callsign 47, 100, 101

Electronic Warfare Officer 138–9

familiarisation flight 59, 60

Gereshk 71, 72, 74, 85, 87, 90, 91, 100, 101

joins Australian Army 354

Kajaki 113, 115, 116–17, 120, 121, 125, 126

Operation Glacier (Garmsir) 148, 158

Operation Glacier (Koshtay) 199, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 210, 211, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 219, 220, 221, 223, 224, 227, 228, 230, 231–2

Operation Glacier (Jugroom Fort) 244, 246, 248, 251, 253, 254, 255, 256, 257, 258, 259, 260, 261, 263–4, 265, 266, 267, 268–9, 270, 271, 273, 276, 277, 279, 280, 282, 283, 284, 286, 287, 288, 290, 291, 292, 293, 294, 295, 299, 300, 302, 303, 308, 310, 311, 313, 315, 317–18, 319, 322, 323, 325, 326, 327, 330, 332, 333, 338, 339

pilot, experience as a 46

promotion 353

Charlotte 97–8, 101, 102, 129, 166, 169, 170, 172–3, 175, 177, 178, 180, 183–4, 185, 236, 238–9, 241, 250, 262, 264, 278, 285, 289, 291, 299, 305, 309, 311, 312, 316, 320, 21, 334, 335, 353

CIA 135, 196

Cold War 29, 38, 112

Daily Mirror 181–2

Dannatt, Sir Richard 191–3, 233

DGSE 196

Dunn, Tom Newton 102

Elizabeth II, Queen 351–2

Elphinstone, General 65

Falklands War 26

Ford, Joan 348, 349

Ford, Lance Corporal Mathew 250, 252, 253–65, 266, 268–9, 270, 271, 272–4, 276, 277, 278, 279–83, 285, 286, 291, 292, 294–5, 296–301, 302, 303, 304, 310, 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316, 317, 318, 320, 321, 322, 324, 329, 333, 335, 336–7, 338, 341, 343–5, 347, 348–50

Forward Operating Base Dwyer 193

Forward Operating Base Robinson 136, 187

Fraser-Perry, Chris 276, 281, 282, 283, 285, 286, 292, 294, 295, 296, 297, 298, 299, 300, 313

Garmsir 93, 94, 104, 110, 112, 143–50, 151, 152–61, 193, 194–9, 226, 233, 239, 244, 342, 345, 346–7

GCHQ 154,196,342

Geordie (Vidal) 110, 190, 192

callsign 100–1

character 102–3, 111

Blair visit to Camp Bastion and 129, 130, 133

Operation Glacier (Koshtay) 201, 233

Operation Glacier (Jugroom Fort) 242, 244, 245, 248, 253, 258, 259, 263, 264, 267, 269, 270, 273, 276, 277, 281, 282, 283, 286, 290, 291, 292, 293, 294, 298, 300, 302, 308–9, 310, 311, 312, 316, 318, 319, 323, 326–7, 330, 332, 333, 336, 339, 341, 350, 351, 352, 353

Gereshk 20, 63, 69, 70, 73, 85, 96, 104

Green Zone, Helmand 4, 63, 64, 69, 70, 71, 94, 106, 112, 116, 121, 136, 143, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 181, 196, 203, 212, 226, 227, 239, 252

Gulf War, First 8, 31–2

Hambly, Corporal 53, 56

Harry, Prince 346

Hashmi, Jabron 68

Hearn, Sergeant Major Colin 275–6, 280, 282, 286, 303, 304, 306, 307, 309, 312, 341

Helmand province:

British Army history in 65, 166–7

conditions in 14, 181

Dasht-e-Margo (Desert of Death) (GAFA) 16, 64, 202, 203, 205, 206, 239, 241, 246

landscape 15–16, 63, 64–5

opium trade in 1–2, 19, 20, 63, 68, 82–4, 94, 96, 155, 284

population 63–4

Red Desert 64–5, 156

size of 21

Taliban strength in 21

winter in 181

see also under individual area

Helmand River 4, 143, 198, 203, 239, 291, 315, 342

Hussein, Saddam 8

IRA 26

Iran 204

Iraq 21, 32, 96–7, 128, 191

ISI 196

James, Major Christopher (‘Boss’) (Trigger) 46, 93, 105, 111, 163, 185, 187, 188

Apache pilot, experience as 15, 17

Blair visit to Camp Bastion and 127, 130, 131, 132

callsign 47–8, 99–100, 102, 104

Camp Bastion, arrival in 11–12

character 14–15

Crew Rest Periods, enforces 108, 109, 190

familiarisation flight 53, 56, 58, 59, 59, 61, 63, 64, 66–7, 69

Gereshk 71, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 86, 90

Kajaki 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 164–5

Maiwand 167–8

Now Zad 171–2, 173, 175, 176–7, 178, 179, 180

Operation Glacier (Garmsir) 145, 146, 147, 149, 157, 158

Operation Glacier (Koshtay) 191, 192, 197, 199, 200, 202, 203, 206, 208, 211, 212, 213, 216, 217, 218, 220, 221, 225, 227, 228, 230, 231, 232, 233, 237

Operation Glacier (Jugroom Fort) 239, 242, 254, 261, 263, 277, 324, 325, 326, 327, 330, 332, 334, 342

664 squadron, handover with 13

third tour of Afghanistan 353

Jim (FOG) 103–4, 108, 109, 113, 166, 183, 185, 238–9, 241, 250, 271, 285, 287, 289, 3–6, 307, 316, 333, 334, 353

John 13–14, 19

Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) 56, 69, 71, 73, 119, 120, 125, 145, 147, 151, 156, 164, 167, 168, 169, 180, 198, 209, 224, 227, 233, 234, 238, 245, 247, 249, 252, 254, 255, 258, 260, 263, 268, 269, 270, 272, 273, 275, 278, 284, 291, 297, 346

Jugroom Fort 239–345

Kabul 46

Kajaki 20, 63, 69, 80, 112, 164, 165, 170, 186

Arnhem 118, 119, 125–6

dam 112–13, 236

Falcon 118, 119, 120, 164, 165

missions in and around 115–26, 137

Shrine 118, 120, 122, 123, 124, 125, 164

Kandahar 11, 15, 19, 20, 21, 23, 44, 46, 64, 80, 82, 93, 96, 107, 122, 129, 153, 162, 163, 167, 170, 196, 237, 242, 261, 278, 279, 342

Airfield 9, 16, 44, 107

Karzai, Hamid 19, 128

Koshtay 196, 197, 199, 201, 202, 206–25, 226–36, 237, 347

Laden, Osama bin 65

Lashkar Gah 12, 15, 93, 96, 111, 115, 187, 198, 235, 238, 263, 279

Lewis, Bootsy 348

Macy, Ed (Elton)

Army Air Corps, joins 27

bicycle accident 27

birth 24

childhood 24–5

concern for life 23, 40–1

day pattern 104–9

family 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 37, 41, 108, 185, 188–9, 204, 322, 326, 341, 347, 352

fights 26

first tour in Afghanistan 12, 22–3, 39–41, 101, 107

killing the enemy, feelings after 81–2

leaves army 353

life after army 354

MC 350–2

mistakes 77–8, 79, 90–1, 104

Northern Ireland tour 23, 95, 163

operations see under individual operation name

Para 23, 26–7

retirement from army, failed attempt at 12–13

SAS, trains for selection process 26–7

school 24–5

second tour of Afghanistan, deployment to 11–19

training, Apache 17, 34–9, 101

Macy, Emily 28, 29, 37, 41, 52, 108, 185, 188–9, 204, 322, 326, 341, 347

Macy, Greg (brother) 24–5

Magowan, Lieutenant Colonel Rob 94, 144, 151, 152, 153–4, 194, 198, 234, 241, 250, 254, 263, 272, 273, 275–6, 277, 282, 283, 331, 333, 342, 346, 350

Maiwand 166–7

MI6 136, 154, 196

Ministry of Defence (MoD) 34, 42, 46, 202, 262, 341, 345, 354

Mohammed, Mullah Fahir 235

Musa Qa’leh 20, 21

Musharraf, Pervez 128

NATO 19, 20, 21

Nick (Bonnie) 101–2, 107, 129, 166, 170, 171, 183, 185, 200, 238–9, 241, 242, 245, 249, 250, 254, 262, 264, 271, 277, 278, 285, 289, 303, 305, 306, 311, 316, 349, 350, 351, 352, 353

Nimruz 19, 20, 155

9/11 97

Northern Ireland 26, 95, 163

Now Zad 20, 40, 63, 80, 112, 138, 170, 171, 175, 179, 180, 187, 192

NSA 196

Omar, Mullah 82

Operation Anthracite 94

Operation Glacier:

Garmsir 143–61

Glacier 1 196, 198, 206–25, 226–36

Glacier 2 238–49, 338

Glacier 3 346

Glacier 4 346

Glacier 5 196, 346

Jugroom Fort 239–351

Koshtay 194–237, 238, 239

Operation Herrick 20, 92, 93–4

Operation Just Cause 31

Operation Steve–O 171–80

opium trade 1–2, 19, 20, 63, 68, 82–4, 94, 96, 155, 284