Owen Sheers: The Two Worlds of Charlie F

SPR John Philips.

Aged thirty-seven.

9 Parachute Squadron, Royal Engineers.

Injured on Herrick 8, 2008, Sangin, Afghanistan. Shot through the right knee by a sniper whilst out on routine patrol in Sangin District. The bullet shattered my knee cap. Medevaced to Camp Bastion. Flown back to UK. Rehab at Headley Court. Now categorised as a P3 soldier and working as a recruiting officer for the Army.

Angus534979.

Cpl Angus Watson.

Aged thirty-two.

Coldstream Guards.

Injured on 30th May 2009, Sangin, Afghanistan. Mortar attack. Suffered shrapnel wounds to the stomach and leg. Medevaced to Camp Bastion and transferred to Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham. There for six weeks, three of them in an induced coma. Transferred to Headley Court. Remained for seven months. Suffer from PTSD.

SCENE THREE — JOINING

The soldiers remain in their positions. They begin humming ‘Men of Harlech’. Charlie takes a step forward.

CharlieI joined up for a bet. I saw an advert for the Marines — ‘Ninety-nine point nine per cent need not apply.’ So I applied. I didn’t know what I was getting into. Didn’t have a clue. But when they told me it was the hardest training in the world, there was no fucking way I was going to quit, was there?

As each soldier speaks they also take a step/wheel forward.

DanielMy father was in the Army so I tried to stay out of it, to be honest. I was working in Tesco’s when I read an article about Sandhurst being short of officers.

RogerWell, the Gulf War had kicked off, hadn’t it? Everyone wanted a gun. I wanted a gun. My father-in-law had been giving me grief — telling me I couldn’t handle it. So I joined. That fucking showed him.

DarrenFamily tradition. My father was artillery, my uncle’s artillery, my great-great-grandfather was artillery. Even my nan was an ack-ack gunner.

FrankWhen I saw the Twin Towers go down, well, I thought I wanted to be part of it, you know, help sort it out. I was a bricklayer at the time but we’d had a hard couple of winters and we had our son on the way. So yeah, I joined for my family too.

LeroyI can’t remember the Twin Towers. I was ten years old when that happened. In my family, though, every male has to serve in the Army. I joined as soon as I could, when I was sixteen. My mother wanted me to wait. She’d already lost two of my brothers. One in the Falklands, another in the Gulf.

ChrisI wanted to be a copper, but my dad said coppers don’t have no mates, so we went down the careers and I joined the Army instead. Coldstream Guards. My dad was dead proud.

AliHis dad was right. Coppers don’t have no mates. My grandfather said I’d never amount to anything. When he died I joined up. When I passed out and saw the look on my mum’s face I thought great, two birds, one stone. I made my grandad proud and my mum don’t think I’m a knobhead anymore.

RichardI just always wanted to. Ever since my older brother gave me this tank you built yourself. I was always running round the woods, that kind of thing. I loved those films too — The Longest Day, Zulu. I signed up when I was sixteen. The Paras. My mum was concerned, of course she was. But she’s always supported me. Always.

MarcIt was the only thing that would swallow my energy. They didn’t get me at school, ADHD and all that.

DaveEvery man in my family’s served. Every one. Crimea, Boer War, World War One, World War Two. I was born with my fists out. You know Psalm 144? I got it on my back — ‘Blessed be the Lord, my strength, which teaches my hands to war and my fingers to fight.’

BeckyI got a scholarship to Sandhurst in the sixth form. I just wanted to do something different.

JohnIt was a way out, to be honest. I had an attitude problem. And a temper. Was either the Army or the other way, if you know what I mean. The police and my parents pushed me in. This bloke had stabbed my best friend. Me and a few mates were on the way to his house. To sort him out.

AngusI’d split up with my girlfriend, so, yeah, I thought let’s do it. Let’s have some. Iraq had just kicked off so there was no better time to join, was there? It’s about security, too. I mean for me, my family. Stability.

The Soldiers remain in their final positions.

SCENE FOUR — RECRUITMENT

Three women enter: Frank’s girlfriend Michelle, Richard’s mother Tracy and Charlie’s fiancée Lauren.

MichelleHe said he was doing it for all of us, our future. And I still believe him. He was. We had our Liam on the way and, well, we needed the money. So yeah, of course I supported him.

TracyMy husband, his step-dad, he was in the Army. So, yeah, I know what it’s like. What they’re like. And I know he’s always wanted to join, from when he was little.

LaurenWe met two weeks before he went for his basic training. I was working in a pub. He had to have three shots of tequila before he had the courage to ask me out. He was full of it, even then.

MichelleHe really wanted to do something. He wanted to make a difference. And he did, I’m sure of it. There was just so much we didn’t know, wasn’t there? About what it was going to be like. When he went away. Afterwards.

TracyBut, at the end of the day he’s my son, isn’t he? He’s my baby. I’d never stop him, but, well, it’s hard, yeah, it is. Seeing your boy go off like that.

LaurenI could see straight away there was no way he wouldn’t go. And I was never going to ask him to choose, was I? I mean, who wants to hear they come second?

A single spotlight upstage discovers Simi. She begins walking downstage, singing a gospel song to the tune of ‘His Eyes on the Sparrow’.

Simi

I sing because I’m happy

I sing because I’m free

For his eyes are over all of us

And I know he’s watching me.

The other women exit.

SimiWhen I was seven I had a dream. I was going to live where the Queen lived. And I was going to be a soldier.

I’d seen her when she came to visit on Independence Day. All of us were lining the streets of San Fernando, waving. And she waved back. She had a pink hat, and a matching suit. And as she waved I was shouting, ‘I’m going to live where you live! I’m going to live where you live!’

And then I had my dream. I told my mother about it while she was combing my hair.

Young Simi enters and kneels in front of Simi, who begins combing her hair.

Young SimiThere were four of us, four girls. My mother kept forgetting our names, so in the mornings when she was getting us ready for school, she numbered us instead, one to four. I was number three.

Beat.

Mummy?

Simi( as her mother ) Keep your head still, child!

Young SimiI had a dream last night.

Simi( as her mother ) You always dreaming some stupidness!

Young SimiNo, Mum! This is a good one.

Simi( as her mother ) You always say it’s a good one. Go on then. What is it?

Young SimiI dreamt I was a soldier and I lived where the Queen lives.

Simi( as her mother ) Where the Queen lives? Where the Queen lives? I told you it was a stupid dream! You know where the Queen lives?

Young SimiNo.