46 Miles by Jarra Brown

Author:Jarra Brown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Wootton Bassett, Jarra Brown, Afghanistan, Iraq, Repatriation, RAF, Army, Navy, RAF Lyneham
ISBN: 9781908336347
Publisher: Andrews UK Limited 2015
Published: 2015-06-24T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

It truly was once again an awful summer as the harrowing news of each loss of life rippled throughout each community connected with this conflict. The fear of so many who had loved ones out in Afghanistan grew; praying they would not be the next to receive that knock on the door.

As towns and communities came to Bassett to show their respects, so did many of the wives from their military estates, sometimes arriving as a group on a coach just as the wives did from Taunton.

There is no tighter community than that of a military family unit, particularly during the time when their men were overseas in conflict; those women stood in support of their sisters. The wives of those at Norton Manor, Taunton, were no different to the wives living on other military estates, be them Army, Royal Navy, or Royal Air Force, they each had their own network of support for each other.

Thirty-six more times during the months of June and July that summer those communities and families activated their own networks of support.

The phone calls from Katherine were frequent: ‘Prepare for Op Pabbay’ and sadly more often than not, it was for multiple losses.

I recall Monday 21 June, the initial call from Katherine when Royal Marine Paul Warren had been killed; by the 23 rd, two days later, the number returning had risen to seven.

Seven more lives lost and the tsunami of devastation affected thousands more people across our country.

It was a difficult time to try and remove the fear floating in their heads when their loved ones were deployed. Although these people were resilient and if there were to be good times, then they would grab them with both hands, tightly.

Amy Tardelli Brown, a newlywed young lady, was certainly planning to do just that as confirmation had reached her that her husband Adam was soon to be home for his two weeks R&R - the military slang for rest and recuperation. If only there was a magic tablet to close the mind down and forget what horrific scenes those on this deployment had witnessed. I am sure each returning member of Her Majesties Forces would sign up for that particular prescription so they could unwind and relax for two weeks with their families.

As that wonderful day of expectation came around Adam was at Camp Bastion loitering with intent, desperately craving to get home to his beautiful wife and spend some quality time with his parents, brothers Stephen and James, along with his sister Laura; even the in-laws, he got on famously with John and Susie.

The excitement that is felt when you are due home is a personal experience. During my military career it was like being a four-year-old child waking up on Christmas morning; it almost made going away worth it for the feeling it provoked on coming home.

So there he stood, the excitement starting to build, when one of his bosses pulls him to one side. ‘Darbs has been killed,’ he was told, referring to Sergeant Steven Darbyshire.

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