Land, Sea & Air - Stories from the Armed Forces – Details, episodes & analysis

Nick Denning gives us an insight into his life and responsibilities as a very new Platoon Commander in Helmand Province.

“It was all a very rapid, flash-to-bang experience getting there…You want to feel worn-in and seasoned and up-to-speed as quickly as you can…You wait for your first patrol, your first contact with the enemy, your first engagement with the local nationals…There was just this huge sense of ‘This is it’…I knew from the start I had a very strong command team…We spent the first third of the tour in Nauzad…the latter 2/3 in Sangin…We did patrol and counter-insurgency. We also took part in a number of Company level, Battle Group level and Brigade level operations, where a concerted, deliberate offensive was mounted.”

We hear about the impact of sustaining fatalities and surreal realities of war, “The most bizarre thing, it started raining… We were just sat there in the middle of the desert, and I just remember feeling absolutely empty… And then the show has to go on.”

Nick also describes his respect for his soldiers, “They just got on with these tasks…the exertion was incredible…I think 53 was the highest temperature we experienced…and just the quiet grit they had will stay with me forever.”

Did you serve in Afghanistan or Iraq?

In order to better understand the wellbeing of Afghanistan & Iraq Veterans with which we work, we're asking you to answer a few short questions.

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.

To find out more contact us.

Liz McConaghy “amassed 10 Op Herricks”, deployed three months at a time as part of the Chinook Force...

“We were there at the beginning of Op Herrick…when Camp Bastion didn’t even exist… and we were there, pretty much at the end, when we turned the lights off and walked away. Because of that, we saw the whole campaign grow and develop. Lots of mixed emotions throughout the entire journey.”

Liz joined the military to, “...have a purpose and do a job and it’s fair to say, Afghanistan gave me that in bucket loads. Every single day…we were making a difference to someone.”

Finally in 2020, PTSD,  “Caught up with me in spectacular fashion…so much that I ended up taking a huge overdose to end my life.”

Liz is a real ‘overcomer’. She’s written a book about her journey and it’s from the heart, told with real honesty and absolutely tons of humour.

“It was my life, it wasn’t even a job to me.”

Read Liz's book Chinook Crew 'Chick'.

Did you serve in Afghanistan or Iraq?

In order to better understand the wellbeing of Afghanistan & Iraq Veterans with which we work, we're asking you to answer a few short questions.

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.

To find out more contact us.

Neville Johnson left South Africa and joined the British Army in 2003.

After basic training, he joined the 2nd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers on a cease-fire tour in Belfast, “Those first couple of weeks were a big eye opener for me, definitely paved the way for future operations…”

Neville deployed to Basra in 2005 and 2006, duties including night and daytime patrols, working with special forces units or the parachute regiment during raids, apprehending personnel of interest, long hours in the heat with threats of “...indirect fire on our base…it was the start of the roadside bombs.”

He then deployed to Afghanistan, “Afghan was different. It was full-on war fighting.”

“We got attacked every day…numerous times, all at the same time from different directions, small arms fire, sniper fire, RBG mortar rounds. We knew it was going to be hot, flying-in it was full-on.”

“You're always on alert. You're never fully relaxed. The feeling of knowing someone is there to attack you. The incoming rounds. The sound. The feeling is difficult to explain. The fear, it's horrible…Everyone trained together. We went through it together.”

It wasn't until many years later that Neville felt the impact on his mental health. He doesn’t usually talk about his deployments, even with family, but he found a way through writing poems and putting them out on social media, “...for the world to see, to dissect, was way out of my comfort zone….but getting that release, it's amazing.”

Soldiers from the Commonwealth play a vital role in the British Armed Forces and Neville is testament to this. His poems have now been published and despite being shy, he reads some of them out to us which is incredibly moving and powerful.

Follow Neville on Instagram

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.

To find out more contact us.

We meet Sarah Davis, Army Air Corps Ground Crew, one of the pioneering women deployed to the frontline during Op Telic 1.

Having joined-up in 1999, a time when the Armed Forces was going through changes - evolving in terms of equality and a time that would mark the start of several years of military campaigns.

We hear about getting ready to go, “I was kind of craving…doing my bit for Queen and Country…”

As well as operational duties in a combat zone, refuelling and rearming attack helicopters and underslung loads, “You don’t know how good or bad your unit is until you actually go to war.”

We also hear about the impact on loved ones back home, “I promised on this call, ‘Mum, I promise I’m never going to do this to you again.’”

To top it all, Sarah spins a few cracking dits highlighting the critical role of morale, listen out for the Union Flag pants.

Sarah is now involved with several military charities to help Veterans who are struggling, “we don’t want to leave anyone behind.”

Follow Sarah on Instagram

Links to organisations mentioned in this episode:

BFBS
Homes for Veterans
Military Wives Choir
The Rawthey Project
Soldiers Arts Academy

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.

To find out more contact us.

This is Pat Patterson’s story. A Royal Marine Aircrewman with 845 Naval Air Squadron flying Sea King helicopters aka ‘Junglies’, and his wife also served during the war.

Having looked back through his helicopter logbook, he shares with us his experiences of Op Telic 1, as well as his subsequent tours.

We hear about the scale of the operation as well as operational complexities specific to helicopter crews that fly into particularly challenging environments,

“It was a bit more dangerous going the second or third time to Iraq…” 

Being an incidence response team, the crew were involved in insurgency situations as well as casualty evacuation.

They encountered the hazards of flying at night, ‘brown outs’ flying in desert conditions and the helicopters became ‘bullet magnets’ for small arms, RPG rocket launchers and surface to air missiles. 

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.

To find out more contact us.

We hear from Andy Merry, 40 Commando, who Served during Op Telic and whose mum marched in the anti-war protests.

Andy was first in to the Al-Faw Peninsula with the US Navy SEALs to capture strategic targets. 

This is his personal account of his experiences and he talks about the realities of war, which includes details of injury and death. 

If you feel that you might find this challenging, you may prefer not to listen.

We also hear about Andy’s life after war. He’s now a ‘Beefeater’ at the Tower of London and has Multiple Sclerosis.

Andy embraces the spirit of The Corps, acceptance of challenge and positivity in the face of adversity.

Watch this short film to see how the RMA – The Royal Marines Charity were able to support Andy.

Please support the MS Trust and The Royal Marines Charity

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.

To find out more contact us.

“They…took my husband through our house at gunpoint searching for 'the enemy', as they called them.” Falkland Islander, Carol Phillips, had 3 small children in 1982, “My first thought was…'Are they going to…machine gun us all down?’” The task force had 8,000 miles to sail, “Perhaps we would all be dead by the time they got here?…My Dad…kept saying, 'Don't let them see you're scared…The British Bulldogs are on their way.'” 

Fighting started, “…to lose all those young men…it really was a nightmare.” But locals were courageous, “…we made a list of places around us…named them after…places in Britain like Cardiff, Liverpool…put our little antenna onto my broomstick and set up the CB…we were threatened we'd be imprisoned if we used radios…if we saw Argentine helicopters…we’d poke the broom out the window and say, 'Visitors at Liverpool.’” 

Liberation was bitter-sweet, “We were relieved…lost too many people for celebrations” and danger remained, “…ammunition…no water, electricity…On the radio, ‘…Argentines left upturned cups on top of saucers…call the EOD some have hand grenades under, some human excrement…'” 

255 British Servicemen and 3 female Falkland Islanders died, “That's what I can't forgive. Never will…I feel so guilty for all the people who died for us…We'll be forever grateful for what they’ve done…I just cannot thank them enough.” 

Don’t forget to sign-up to our newsletter and we’ll send you all the latest updates about our podcasts, talks & workshops, direct to your inbox.

Supported by SAMA (82) in collaboration with TheVeteran.UK

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.

To find out more contact us.

“'I'm not going to lose my life…here'…I could just see a picture of my wife and my two boys in my mind thinking, 'No, I'm gonna get out.' That was my motivation.” 

Chris Howe was deep down inside HMS Coventry, D118, “…a dull thud…followed by extreme heat…a flash and a fireball whipping around the Operations Room…we'd been hit…next thing I knew…I'm coming round…my right arm was on fire…water was coming in…fires all around…thick black smoke…I…managed to get up…very badly burned…in a lot of pain…” 

Eventually struggling to the upper deck, “…I remember looking out and seeing this…flotilla of orange life rafts…I slid down the ship's side and into the cold, salty South Atlantic water…picked a life raft and swam…” 

Chris was finally rescued, “…the winch was coming down…finally managed to pull me in to the Sea King…I still hadn't had any pain relief…I remember laying there in this stretcher…thinking, 'What are they going to do with me now?'” 

Chris suffered 27% burns, “…nothing compared to others that sadly lost their lives...there's not a day goes by I don't think about what happened 40 years ago, on 25th of May…about 19 shipmates, that didn't make it. Why didn't they make it? Why did I make it?…that's a sad thing…very sad thing.”


Don’t forget to sign-up to our newsletter and we’ll send you all the latest updates about our podcasts, talks & workshops, direct to your inbox.

Supported by SAMA (82) in collaboration with TheVeteran.UK

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.

To find out more contact us.

“I would happily go to sea with them all over again, cracking bunch of guys, led by a cracking man.” We hear from Mick Dilucia, of HMS Coventry Flight, Coventry’s helicopter team. “The mood was fairly relaxed heading south… none of us believed it was ever going to happen…then Sandy Woodward briefed us… 'Look around amongst us because we might not all go home together…'” 

Mick was on the flightdeck on that fateful day, 25 May 1982, “…the order was given to turn to starboard...and that's when it happened, the bombs came in…they exploded, it was just like we'd been hit by a big wave...but after that…smoke billowing out of the side…the ship started to list almost immediately…I had to climb up the deck and over the guard rails and just slide down the side of the ship into the water and swim to a life raft…that ship was almost turned turtle in 15 minutes…some of the guys, down from the bowels of the ship, got people out that would have gone down with the ship.” 

“From that day onwards, I thought to myself, if I wake up tomorrow morning and I've got another day ahead of me, then it's a bonus because it could so easily have been taken away.” 

Don’t forget to sign-up to our newsletter and we’ll send you all the latest updates about our podcasts, talks & workshops, direct to your inbox.

Supported by SAMA (82) in collaboration with TheVeteran.UK

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.

To find out more contact us.

What was a submarine doing in a war to retake The Falkland Islands? “...the ability to land and recover Special Forces…SAS and SBS, was key.” We hear the fascinating and poignant story of HMS Onyx, the only diesel-electric boat that Served during the war. Submariner, Steve Hussey, was there and shares his unique insight, from beneath the waves, “None of this is done in daylight…surveillance takes place beforehand…if all the conditions are right…getting…as close as you can get these guys and surface them, then it's very quick…open up the submarine and get these guys off…then dive again.” So, discreet and covert operations. How were they recovered? “…getting in contact is the first positive thing because then you know they're actually there…” 

 In stark contrast, towards the end of the war, “…we had the unenviable task of having to sink The Sir Galahad…she had been hit by Argentinian aircraft bombs…and was extremely damaged…with quite a lot of loss of life…and the decision…was to…leave it in The Falklands as a War Grave... Normally, there's…noise in the control room as you're setting-up for an attack…this was nothing like that. This was extremely sombre, very quiet as the orders were given…the CO was on the periscope, so he was the only person who could actually witness it…When the torpedoes were fired, there was just complete silence…” 

Don’t forget to sign-up to our newsletter and we’ll send you all the latest updates about our podcasts, talks & workshops, direct to your inbox.

Supported by SAMA (82) in collaboration with TheVeteran.UK

If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.

Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619


Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.

We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.

Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in Afganistan & Iraq.

To find out more contact us.