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| Christmas apart for the Green Howards and their families | Christmas apart for the Green Howards and their families |
| (1 day later) | |
| Newsnight's Mark Urban reports on what Christmas will be like for the 2nd Battalion, the Yorkshire Regiment, 'The Green Howards' in Afghanistan and their loved ones waiting for them at home. | |
| Three months ago Newsnight filmed men of the 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, as they set off for war in Afghanistan. We catch up now on how the soldiers are faring and how their families back in the UK are coping as they prepare for a Christmas apart. | Three months ago Newsnight filmed men of the 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, as they set off for war in Afghanistan. We catch up now on how the soldiers are faring and how their families back in the UK are coping as they prepare for a Christmas apart. |
| Nineteen-year-old Chris Hale is in Afghanistan on his first operational tour. | Nineteen-year-old Chris Hale is in Afghanistan on his first operational tour. |
| Back home his mother Linda has found her own way of coping with the stress of knowing her son is in Sangin, which has the reputation of being the most dangerous place where British troops are operating: | Back home his mother Linda has found her own way of coping with the stress of knowing her son is in Sangin, which has the reputation of being the most dangerous place where British troops are operating: |
| He has slept in my bed since John's gone, he hasn't slept his bed, but that's fine, that's just a comfort thing for him I think, but he misses his dad loads Vicki Switenbank talking about her young son Daniel | He has slept in my bed since John's gone, he hasn't slept his bed, but that's fine, that's just a comfort thing for him I think, but he misses his dad loads Vicki Switenbank talking about her young son Daniel |
| "I've got a clock and I have got the time on the clock, and he's four-and-a-half hours ahead of me, so I get my day over quicker for him. | "I've got a clock and I have got the time on the clock, and he's four-and-a-half hours ahead of me, so I get my day over quicker for him. |
| "So when I get up in the morning it's dinner time. So I put him to bed at night," she explained - adding with a laugh, "he'll not thank me for saying that". | "So when I get up in the morning it's dinner time. So I put him to bed at night," she explained - adding with a laugh, "he'll not thank me for saying that". |
| The story of Britain's campaign in Helmand is one of unknown fire fights, where the fear of those who pull the trigger is often less than that of those who wait at home. | The story of Britain's campaign in Helmand is one of unknown fire fights, where the fear of those who pull the trigger is often less than that of those who wait at home. |
| Sergeant John Swithenbank left behind his wife Vicki and their two little boys, Daniel aged eight and four-year-old Alex. | Sergeant John Swithenbank left behind his wife Vicki and their two little boys, Daniel aged eight and four-year-old Alex. |
| Growing dread | Growing dread |
| It is Daniel, Vicki said, who is suffering the most with their father away: | It is Daniel, Vicki said, who is suffering the most with their father away: |
| "Daniel got really stroppy at first; he was just grumpy and argumentative. Alex isn't really bothered by it I don't think, but with Daniel being that much older and the kids talking about it at school, I think that affects him more. | "Daniel got really stroppy at first; he was just grumpy and argumentative. Alex isn't really bothered by it I don't think, but with Daniel being that much older and the kids talking about it at school, I think that affects him more. |
| Sgt John Swithenbank and Pte James Boland talk about an IED explosion which claimed their Afghan comrade's four limbs and injured young children | |
| "He has slept in my bed since John's gone, he hasn't slept his bed, but that's fine, that's just a comfort thing for him I think, but he misses his dad loads." | "He has slept in my bed since John's gone, he hasn't slept his bed, but that's fine, that's just a comfort thing for him I think, but he misses his dad loads." |
| Hayley Harle's husband Mike is in the same company. | Hayley Harle's husband Mike is in the same company. |
| She said that as the tour progresses she, like many of those waiting at home, have a growing dread that something bad is going to happen: | She said that as the tour progresses she, like many of those waiting at home, have a growing dread that something bad is going to happen: |
| "It's creeping up on us. It's not a nice feeling. Sitting here and wondering | "It's creeping up on us. It's not a nice feeling. Sitting here and wondering |
| "I would give anything for Mike to break his leg and come home. He can recover from it but at least he'd be a home. It's a horrible thing to say and horrible to think, it's not normal. But what is normal? I really don't know anymore." | "I would give anything for Mike to break his leg and come home. He can recover from it but at least he'd be a home. It's a horrible thing to say and horrible to think, it's not normal. But what is normal? I really don't know anymore." |
| Children wounded | Children wounded |
| The men have been split into small teams in half a dozen patrol bases around Sangin. Their job involves mentoring members of the Afghan National Army (ANA). | The men have been split into small teams in half a dozen patrol bases around Sangin. Their job involves mentoring members of the Afghan National Army (ANA). |
| For A Company the biggest challenge in their tour so far came, as is so often the case in Sangin, from a buried bomb or IED. | For A Company the biggest challenge in their tour so far came, as is so often the case in Sangin, from a buried bomb or IED. |
| Hayley talks about how she feels while her husband Mike is in Afghanistan | |
| A patrol was clearing a compound, along with troops from the ANA, when an Afghan soldier triggered a pressure plate IED, causing a large explosion. | A patrol was clearing a compound, along with troops from the ANA, when an Afghan soldier triggered a pressure plate IED, causing a large explosion. |
| Sgt Swithenbank and Private James Boland were the first to reach the badly injured Afghan soldier: | Sgt Swithenbank and Private James Boland were the first to reach the badly injured Afghan soldier: |
| "He was in a bad way - missing both legs, knee down," Sgt Swithenbank said. "One of his arms was shredded in a bad way, the other hand he had lost the top hand." | "He was in a bad way - missing both legs, knee down," Sgt Swithenbank said. "One of his arms was shredded in a bad way, the other hand he had lost the top hand." |
| The soldier lost all four limbs. But he was not the only casualty, while the soldiers were trying to stop his bleeding with tourniquets, some Afghan locals approached. | The soldier lost all four limbs. But he was not the only casualty, while the soldiers were trying to stop his bleeding with tourniquets, some Afghan locals approached. |
| "They had two small boys in a wheelbarrow. They had become casualties through everything that had happen. The first boy, four years old lost one of his legs. The second boy was half his age and he had shrapnel wounds all over his body," Pte Boland recalled. | |
| Shock waves | Shock waves |
| For those at home, what happened on that day in Sangin remained a quiet secret. | For those at home, what happened on that day in Sangin remained a quiet secret. |
| Soldiers from the Green Howards give a tour of the rudimentary facilities at Forward Operating Base Sangin | |
| Instead the news was dominated by the report that an Afghan policeman had killed five British soldiers sent to train them, an incident which Vicki Swithenbank says sent shock waves through all of the military families: | Instead the news was dominated by the report that an Afghan policeman had killed five British soldiers sent to train them, an incident which Vicki Swithenbank says sent shock waves through all of the military families: |
| "It brought everyone's emotions to the forefront. It makes you think about your husband so much," she said. | "It brought everyone's emotions to the forefront. It makes you think about your husband so much," she said. |
| The deaths also prompted soul searching for the commanding officer of the Green Howards, Lieutenant Colonel David Colthup. | The deaths also prompted soul searching for the commanding officer of the Green Howards, Lieutenant Colonel David Colthup. |
| He is adamant that in terms of professionalism there is a world of difference between the Afghan police force, from which the killer came, and the Afghan army, which the Green Howards are mentoring. | He is adamant that in terms of professionalism there is a world of difference between the Afghan police force, from which the killer came, and the Afghan army, which the Green Howards are mentoring. |
| However, he admits that the families back home are unlikely to make that distinction. | However, he admits that the families back home are unlikely to make that distinction. |
| Boost from the public | Boost from the public |
| And, for those families, as they prepare for a Christmas without their men, this can be a particularly difficult time. | And, for those families, as they prepare for a Christmas without their men, this can be a particularly difficult time. |
| Watch the report from September - The Green Howards go to war | |
| Hayley Harle has been doing the pre-Christmas shopping which she would normally do with her husband without him. | Hayley Harle has been doing the pre-Christmas shopping which she would normally do with her husband without him. |
| But for her it is Mike not getting to see their young daughter Faith opening her presents on Christmas morning which will be the biggest trial: | But for her it is Mike not getting to see their young daughter Faith opening her presents on Christmas morning which will be the biggest trial: |
| "This is going to be the first time that she's going to get excited about the presents. It's all that that you want to share with your partner, you want them to be there for," she said. | "This is going to be the first time that she's going to get excited about the presents. It's all that that you want to share with your partner, you want them to be there for," she said. |
| But the families are doing their best to stay positive, and a significant factor has been the feeling that public support for the troops has been growing: | But the families are doing their best to stay positive, and a significant factor has been the feeling that public support for the troops has been growing: |
| "I've personally noticed in these last three months since John has been away public support has gone up and up and up. I think it's fantastic," Vicki Swithenbank explained. | "I've personally noticed in these last three months since John has been away public support has gone up and up and up. I think it's fantastic," Vicki Swithenbank explained. |
| "People have been getting behind the troops more than I have ever known before." | "People have been getting behind the troops more than I have ever known before." |
| Watch the full Green Howards film on Newsnight on Monday 14 December 2009, then afterwards on the BBC iPlayer and Newsnight website. | Watch the full Green Howards film on Newsnight on Monday 14 December 2009, then afterwards on the BBC iPlayer and Newsnight website. |
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