Heroes of Iraq war remembered: Event to mark 15 years since end of the conflict in Middle East
On 22 May 2011, the UK formally concluded Operation Telic, bringing its military operations in Iraq to an official end.
Over the course of the eight-year campaign, 179 British soldiers lost their lives, and thousands more were injured.
From today, the Royal British Legion (RBL) is inviting service personnel and veterans of the Iraq War to attend a special Service of Remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum, marking the 15th anniversary of the end of the conflict.
Operation Telic
British Armed Forces joined the US-led Coalition in Iraq in March 2003. In the years that followed, violence escalated through a long, chaotic insurgency and developed into a sectarian civil war – primarily between Sunni and Shia Muslim factions.
British personnel, alongside their Coalition partners and Iraqi counterparts, operated in an environment marked with threats from snipers, rocket attacks and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
High-risk and low-cost, IEDs proved devastating and alone accounted for 52% of UK fatalities in Iraq.
Former British Army veteran John Devlin was one of approximately 140,000 UK personnel who served throughout the course of the campaign.
He was just 18 when he deployed to Iraq with 2nd Battalion, the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment.
"It was torture, the worst experience of my life – I was only a young boy," he said. "I remember a mate from my regiment got killed just before I was due to land, and he'd only been there four days."
As a member of a Quick Reaction Force, John joined a search team tasked with locating IEDs.
"We were sent to recover a broken-down vehicle when a sniper hit me, leaving me with a six-inch scar across my shoulder," he explained. "An inch to the left or a few inches lower would have been fatal."
For John, life didn't get easier when he left the Army.
"I know I'd be dead without the RBL. I'd started having flashbacks and nightmares; one was so real I tried to jump out of a window.
"I went to the RBL for an assessment, and they sent me to a doctor who diagnosed me in less than an hour: severe PTSD. I started getting help then, because I was literally about to die."
The 36-year-old said he still struggles to face Remembrance Day but knows the event in May will be "really special".
"Being together with others who have similar experiences and understand what we all went through gives me comfort."
The profound impact of conflict
British Army veteran Chris Brogan was deployed to Iraq with the Royal Corps of Signals just three days after his son was born and described it as "incredibly tough" for him and his wife.
"I have both good and bad memories from Iraq," he said. "A highlight was transmitting the final combat message out of Iraq, prior to the handover.
"However, witnessing the humanitarian suffering, dismembered bodies, being subjected to daily mortar and rocket attacks, and being shot at, all took their toll on me both mentally, with the PTSD, and physically – my hearing loss resulting in the need for hearing aids at the age of 45.
"These have had a profound impact on my life."
For Chris, who now suffers from Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, similar to John, collective reflection and remembrance are important.
"I think it's great that the Royal British Legion is hosting an event to honour those who served in Iraq – we must remember the sacrifices made by those who never came back."
BFBS Forces News reporter James Wharton deployed on Operation Telic 10 while serving in the Household Cavalry Regiment.
He said the event at the National Memorial Arboretum would be well received by the veteran community.
"Nineteen years on from my days in Basra, Maysan and Umm Qasr, hardly a week passes without something taking me back," he said. "So many of us served there over the years; it feels entirely appropriate to mark that conflict with a significant event like this.
"It'll be welcomed by the veteran community. I'm going to get in touch with my old mates to see if we can make something of a reunion out of it."
How to get involved
Mark Atkinson, director general of the Royal British Legion, said: "Experiences of modern conflict, such as Iraq, can be complex and difficult to talk about, and many people are only just coming to us now for help.
"The RBL is here to provide life-long support to the Armed Forces Community, whatever the need, whenever it's needed."
Veterans, service personnel, families and the bereaved are encouraged to register their interest to attend the RBL's event – Remembering Iraq 15 years on – at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire by 12 April. To sign up, click the link here.
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