Fun in the Sun With the SAS
Copyright© 2024 by Zak
Chapter 2
It took us half an hour longer than we had estimated to reach the camp. We had come across a herd of goats that slowed us down and then an old truck that broke down on the approach to a bridge slowed us down even further.
We had skirted around it and found a shallow bit of river to cross. It was good practice for the lads, I guess. Most of them had never driven the ATVS before so anything out of the norm was good.
Once we got to the place where we intended to make our camp, I sent half the lads out to do a recce, to make sure we were not near any villages or anything like that.
Before the operation had started, we had scoped the area out using drones and satellite imaging, but it was always wise to have a good recce. We did not want any nasty surprises...
There was a wide stretch of river to our right, we would use it for washing and to top up our water supplies, we had a good purification machine that would clean the water for us.
We all unpacked our gear, we had two-man tents, plus a bigger tent for use as the cook house and another to use as a store.
I sent two lads out on stag duty, and we set about turning a patch of scrubland into our home for the next two months. We dug latrines, we set up the water purification system and some solar panels to let us recharge the batteries on our comms kit.
The cook house was set up and running asap. The lads would work better with a brew inside them. Then we built the store tent and then the sleeping tents. It did not take long to set up our FOB or forward operating base.
I was bunking down with Bazza, he was okay, he was five years younger than me. He was a top lad and would make a good trooper from what I had seen of him. He did not snore, and he kept himself clean and tidy which was a bonus.
Once the camp was set up one of the lads made a brew, and I had tea, once we were out of fresh milk I would change to black coffee. There is something wrong with tea with powdered milk.
Two of the lads started the water purification kit off, using collapsible buckets to fill the pre-tank with water from the river. It took a few hours to filter the water, but we had brought plenty with us to keep us going.
I went out for a wander my M16 in my hands. There was a hill around half a mile from the camp and there were wild goats and some deer as well. I knew that I could use my sniper rifle to give us some free food if we needed it.
I walked to the top of the hill and had a good look around, the area we had chosen for the training was ideal. I would let the lads chill for the rest of the day but tomorrow morning we would kick off the exercises. I was determined to work them hard, there is no place for a soft soldier on an SAS mission. We do the dirty jobs, and to be ready for them you need to work hard.
I walked a different route back to our camp. There was lots of wildlife around but nothing to worry about. I did not see any locals. We knew there was a little township around twenty miles away but that didn’t bother us. in some areas of the world, you had to worry about locals with guns, but we had been told that in Shabar that was not the case. Saying that I would not be taking any risks. We would all stay armed at all times.
My only worry was if they walked into one of our training exercises...
When we did live fire exercises, we would need to fire a few shots into the air to ward off any nosy locals. When I got back to the camp one of Spike’s lads, a Welsh lad called John Jones but known to all as Taff, JJ or the sheep shagger had cooked up some food. I ate mine and then Spike and I relieved the guys on stag duty.
I had my M16 and my Glock. I was not expecting trouble, but I would always be armed. I had taken a mug of tea with me. The next three hours were mind-numbing. There were noises from the bush, but it was wildlife, and I never saw anything apart from some rabbits, goats, and the odd deer.
I knew from my research that rabbit farming had been a big business in Shabar, as it was in Nigeria. Where there were farms there would be escapees and once, they had escaped they would breed like ... well like rabbits.
I heard footsteps behind me, it was Billy ‘Custard’ Birds, he was coming to take over on stag duties. I stood and chatted with him before leaving him to his duties.
I walk back to the camp. It looked immaculate. The kettle was over the campfire, and I could smell coffee.
The lads were sitting around either cleaning guns or sharpening knives and chatting shit.
I poured myself a mug of coffee and got my cleaning kit out. The sand and dust in the bush were both a weapon killer. A lot of the lads carried boxes of condoms to put over the barrels of the rifles to stop sand from getting into the workings.
I saw Spike cleaning the GPMG that we had brought for fire support. We exchanged looks and nods. As the lads cleaned the tools of their trade, I outlined the training we would be doing over the next few days. Spike said he would relay the briefing to the lads on stag duty.
I slept well that night, I woke before dawn and headed down to the river to have a swill.
I would have loved a swim, but we did not know if there were leeches or water snakes around. I took my M16, which was standard operating procedure when we were out, either on a training course or on an active mission. We always had a firearm with us...
I had a swill and dried off before heading into camp. I started to make a brew. The dawn out in the bush was majestic. By the time the brew was made the rest of the lads were up and about.
I made a brew and Custard made breakfast. He cooked up some bacon and eggs over the campfire. We had enough fresh food for three more days then it was ration packs and whatever we could hunt or forage. Truth be told no soldier likes the ration packs, everything was freeze-dried, and you could not tell if you were eating stewed apples and custard or spag bol.
One we had eaten Spike, and I relieved the lads on stag duty. I told Bazza to call us in when the breakfast stuff has been washed and stowed away.
It was half an hour when Bazza called us into camp. the lads were all kitted for our first training session, we were doing a route march through the bush. I got the map out and showed the lads where we were going to aim for, each of the lads would lead the march for two hours.
I had planned the route to make sure the lads had to work hard to get us there and back.
We would have leave to guards in camp at all times, the locals might not be violent types, but we had a lot of very expensive kit in the camp, and I was not going to let any go missing on my watch.
The first day Spike and Coxie drew the short straws. We had our comms, our day packs, rations, and weapons. I also had the sat phone, I needed to do my daily check-in.
I passed the compass and map to Bazza and told him to lead us. We walked out of the camp with Bazza in the middle of the stick, I was at the back. Chalky took point. There is no point in having the map man at the front, the front man, he is known as the point man needs to be alert at all times and not looking at the map and compass.
The lads had all said we could have used the GPS units, but I felt there was always the need to go old school and use maps and compasses. If we should lose the use of the GPS units due to a power outage or a satellite being out of action, we needed to be able to go old school.
We made good ground, and the lads seemed to be in tune with the bush. Chalky made us stop twice. Once when a goat herder was moving his herd down the road and once when he heard a noise in the bush a few yards down the track. It turned out to be a herd of deer.
It was good that he made us stop. It showed that he was alert. The last thing you want to do is wander across an enemy camp or into the middle of an enemy convoy.
After two hours, we stopped for a water break, and we swapped the point man and the navigator out. I also used the sat phone to do my check-in with the head shed.
The next two hours flew past. The sun was now high in the sky, and it was a hot day. I told the guys to watch their feet, to make sure they did not step on anything that might give us away.
Every step, every noise was important...
We had to stay alert at all times. One mistake, one noise might give the game away and show us put to the enemy.
Another two hours passed, and we swapped the navigator and point man again. We had ration packs with us and would stop to eat once we had arrived at the place I had set as the attack point. The attack point today was a potentially deserted farmhouse.
The next two hours seemed to drag. It was getting hotter and hotter. For the new guys, it would be hard work. Spike and I had both done a few tours of duty in the sandpit and that had been as hot as hell most days.
The navigator stopped us when we were a hundred yards from the house, we had approached it in stealth mode using a dried-up riverbed as cover.
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