On September 6th, 2006 British paratroopers were on a routine patrol in the Helmand province
of Afghanistan, at the time one of the most dangerous places to be during NATO's war on
terror.
What started out as an unexpectedly calm and uneventful day amidst the chaos of war would
soon turn to a nightmare that would see one young soldier dead, seven seriously injured,
and three losing limbs, and the posthumous awarding of Britain's George Cross, highest
of military honors.
Hello and welcome to another episode of The Infographics Show- today we're revisiting
war-torn Afghanistan and exploring the tragedy of the Kajaki landmine trap.
What would come to be known as the “day of days” by the men who lived it started
out routine enough- a team of British paratroopers were deployed on a patrol to provide security
for the nearby village of Kajaki, flush out insurgent forces, and destroy any they discovered.
Jumping over a dry riverbed, Lance Corporal Stuart Hale set off an explosion, and in shock
looked down to realize he was missing a finger and part of his leg.
The rest of the team immediately set off towards the stricken Hale, but realizing that they
had potentially strayed into a mine field they carefully started clearing a path, using
knives and bayonets to prod for mines.
Once a path was cleared they gave morphine to Hale and applied a tourniquet to what remained
of his leg.
The team immediately radioed for an emergency medical evacuation, but back at Camp Bastion,
the team's home base, a lack of available aircraft by the British meant they had to
ask their American and French allies- a lengthy and bureaucratic process that had to be relayed
up the respective chains of command to grant approval.
Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Tootal, commander of the paratroopers stuck in the mine field,
knew he had to make a choice: wait hours for the men to clear a path out of the mine field,
or send a Chinook- however with no winch equipment the helicopter would risk landing on a mine
itself.
Urgent requests for American Blackhawks with winches were dispatched even as the Chinook
was ordered to rescue the men.
The flight crew of the Chinook understood the risk to themselves and their aircraft,
but made haste to the stricken men regardless.
Back at the mine field, Sergeant Stuart Pearson stumbled on the cleared path and set off another
landmine, losing one of his legs as well.
It became apparent to the paratroopers that the minefield was more extensive than they
thought, and that any move could be their last.
Fearful of even more casualties, Pearson applied his own tourniquet and gave himself an ampoule
of morphine for the pain.
The rest of the men were ordered to stay put and wait for rescue.
Suddenly the dispatched Chinook appeared and landed on its two back wheels, the pilots
trying their best to limit how much contact the giant helicopter made with the ground.
As the pilots signaled to the men to clear a path to the chopper, the soldiers shouted
at them to take off- the downdraft of the powerful Chinook was tossing rocks around
and threatening to set off even more mines!
Unfortunately, a stray rock did just that, setting off one more mine and hitting Corporal
Mark Wright with shrapnel in the face, chest, arms, and neck.
Next to him a medic was struck in the chest and also downed.
Despite Corporal Wright's injuries however he continued to give first aid to everyone
he could reach.
Realizing they were only making the situation worse, the Chinook pilots aborted the rescue
attempt and headed back to base, where Lieutenant Colonel Tootal, listening in horror over the
radio as his men were cut to ribbons, finally had the American Blackhawks he requested.
These choppers were equipped with winches which they could lower to the stricken men
and hoist up, avoiding setting off more mines.
Back at the mine field, Corporal Paul Hartley began using his medical rucksack to clear
a path to the wounded by throwing it in front of him hoping to set off any mines.
Reaching the seriously injured Corporal Wright, a man nearby, Fusilier Andy Barlow, stepped
back just a few inches to make room- a mine exploded under his foot and he too would lose
his leg.
The men, fearful of moving even a single inch, were forced to tend to their own wounds as
best they could, struggling to remain conscious through blood loss and to handle the pain
now that the morphine had run dry.
Corporal Wright, the most seriously injured, remained conscious the entire time and in
command of the incident, encouraging the men and maintaining morale and calm.
The men did their best to keep their spirits up and not slip into deadly shock by talking
about family and girlfriends, encouraging each other best they could.
After what seemed like an impossibly long wait, the American Blackhawks finally arrived
and began hoisting their wounded allies up one by one.
Corporal Wright remained conscious for part of the flight back to base, but despite the
best efforts of the American medic, died of his wounds.
With his fellow soldiers being treated by medics and safely on their way back home however,
his duty was done.
For his courage and gallantry, he would be awarded the George Cross, the British military's
highest honor, and mourned by his fiance and nation both.
Perhaps most tragically of all however is the fact that the mines those British paratroopers
had inadvertently stumbled into had not been planted by the Taliban or other insurgents.
They were Soviet made mines, planted over 30 years ago and forgotten- years after the
Cold War had ended, the Russians inadvertently inflicted the only military casualties of
the conflict on their once-enemies.
Yet mines have been used by militaries all over the world, and almost always simply forgotten
after a conflict, claiming lives for decades after their planting.
In countries around the world 1 in 5 landmine victims are children, and an estimated 15,000
to 20,000 people are killed or maimed by landmines every year.
With their express intent to maim, and not kill, landmines are the single most immoral
weapon of war, and thankfully international outrage has led to the UN's 1997 Convention
on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production, and Transfer of Anti-Personnel
Mines.
To date 150 nations have joined the treaty, though sadly its estimated that millions of
mines remain buried and forgotten, waiting for their next victim.
Should weapons expressly made to maim and not kill be legal for use in war?
How would you get out of an active mine field?
And if you liked this video, make sure you check out: Battle of Thermopylae - Spartans
vs Persians!
As always, don’t forget to like, share and subscribe.
See you next time!