Heroic Crew: SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED
I am often critical of the Brits as I think their response to the infestation of their cities by hordes of muslims is outrageously weak but this story is not about that fight. This story is about real warriors and daily struggles for survival.
By Neil Chandler, 8 March 9, 2009, the Daily Star
A HERO pilot foiled the assassination of an Afghan governor.
And days later Alex “Frenchie” Duncan was under attack again in his Chinook.
But he joked he was “shaken, not stirred”.
Frenchie Gulam governor won the Distinguished Flying Cross for saving the life of Helmand Mangal and 15 other civilians.
The air ace thought his Chinook was going to crash when it was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade and gunfire in a Taliban ambush.
-I would love to know this guys opinion of obamas new plan to win friends among the taliban.
With vital systems smashed and one rotor seriously damaged, the flight lieutenant knew his passengers faced certain death at the hands of rebels if he crash-landed.
Their only chance was to nurse the bullet-ridden chopper – call sign Black Cat 22 – six miles to a nearby British base, dodging fire by flying as low as 20ft above the dusty Afghan plains.
Frenchie, 32, laughed: “When we landed, one of the crewmen said, ‘We weren’t hit by a heavy machine gun, it was a f**king RPG!’.
“The blood drained from my face. When I saw the damage I just remember swearing a lot.” He told the Daily Star
Sunday: “On our way in to Musa Qala we were told there were enemy radio communications saying they were waiting for us and were going to have a go.
-Did you catch that? They chose to assault the ambush and not just avoid it. A true mark of a professional. Compare that to the usage of human shields, IEDs and targeting of civilians done by mohammeds minions.
“We saw a suspect vehicle and I was just turning left to bring our weapons to bear when our aircraft lurched up and to the right and our safety flares went off.
“A crewman shouted we’d been hit. I thought we were going in.
“My heart sank for half a second but then the self-preservation instinct kicked in. I wasn’t going to go out without fighting.
“Then the aircraft responded and I recovered control. The crewman who’d shouted saw a piece of rotor blade fall from the aircraft.”
Narrowly missing a communications tower as he battled to control the stricken chopper, Frenchie and co-pilot Flt Lt Alex Townsend knew they had to get to nearby Forward Operating Base Edinburgh.
“Normally we’d land as soon as possible but the main threat was getting killed by the enemy on the ground. We had 16 civilians on board but just five weapons. Afterwards most of the passengers were in mild shock but the governor was coolest of all. I think he’s been there a few times before.
-One of the hazards of attempting to build a working society in an islamic country is constant danger from those that like the current system.
“When someone asked him later why he’d been smiling, he just said he knew everything would be OK, because they were with the RAF!”
Now the holed rotor blade forms the bar at RAF Odiham, Hampshire, where airmen toasted Frenchie’s medal late last week.
The airman was back in action just six days later, flying paratroopers into battle under heavy fire.
Insurgents had opened up on two other Chinooks and Frenchie’s crew had to follow them, with two RPGs missing them by just feet.
Later, his boss Sqn Ldr John Priest asked over the radio if they were OK.
He said: “I thought about it and was able to say ‘Black Cat 22 is shaken, not stirred’.
But he added: “Those two events took a lot out of me.
“The medal is not just for me but for the crew and the whole squadron.
“I’m not the only guy who faces that kind of stuff. It’s probably happening as we speak today.”
-Yes it is. Good job lads.
