NAVY NEWS, FEBRUARY 2008 23
Kajaki
been in decline in the Corps in marines and soldiers of 40 evident than around Kajaki on
the 21st Century. Commando are performing Christmas Day.
Determined to revitalise amazingly brave acts alongside Charlie Company left camp
the tradition of top ’taches, our comrades from the Afghan at 4.30am for a five-hour patrol
40 Commando’s deputy National Army and Police and around the town – during which
commander Maj Alex Murray life can be pretty intense. time they were subjected to
urged his men to down razors “Bits of fun like this go a long Taleban fire; they responded in
for their six-month tour of duty way to defusing the tension and kind, naturally.
in Helmand, explaining that keeping everyone cheerful in an The skirmish over, the Royals
“a good ’tache has proved environment that is otherwise returned to Kajaki. And as they
essential in maintaining the stiff deadly serious.” did, they doffed helmets and
upper lip”. Nowhere was that fine line donned Santa hats for the final
He continued: “Daily the between gaiety and gravity more mile back to base camp.
● Troops from Charlie Company return from their night-time amphibious recce at Kajaki in a RIB loaned and
driven by the Gurkhas and (right) a commando surveys the Kajaki terrain during the Christmas Day patrol
VM41891_DPS NAVY_AW.indd 1-2 16/1/08 10:53:53 am
022-023_NN_Feb.indd 2 21/1/08 15:20:25
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48