Five hundred British soldiers based in Musa Qala, in northern Helmand, will be redeployed further south to join most of the UK’s remaining 10,000 troops in the province, Bob Ainsworth, the Defence Secretary, told MPs.

However, 800 British troops will remain in Sangin, described by British commanders today as one of the most dangerous places in Afghanistan. Six British soldiers have been killed there since the beginning of March, some as a result of what military sources called “increasing accuracy” in small arms fire by Taliban fighters.

Military spokesman Major General Gordon Messenger described Sangin as a place which “matters to the Taliban” as an important transit route, near a major poppy route and a narcotics region.

He described the district as “one of the most enduring problems in Helmand”. The Taliban were intimidating the population at night and British and Afghan troops are manning 30 patrol bases and checkpoints.

Messenger said it was possible that responsibility for Sangin could also be handed over to the US, though defence sources said that was extremely unlikely.

Musa Qala was taken by British forces in early 2006. In October that year, the British moved out after an agreement, pressed on them by the Karzai government in Kabul, with tribal elders. In February 2007 the Taliban took over the town. In December that year it was reclaimed by British troops, supported by Afghan forces, after a fierce battle.

Defence officials said today that the 500 British troops still there will be redeployed to “thicken and deepen” the British presence in central Helmand, closer to areas where thousands have been engaged in Operation Moshtarak with US and Afghan troops.

British troops currently make up 30% of the military force in Helmand, but are responsible for the security of 70% of the region’s population, a state of affairs that has been described by British commanders as nonsensical. The 10,000 British troops in the province include some 500 special forces.

Lieutenant Colonel Harry Fullerton, commander of a Household Cavalry-led battlegroup, said today “We didn’t take over a disaster at the beginning, we took over a market system which was starting to be successful. We have seen the market enlarge. We have about 1,200 stall holders in the bazaar. It hasn’t been without its cost but it has been a cost worth making.”

Messenger said British troops were handing over “a going concern, a success story”. He said Nato commanders were considering transferring other parts of Helmand, including Kajaki, to US forces.

The soldier husband of a heavily pregnant woman who was seriously injured in a “car bomb” attack in a Kent village has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

Nicholas Fabian, 32, a former army bomb expert in the Princess of Wales’ Royal Regiment, was being questioned on suspicion over the incident in which Victoria Fabian is believed to have suffered horrendous leg injuries, in Vigo, near Meopham.

The couple’s two sons Charlie, 10, and Harry, four, were in a nearby car, but escaped unharmed. Army bomb disposal experts examined two cars at the scene of the blast, which occurred on Friday lunchtime. Residents were evacuated from 40 nearby homes.

Victoria Fabian, aged in her 30s, was last night understood to be receiving treatment in Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford, and is expected to be transferred to the Royal London Hospital for specialist skin graft treatment.

Doctors believe her unborn child, due in three months, is unharmed. Residents described hearing a loud thud, feeling the ground shudder and seeing smoke rising from the communal car park where Victoria Fabian’s vehicle was parked.

A spokesman for Kent police said the bomb disposal team had been brought in as a “precautionary measure”, to check there was no hazard before forensics teams moved in. An emergency shelter was set up at the village hall for people evacuated from their homes.

The police cordon had last night been reduced and all but eight houses could be accessed. A stretch of Highview, a road in Vigo, remained sealed off, together with adjoining alleyways. Police forensic examiners were carrying out a detailed investigation of the car, and a thorough examination of the scene.

The temporary shelter was manned by staff from Kent county council, Gravesham borough council and voluntary organisations including the Red Cross and the Salvation Army.

Kent police said it wanted to thank the community of Vigo for its “patience and support”. Nicholas Fabian left the army in 2003, but is thought to have been recently recalled for service in Afghanistan. Witnesses described how he pulled his wife from the blazing wreckage of her car.

Onlookers tried to staunch the bleeding from her wounds with T-shirts and towels. Vincent Redman, 17, said: “The explosion was massive. It was so loud – it almost blew my windows out.”

I first met Sjt Dougie Blake in the early 1962 in Terendak camp, where The KOYLI were stationed, He kindly gave me and my mate Reg Pott’s a lift to Singapore in his car, Which was a large open topped chrysler, never seen a car like it, Very expensive and very luxurious.

Reg and I were looking forward to our two week stay in Singapore, We were young wanting to enjoy the Asian experience in a city which we were told had many wonderful experiences ??

I have completed a simple page for Dougie KOYLI friend’s and his family, here is Dougie in a photograph taken in the late 50’s in Hilden, Germany

To see the Remembrance obituary click on this link

Take Care

Les

A mate of mine was saying how much he enjoyed reading the KOYLI Bugle journals which brought back memories, As I was selected by the Bugle platoon to be the scribe arghh

KOYLI JOURNALS

Here I am in Brunei in the early 60s 22 yrs of age, All innocence

I wrote back to my mate a laugh i had recalling those times

” The bugle journals are great – i remember writing in them for the buglers in the 60s, I was called in once or twice by the cantankerous KOYLI editor the of the bugle, he was the Regiments padre, if any bits were related to sex (lads enjoying the fruits of the local towns ‘perempuan jahat’s’ in borneo / brunei) i would be given an earful and a red pen marker through my initial draft)”

Ah Well — When you are young, We enjoyed our KOYLI life abroad

Cede Nullis

Let’s HOPE this is NOT typical — Arhh, ‘Without his rifle’ ?

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The hero who became the 261st Brit soldier killed in Afghanistan complained about being sent on patrol with no rifle, The Sun shockingly reveals.

Sapper Guy Mellors, 20 – blown up as he searched for Taliban roadside bombs – told pals back in the UK just days earlier he wanted to quit the Army because of kit shortages.

Grief-stricken best mate Gio Dainty, 20, said: “He told me he never had enough equipment like other units who had better kit and were better protected.

“On one occasion they even sent him out without a rifle. He told me he was always looking for bombs with his hands.

“He said he never felt valued and people above him didn’t care. By the end of it he just wanted to come home.”

Guy, who was in 36 Engineer Regiment, was serving with the Counter-Improvised Explosives Device Taskforce when he died.

His commanding officer Lt Col Gareth Bex hailed him as “fearless”.

Devastated mum Linda said: “He will always be our hero.” Guy, of Coventry, and Gio were planning to get digs together when he left the Army to train as a fitness instructor.

Gio, a semi-pro footballer, said: “The last time I heard from him was on Facebook the day he died.

“He wanted to serve his country but once he got out there reality hit home.

“When one of his best mates died a couple of weeks ago I think that made up his mind.

“Once he stood on a landmine but it didn’t go off. He couldn’t move. As you can imagine he was absolutely cr***ing it. When he was doing the job he just got his head down and did it. But after that he said, ‘I’m getting out of here’.” The rifle scandal comes after The Sun told this month how soldiers were being sent to the frontline with outdated body armour.

They had already been left short of sand-coloured camouflage shirts – forcing them to wear green. A scathing report by MPs only months ago slammed the supply chain of military kit as “creaking”.

Last night the MoD insisted: “Service personnel cannot deploy to theatre without a personal weapon and would never be sent on patrol without it.”

The voices were detected during top secret spy-in-the-sky surveillance missions over lawless Helmand province.

The revelation proves that growing numbers of British-born Muslims are moving to Afghanistan to fight along side the Taliban.

The conversations were overheard and recorded recently by RAF radio operator linguists on board Nimrod planes in the region, it was revealed yesterday.

The Taliban spoke mainly in Afghan Persian or Pashto — but occasionally lapsed into their home language.

Senior RAF sources said that at those points they spoke in “plain English” with distinctive “Bradford and West Bromwich accents”.

A source said: “The mission specialists could easily jam the Taliban transmissions — but the RAF believes listening in to their plans is much more productive.

“It was quite startling to hear English being spoken with clear Bradford and West Brom accents.

“They reverted to English when they couldn’t remember the Afghan Persian or Pashto — the two local languages — for certain words.”

Three specially-converted Nimrods normally based at RAF Waddington, Lincs, with 51 Squadron, are being used as radio snoopers.

The unit is manned by hand-picked specialists who speak numerous languages and fly in the planes at more than 40,000ft.

They are also trained to operate the highly sensitive electronic surveillance kit, known as “The Package”.

The Nimrods can not only detect and record radio messages, but often listen in to other conversations too.

General Sir Antony Walker, former deputy chief of the defence staff, said: “We seem to have confirmation that fanatical jihadists from Britain are working on the frontline of the war in Afghanistan.

“Eavesdropping seldom has a good image.

“But let’s hope the perseverance and dedication of our listeners-in-the-sky continues to save the lives of our men and women.”

The Ministry of Defence said in a statement: “The Nimrod R1 operated by No 51 Squadron has a highly sophisticated and sensitive suite of systems used for reconnaissance and gathering electronic intelligence.

“However, due to operational security, we are unable to discuss its operations.”

Most Chinese couples believe that Valentine’s Day, which coincides with the first day of the lunar new year on Feb 14, will not be a good date for marriage as it represents anger, argument and conflict.

Johor Baru Tiong Hua Association manager Eric Ku said it would usually have 30 couples registered to be married in a mass wedding three weeks before Valentine’s Day on other years but time, it only had 12 couples.

“Last year, 40 couples were married in our mass wedding.

“We are only targeting 20 couples this year and it will be a small ceremony due to the dwindling number and the Chinese New Year celebrations,” he told The Star here yesterday.

Ku said most Chinese believed that marrying on Feb 14 this year would doom the union due to the Tiger taking over from the Ox in the zodiac.

“Some also believe that it is not good Feng Shui to be married on that day,” he said, adding that the association would instead organise a mass wedding on Oct 10 this year to take advantage of the auspicious date of 10-10-10.

“According to the lunar calendar, other months besides February are good for marriage.

“We expect at least 50 couples to be involved in the October ceremony,” he said.

Tan Clan Association assistant registrar Angelyn Tan Lian said it had no plan to hold a mass wedding for Valentine’s Day.

“Some 10 couples would usually register their marriage through our association every Valentine’s Day.

“However, there has been no enquiries this year,” she said, adding that the year seemed bleak for marriage and represented a stark contrast to the association’s mass wedding last year, when 99 couples were married on Sept 9.

“Valentine’s Day may be a day for lovers but this year, it seems not to be for weddings,” she said.

Tony Blair vowed to stand by the US over Iraq in a series of secret notes, spin doctor Alastair Campbell said yesterday.

The former Prime Minister’s personal letters of support were sent to President George Bush as early as 2002, he told the Iraq Inquiry.

The invasion came in March 2003. In the letters, Mr Blair pledged Britain would stand by the US on military action if diplomacy failed to disarm Saddam Hussein of suspected weapons of mass destruction.

Mr Campbell said: “The Prime Minister wrote quite a lot of notes to the President.”

He dismissed earlier evidence Mr Blair was Bush’s “poodle” and agreed to regime change no matter what.

But Mr Campbell admitted to deep disappointment at the bloody aftermath.

He said: “The Americans didn’t have the plan we thought they did. It was a very difficult period.”

The revelation is an embarrassment to the then-Chancellor, who has long tried to distance himself from the war.

Mr Campbell said: “I would say certainly Gordon Brown would have been one of the key ministers he spoke to regularly.”

Asked whether Mr Blair consulted Mr Brown on the crucial decision to invade, he replied: “Absolutely, yes.”

Mr Brown kept quiet at the time of the Iraq war and its aftermath.

And when he became PM, he appointed two anti-war ministers – Lord Malloch-Brown and John Denham.

Mr Campbell, the first government “Big Fish” to come before Sir John Chilcott’s London panel, delivered evidence in a five-hour session.

He said John Prescott, then deputy PM, was also in the inner circle.

And he defended the war, saying: “Britain should be really proud of the role played in changing Iraq from what it was to what it is now.”

He insisted Mr Blair acted with “real integrity” dealing with the “most difficult decision of his premiership”.

Mr Blair will testify within three weeks.

Mr Brown will not give evidence until after the election.

British military medics have saved the lives of two young Afghan girls from Helmand province who were seriously injured by a Taliban improvised explosive device (IED).

While playing near their home in Musa Qaleh, in the north of Helmand province, Kamila, aged three, and Wasila, aged six, were seriously injured by an IED which had earlier been laid by insurgents.

Kamila took the brunt of the explosion and suffered severe head injuries; while Wasila had shrapnel wounds to her stomach, causing liver damage.

Kamila’s father took the children to Musa Qaleh district centre, knowing that coalition troops based there would help.

Their injuries were so severe that a British Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT) was mobilised, and the girls were flown in a British Chinook helicopter to the military multi-national hospital at Kandahar Airfield.

MERTs are launched for coalition, local national and suspected insurgent casualties with the requests being prioritised according to medical urgency.

Lieutenant Andrew Jelinek, from the Household Cavalry Battle Group, operates in Musa Qaleh, the area where the girls were injured. He said:

“IEDs laid by insurgents take a terrible toll on innocent civilians. They have had a deadly effect on British and coalition forces but it is the ordinary Afghan people that are hit the hardest.

“Unfortunately, children are the frequent victims of Taliban IEDs and, sadly, the story of Kamila and Wasila is far from unique.

“Back home we think we worry about our kids’ safety when they go out to play but here it’s on a different scale.

“The dangers the local kids face here when they are out playing are life and death.

“The Taliban just don’t give a stuff about them. They plant these bombs knowing kids might set them off but they just don’t care. If they did they wouldn’t do it.”

Doctor Sam Kao, the Canadian attending physician at Kandahar who has seen several tours in Afghanistan, added:

“Before Kamila arrived, we had a young boy with similar injuries who died, so we were all very nervous about her chances of recovery.

“After initial treatment, the signs were not good, as she could not move her left side and was unable to express emotion.

“Although there were to be further complications, Kamila is now interacting with the people around her and even smiling. We consider Kamila our miracle child. She was such a morale-booster, because we see so many kids that do not make it.”

During their recovery at Kandahar the girls went out to the flight line and waved at the helicopters taxiing past, getting very excited when the crews waved back.

With the onset of winter, the girls were presented with new coats and shoes and, for a while, they refused to take them off, wearing them everywhere.

The British neurosurgeon who cared for Kamila commented:

“The majority of people I have treated on each deployment are children under 15 years, and the most common injuries have been as a result of IEDs.

“It is great when it works out, as in this case. It makes it all worthwhile. It takes the whole team to make it work: fantastic ICU [Intensive Care Unit] support, nursing staff and physiotherapists, especially as the hospital is not scaled for humanitarian medical aid.”

Kamila’s father stayed close throughout the girls’ treatment. Through an interpreter he reported that he was very happy with the care that they had received. However, he did have some concerns about what might happen upon their return. He said it would be dangerous, as the Taliban may ask him where they have been.

Kamila and her family will continue to receive medical support from the Forward Operating Base closest to their home.

The girls enjoyed a flight back to Musa Qaleh district centre on board a British Chinook that was returning on routine tasking.

As the helicopter flew away from the hospital, the medical staff were clearly moved by the loss of their young charges, but grateful that the girls’ recovery allowed them to go home.

A teenage British soldier sent a poignant Christmas message home before he was killed in a suicide attack in Afghanistan, it has emerged.

Rifleman James Brown, 18, was hailed as a hero alongside Lance Corporal David Kirkness, 24, after the pair died preventing mass carnage in a crowded marketplace.

In a batch of festive messages sent back to families from troops on the frontline, Rfn Brown, from Orpington, Kent, said: “Merry Christmas to my family, dad, Steph, Sam and Ellie, also to my dog Smuttsy.

“Have a good one. Also Merry Christmas to my friends who I am with right now. Merry Christmas.”

The pair, both of 3rd Battalion The Rifles, were blown up while manning a vehicle checkpoint just outside Sangin in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, on Tuesday.

Rfn Brown only joined the Army this year, and had arrived with B Company of 3 Rifles less than a fortnight ago.

Lieutenant Colonel Nick Kitson, commanding officer of 3 Rifles Battle Group, said: “He had been with the battalion for a desperately short time but was showing the promising signs of a soldier with a bright future.”

Rfn Brown’s family said in a statement: “You were a true hero and will be dearly missed. We all love you so much.

“You died a hero, living your dream, and you will always be in our thoughts. Your actions will always speak louder than words ever could.”

Two suicide bombers on a motorbike drove into the checkpoint and detonated their devices, killing the UK servicemen and two Afghan soldiers working with them. The Ministry of Defence said it was thought the bombers were trying to get into Sangin’s bazaar to launch an attack.