With the fall of the Berlin Wall, many countries that had been under communist domination began to win limited forms of independence. Yugoslavia had always been one of the more moderate communist regimes, but in the early 1992 Bosnia and Croatia seceded from Yugoslavia. This caused the ethnic Serbs in these countries to fight to gain independence from these States, which in turn led to a brutal Civil War
 
The role of the British Army as part of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) was to support the humanitarian relief efforts of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). This bland statement hides the reality.
 
The 1st Battalion deployed to Bosnia in November 1993 from Germany equipped with Warrior armoured vehicles. Many aid convoys were escorted through the warring factions into areas of Bosnia that had seen very little humanitarian aid. Routes were picqueted by standing patrols and armoured vehicles to stop them from being closed or obstructed, and on one occasion four members of the Battalion were abducted at gun point by the Bosnians in retaliation for one of their ambulance drivers who was captured by the Croats. Fortunately they were released three hours later.
 
The Battalion’s two main bases were Vitez and Gornji Vakuf, and both were subjected artillery fire on several occasions. Warriors and other armoured vehicles were often targeted by all sides and over 4,000 rounds were fired in return by the Battalion. One member of the Battalion was awarded the Military Cross for his part in a fighting withdrawl when two armoured vehicles of the Reconnaissance Platoon were attacked by Serbs.
 
Lieutenant General Sir Michael Rose, a Coldstreamer, assumed command of the UN Bosnia-Hercegovina Command in January 1994 and immediately set about using the Battalion’s Warriors to open up areas of Bosnia that had virtually been under siege since 1992. As part of this, No2 Company were detached from the Battalion to work with the French Forces in the Sarajevo area.
 
A peace accord between the Bosnians and Croats was signed at the end of February and gradually the country was opened up to aid convoys which could now proceed without escort. No3 Company moved up to Maglaj which had been besieged by the Serbs since October 1993.
 
On 20th March 1994, an UNPROFOR football team played a team representing Sarajevo City in the Sarajevo Football Stadium. General Rose arranged for the Regimental Band to be flown out for the UK to play at the match, and although it was known that Serb artillery was trained on the stadium, the Band marched out in tunic and bearskin and entertained the crowds.
 
The Coldstream handed over to the 2nd Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment in May 1994 and so ended an action-packed six-month tour. Many individual Coldstreamers and formed platoons have served in Bosnia and Kosovo since the Battalion’s tour, both with the United Nations and NATO.