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On the 2nd August, 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait in an act of aggression that caught the West completely unawares. Britain and the

US immediately sent naval and air force units to the area, but it soon became obvious that ground forces would be required. A US led international coalition was formed and Britain committed an armoured division from the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). Ultimately over 40,000 British troops were deployed to the Gulf.

At the time the 1st Battalion was stationed at Wellington Barracks in London undertaking Public Duties and training for the Armoured Infantry role that they were due to assume from the 1st Bn Grenadier Guards in Germany. The Pre-advance party had already deployed to Germany when the move was postponed due to the Grenadiers commitments in the Gulf.

The Battalion had been sent on Christmas leave, the Commanding Officer telling the assembled battalion that there was no role for the Battalion in the Gulf and if it was sent he would eat his hat! However, on the 30th December, the Second-in-Command was summoned to Whitehall and told that the Battalion would deploy to the Gulf as part of the Prisoner of War Guard Force (PWGF) to guard Iraqi prisoners of war.

The first task was to collect some senior Iraqi officers from Pentonville Prison and hold them in the Guardroom at Wellington Barracks which was designated the Westminster Garrison Prisoner of War Camp and became subject to inspection by the International Red Cross. These Iraqis had been studying at the Staff College at Camberley.

The Commanding Officer, Lt Col I.H McNeil OBE, was appointed to Command the PWGF in the rank of Local Colonel. In addition

The Commanding Officer and Second in Command

to the Coldstream, the PWGF consisted of the 1st Bn Kings Own Scottish Borderers (1 KOSB) and the 1st Bn Royal Highland Fusiliers (1 RHF). Their task was to relieve the lead units of the Prisoners of War (PW) that they had captured, transport them back to the PW cage and guard them.

The Battalion deployed to Saudi Arabia on the 17th January, 1991, on the day that the air campaign began. The first few weeks were spent at Al Jubayl where acclimatisation and training in desert conditions was carried out, with a great deal of emphasis being placed on NBC, particularly as the port was regularly subjected to attack by Iraqi Scud missiles.

On the 18th February the Battalion deployed forward to Al Qaysumah where the Maryhill PW Camp had been constructed in the

desert. On the 22nd they deployed to the Forward Assembly Area (FAA). G Day (the beginning of the Ground Offensive) was 24th February, and the plan was that the Battalion should move through the breech into Iraq on G+2. However the attack went so well that all timings were advanced and 48 hours notice to move was reduced to 2 hours! Dressed in full NBC kit, the Battalion advanced through snow and rain into Iraq, some members of No 1 Company having already moved forward by helicopter.

The Battalion, mounted in four-ton trucks and Land Rovers, led the Divisional Admin Area (DAA) in a 6,000 vehicle convoy on an 50 mile journey lasting 14 hours through a dark, black night, the only lights being a right-angle torch with a red filter fitted to the rear of each vehicle. After one vehicle ran over some anti-personnel mines, and with armoured columns crossing the line of advance, the convoy halted until first light before continuing.

The Battalion met up with the harbour party at about 0900hrs on G+2 and a Divisional PW cage was set up. Companies deployed in their vehicles and helicopters to collect groups prisoners from the lead armoured units. This work was hampered by poor weather conditions, minefields, trenches full of dead bodies, bomblets laying on the ground and the difficulties of navigation in a featureless terrain. On occasion the ‘prisoners’ hadn’t actually surrendered and opened fire! After collection, the prisoners were transported to the Divisional cage which was run by 1 KOSB, who in turn transported them back to Maryhill PW Camp which was run by 1 RHF.

The next two days followed a similar pattern, and when the cease-fire was announced on G+4 (28 Feb) the Battalion was close to the Iraq-Kuwait border. Despite the cease-fire the work of collecting and transporting prisoners continued.

Meanwhile, the Support Company group had been detached to guard the Brigade Admin Area (BAA) of 4 Armoured Brigade. The Company advanced with the BAA through the breach on the night of 24th/25th February (G Day), and the next day were collecting prisoners from lead units. These prisoners were held until they were handed over to US Military Policemen. As they returned to the BAA lead units arrived with 1,500 prisoners, so a cage was set up to hold them. When the Battalion moved off with the BAA on 28th February, the Mortar Platoon was left behind to guard the cage. However the Corps of Drums soon had to be left to guard a further 300 prisoners. The Battalion arrived to relieve them of the prisoners later that night. The Support Company group rejoined the Battalion on 1st March.

The Battalion advanced into Kuwait on 1st March, and remained there for 4 days before driving back to Al Qaysumah on 4th March, passing through the devastation at Mutla Ridge where thousands of vehicles full of Iraqis attempting to escape from Kuwait were destroyed.

A period of training took place at Al Qaysumah where the Maryhill PoW Camp also had to be guarded. The Battalion returned to the port of Al Jubayl on 13th March, and returned to the UK between the 4th and 8th April.

As a footnote, the Commanding Officer did eat his hat! Some months after the Gulf he addressed the Battalion and was somewhat surprised that the Officers and men did not fall out afterwards as expected. The Quartermaster then appeared bearing a tray with a hat upon it and reminded the Commanding Officer of his words the previous December. Fortunately for him, the hat was made of meringue!