IRT (IMMEDIATE RESPONSE TEAM), BASRA, NOVEMBER 2007 (TAPE 1) [Allocated Title]

Log in to create clips, download free screeners and save clips/films in Collections. Click here to find out more.


  • Title: IRT (IMMEDIATE RESPONSE TEAM), BASRA, NOVEMBER 2007 (TAPE 1) [Allocated Title]
  • Film Number: BFV 1057
  • Other titles: COLLECTION OF DEFENCE MEDIA OPERATIONS CENTRE (DMOC) VIDEOS [Allocated Series Title]
  • Summary: Members of the IRT at the COB (Contingency Operating Base), Basra Air Station. The IRT provide support and security to the MERT (Medical Emergency Response Team), a helicopter-borne team of medics.
  • Description: I. Sergeant Leanne Kirkwood of 903 Expeditionary Air Wing, in charge of the section, discusses and demonstrates IRT procedures, followed by the camera. She goes into the ops room where she unlocks and changes over weapons for the next shift before securing the weapons rack again. She indicates the "live" and "standby" lockers where the webbing containing ammunition is stored. Magazines are checked. She then moves into another unit to pick up and changes over flying helmets on racks from those of the previous shift. After a quick talk with the camera crew, Sergeant Kirkwood walks out to the helicopter waiting on the pad, accompanied by colleague Corporal Chris Smith (RAF) who has been on the previous shift. She discusses further aspects of preparation on board the helicopter, including checking the equipment and supplies (such as the oxygen cylinder). Corporal Smith talks about the checking procedures. Contents of the medical bag are shown and described. Sergeant Kirkwood and Corporal Smith return to the IRT storeroom and then to the IRT accommodation. II. Interview with Corporal Chris Smith, medic in the IRT team; he has just done the night shift and is now going for sleep. Shots of the IRT accommodation, and of the Media Ops team (including Captain Lorna Ward). III. Brief interview with unnamed pilot followed by shots of Merlin helicopter taxiing. Corporal Ralph Merry of the Combat Camera Team looks for his glasses, which had been blown off by the downdraft of the helicopter. IV. Pilot of the Merlin (the same one seen above) speaks to camera before walkround of the helicopter (he points out all the areas that needs checking). In the cockpit, he puts on his helmet and carries out pre-flight checks as he starts up the engine. After the checks are finished, he turns off the engine again. V. Static shots of Merlin on pad; it is also seen taxiing. VI. At the COB, Flight Lieutenant Neil Lawrenson has been injuried in the arm by a stray bullet caused by "celebratory fire" (local people outside the base shooting into the air in celebration); Sergeant Kirkwood and her team attend to him, bandaging his injury and stretchering him behind the blast wall for treatment (the IDF - indirect fire - alarm had gone off). Flight lieutenant Lawrenson is driven away in a Barttlefield Ambulance. VII. Sergeant Kirkwood discusses the incident, focusing on the medical checks carried out.
  • Alternative Title: COLLECTION OF DEFENCE MEDIA OPERATIONS CENTRE (DMOC) VIDEOS [Allocated Series Title]
  • Colour: Colour
  • Digitised:
  • Object_Number: BFV 1057
  • Sound: Sound
  • Access Conditions: IWM
  • Featured Period: 2001-2025
  • Production Date: 2007-11-24
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Defence Media Operations Centre (Production company) Holmes, Andy (Corporal, RAF) (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Kirkwood, Leanne (person) Smith, Chris (Corporal) (person) Ward, Lorna (person) Merry, Ralph (person) Royal Air Force, 903 Wing (regiment/service) British Army, Territorial Army, Media Operations Group (V) (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: Royal Air Force post-2000 (theme) Iraq post-2003 (theme)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: Colour Sound format: Sound Soundtrack language: English
  • Technical Details: Format: DVCam Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Tape length: 40; Running time: 59 mins
  • HD Media:
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    BFV 1057

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:

    BFV 1058 (IRT (IMMEDIATE RESPONSE TEAM), BASRA, NOVEMBER 2007 (TAPE 2) [Allocated Title]) BFV 1076 (MEDICS OF THE IRT (IMMEDIATE RESPONSE TEAM), BASRA, DECEMBER 2007 (TAPE 3) [Allocated Title])
Register