Title:OPERATION MAR NONU, AFGHANISTAN, 4-5 NOVEMBER 2008 (TAPE 1) [Allocated Title]
Film Number:BFM 350
Other titles:COLLECTION OF ROYAL MARINES TAPES [Allocated Title]
Summary: Members of 2nd Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles (2RGR) take part in Operation Mar Nonu in the Musa Qala district, and encounter Taliban insurgent action. They are accompanied by members of the Afghan National Army (ANA) and the Afghan National Police (ANP).
Description: Briefing in tent at patrol base (a "rock drill", using rocks to designate units on a battlefield map). Commanding Officer of B Company, Major Ross Daines, explains the background to Operation Mar Nonu. Helmeted Gurkha soldiers set off on foot patrol through part of the "Green Zone in the Sangin Valley. Local men and children go about their business.
Evening scenes at FUP (forming-up position) before patrol sets out to search local compounds. Among them are members of the Afghan National Army (ANA) and Afghan National Police (ANP). Patrol enters local village; Gurkha soldier gives situation report. Captain Emily Peers searches women. Local people gather as village is searched. Brief (exterior) shots as various compounds are searched; also views of the village and surrounding area (camera is briefly rested on floor. Whilst searching this final compound, the patrol comes under attack from gunmen (not seen); a firefight ensues. Soldiers fire through doorway into surrounding desert, another fires from rooftop position. (The patrol are inside the compound, the gunmen are at positions within the desert.) The gun battle lasts for several minutes. During a lull in the firing, Captain Will Pilkington (Royal Marines) explains the situation: a platoon on open ground had been engaged by insurgents in another compound, therefore the soldiers in this compound laid down suppressing fire to allow the platoon to get under cover. Lengthy, crooked shot showing the landscape; partway through the shot, mortars can be seen landing in the distance, throwing up clouds of dust. View through doorway as mortars are launched against the compound from which the insurgents had been firing: zoom in to show a large white animal (possibly a horse) running past the wall of the far compound, partially obscured by a ridge. Further mortars are fired; soldiers fire their GPMG (general purpose machine gun) from a shell scrape. A cloud of smoke and dust rises over the compound. Soldier radios situation report. Firing continues using mortars and underslung grenade launcher (UGL).
ROYAL MARINES VIDEO PRODUCTION UNIT SHOTSHEET
The following has been copied, without amendment, from RMVPU electronic shotsheets:
Time Code Description
00:00 Bars
00:30 Rock drill
02:42 OC B piece to camera
04:18 Patrol prep
06:10 Patrol leaves
07:46 Patrol in green zone
10:00 Vehicles Mastiff and Jackal
11:00 Patrol with kids and local Afghan nationals XXX
14:50 Leaving FUP
15:50 Search first compound
16:44 ANA searching local male
17:17 Locals with patrol
18:40 Capt Emily Peers searches local women
20:40 Locals in compound XX
21:50 Enter 2nd compound
23:27 Compounds wide shot
24:00 Enter final compound ANP question Local male
24:50 Room clearance
28:00 Contact GPMG Gunner fires from doorway XX
31:10 Minimi gunner firing from roof
31:40 Contact GPMG Gunner fires from doorway XXX
33:40 Capt Will Pilkington piece to camera in contact
34:00 Firing from window
34:24 Waiting for incoming mortars (Rubish)
40:50 Mortars landing from doorway
44:10 GPMG firing from outside compound XX
44:40 Mortars landing on enemy position XXX
46:46 Fire mission XX
49:36 UGL being fired & mortars on enemy position XX
50:10 END
Alternative Title:COLLECTION OF ROYAL MARINES TAPES [Allocated Title]
Production Details: Royal Marines Video Production Unit (Production company)
Hewitt, Mark (Production individual)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Daines, Ross James (person)
Peers, Emily (person)
Pilkington, Will (Captain) (person)
British Army, Royal Gurkha Rifles, 2nd Battalion (regiment/service)
Royal Navy, Royal Marines, 3 Commando (regiment/service)
Afghan National Army (regiment/service)
Afghan National Police (regiment/service)
Taliban (regiment/service)
Keywords: Musa Qala, Helmand, Afghanistan (geography)
British Operations in Afghanistan from 2002 (event)
Afghanistan post-2001 (theme)
