"C Squadron Royal Scots Dragoon Guards"

by David Rowlands

Giclee Print Size 58 x 38 cm

27 March 2003: C Squadron, The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards assault through Objective TAKU on the Al Faw peninsula, Iraq.

During Operation TELIC 1, C Squadron of The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards was re-grouped from 7th Armoured Brigade (which was then south of Basra city) to 3 Commando Brigade on the Al Faw peninsula. Following a night amphibious river crossing and advance to contact across the Al Faw marshes, the lead tanks of the Squadron assaulted the first objective, code-named TAKU. In the early morning mist, after passing a huge column of black smoke from a burning oil pipeline damaged by artillery, they engaged enemy armour whilst coming under fire from the groves of date palms to their left flank.

I spent some time with the Regiment in the desert, and travelled with the C Squadron Leader (Major Jonathan Biggart) to Objective TAKU, where I sketched the scene of the action, the check-point and the destroyed Iraqi tanks.