Kirruth
Active member
"A British soldier died in Iraq because he was not wearing the enhanced body armour he had had to give up because of shortages, an official report found. Sgt Steven Roberts, of Shipley, West Yorks, was accidentally shot dead when UK troops opened fire during a disturbance near Basra in March 2003.
The board of inquiry said bullet-proof plates on his Enhanced Combat Body Armour (ECBA) would have saved him."
Link to article (BBC)
This incident had (and still has) tremendous resonance in the British Army.
Essentially what happened was Sgt Roberts was shot by one of his own soldiers, who was trying to stop a "crazed" attacker from throwing rocks at him.
Looking at the report (linked to from the article), it looks like it was a combination of circumstances:
Sorry for the long post but I got upset by this .
The board of inquiry said bullet-proof plates on his Enhanced Combat Body Armour (ECBA) would have saved him."
Link to article (BBC)
This incident had (and still has) tremendous resonance in the British Army.
Essentially what happened was Sgt Roberts was shot by one of his own soldiers, who was trying to stop a "crazed" attacker from throwing rocks at him.
Looking at the report (linked to from the article), it looks like it was a combination of circumstances:
1. Sgt Roberts was manning a vehicle checkpoint alone with a pistol (the rifleman who should have been protecting him close-up was moving an armoured vehicle, at Sgt Roberts instruction, at the time of the death). The officer with whom he was in contact via his personal radio probably knew this and apparently did nothing.
2. When Sgt Roberts used his pistol against his assailant, the weapon suffered a stoppage. Similarly when one of his troop went to use the troop's GPMG machine gun, it also suffered a stoppage.
3. When the gunner in the vehicle opened fire with its co-ax machine gun in support of Sgt Roberts, he didn't make an allowance for the line of sight correction needed (essentially fall of shot adjustments are needed much below or above 400m range), because he hadn't been trained to do so.
It was rounds from this weapon which caused the death.
4. The reason ECBA body armour was short in the troop was because procurement of the ceramic plates had been put on hold because the Government did not want to appear to be arming up for an invasion (the concept that people should be trained in the gear they would fight in was not well established).
5. The commander of the battlegroup prioritised the available ECBA to the infantry and troops in soft skinned vehicles, and appeared to overlook the fact that dismounted armoured soldiers would consequently be managing vehicle checkpoints without ECBA.
All in all, an avoidable casualty. I can understand it would leave a very bitter taste: we need people who are systematically equipped, trained and led to do the job they are being asked to do. We hear so much about the "tremendous" job our soldiers do, and it's true, but my goodness they need far better support than this incident illustrates they are getting.2. When Sgt Roberts used his pistol against his assailant, the weapon suffered a stoppage. Similarly when one of his troop went to use the troop's GPMG machine gun, it also suffered a stoppage.
3. When the gunner in the vehicle opened fire with its co-ax machine gun in support of Sgt Roberts, he didn't make an allowance for the line of sight correction needed (essentially fall of shot adjustments are needed much below or above 400m range), because he hadn't been trained to do so.
It was rounds from this weapon which caused the death.
4. The reason ECBA body armour was short in the troop was because procurement of the ceramic plates had been put on hold because the Government did not want to appear to be arming up for an invasion (the concept that people should be trained in the gear they would fight in was not well established).
5. The commander of the battlegroup prioritised the available ECBA to the infantry and troops in soft skinned vehicles, and appeared to overlook the fact that dismounted armoured soldiers would consequently be managing vehicle checkpoints without ECBA.
Sorry for the long post but I got upset by this .
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