Danny Boy

Ambush, ambush! Checkpoint Danny Boy

Outnumbered, two men down. Request backup. Received.

Backup deployed, three Warriors.

Everything coming. Whisky 22, five minutes away.

This is Whisky 22, approaching Checkpoint Danny Boy.

RPG and gunshot incoming.

I don't like it. Just sit tight, mate, OK?

You're going to be all right.

Woody, listen up.

Enemy at dug-in. Your orders are to leave the vehicle.

Sorry, say it again, Stick.

You want us to dismount into that?

They've got two men down. They need help,

so prep the boys for dismount.

What's he saying?

We're going to dismount and close with the enemy.

What, here? Just us?

After me. Be quick about it, yeah?

How does it feel to be accused of war crimes?

It's Brian Wood.

A boy at school says you were a murderer.

And that's what's upsetting you? That is upsetting.

Come here, little man.

Say you're not.

Not what? Dad.

Bailey...

..do I look like a murderer to you?

The inquiry's terms of reference are as follows, and I quote,

to investigate and report on the allegations made

by the claimants against British soldiers

on the 14th and 15th of May 2004.

Corporal Wood, do you understand how matters will proceed?

I do, Sir, yes.

OK, lads, you're on your own. Are you ready for this?

Butch, are you ready for this? Yeah.

Let's do this. Go, go, go, go!

Ah, Jesus, babe.

Do you ever get that thing, you wake up

and you haven't got a bloody clue where you are?

No.

Want me to tell you where you are?

I know now.

Want me to tell you?

Yeah, go on, then.

You are in London. Yeah.

To meet the Queen.

And why's that then?

Because you're a hero and she wants to pin something on you.

Come on, wee man, come on. Let's go find your mum.

CHILD LAUGHS

Here we go, come on.

She's in there. Go and see her. On you go, son.

Ho, ho! Look at this smart wee laddie.

Hey! All right, Bailey boy?

How did you like spending the night with Nana and Grandad?

Hello! He wants to see his mum.

Did you forget your kecks? Is that a problem?

He's got great legs.

Look at my lovely boy.

He's our lovely boy. Are you our lovely boy?

Are you our lovely boy? Are you two not ready yet?

Do you know what time it is? Er, tranquillo. Dad, be honest,

is this tie straight? It's straight. Come on, get a move on.

Don't muss him all up, you. Took me forever getting him dressed.

You might have to do the same for Brian. Wouldn't be the first time.

Give that here and get your trousers on. Right, that's it. Chop chop.

I'm putting you two on the clock.

T-minus ten.

23 years in the Army, son. It never took me to places like this.

On the 14th of May 2004,

Lance Corporal Brian Wood was sent to the aid of comrades

ambushed under enemy fire at Checkpoint Danny Boy.

In recognition of his leadership, courage and selfless action

during some of the fiercest fighting in Iraq, Lance Corporal Wood

receives the Military Cross for gallantry.

Come on, Brian. Keep up.

He does know other stuff, but mainly he's keepers.

Don't tell me they have a coach just for goalies.

But anyway, he asked me to be the one taking penalties

for the goalies to have penalty-taking practice,

cos he said they can never tell where I was going to go,

and also I could put it where I wanted it to go.

Whereas a lot of the other kids just froze up

when it came to the spot kicks,

or looked at the keepers and lost their concentration.

And he said... OK, OK, Brian. Keep it brief.

Keep it brief.

So, you wanted to come out running.

Let's see what you're made of. Yeah?

Yeah.

All right. Yeah!

All right!

It begins with R, Brian.

Resilience.

Dad!

All right, Woody? Where's your medal?

Sir, what's it like jumping out of a Warrior under fire?

That's a good question.

It's, er, Johnno, right? Sir.

Johnno, I'm here today to tell you all about the realities of war.

And maybe one of the realities of war is it's not so easy

to stand up and talk about it.

And you're going to have guys out there

who are making a big song and dance about what they did,

getting their names in the paper.

Good luck to them. I'll let you make your own judgment about that.

I've got nothing to say about that.

You know what I was focusing on?

Eh? Anyone?

I wasn't thinking about being brave, being a hero or winning medals.

I was focusing on destroying the enemy

and keeping myself and my men alive.

I was fighting my own fight.

I wasn't worried about what everybody else was doing. All right?

That's a sure-fire way to get yourself...

Corporal Wood?

Yeah?

Spencer.

I'm teaching. What's this about?

We just want a little chat with you. A little chat?

Congratulations on the medal, Corporal.

Are you going to tell me what this is about?

We will, yeah.

You just take a seat here for me, please, Corporal Wood.

We're going to show you photos, Corporal,

from the Battle of Danny Boy, from its aftermath.

You tell us if you recognize anyone in them.

OK?

And this one?

What's this about?

Just whether you know who these people are, Corporal. No.

That's my unit.

Him?

Do you recognize this detainee, Corporal Wood?

Yeah, I, um...

I took him prisoner. And what was the manner of that?

Do you recall the rules of engagement, Corporal Wood?

Yes. So you took this man prisoner.

Tell me about the use of force. He gave himself up.

He was armed?

Or was he just a man in a field, or...? No, he was armed.

The CSM shouted, "Drop your weapons," and he did.

The CSM just shouted...? "Drop your fucking weapons," yeah.

You'd drop them, wouldn't you?

You've met the CSM.

Was he barefoot when you took him prisoner?

Y...Yeah. Did you plasticuff him?

No, no, not at the time, no.

Did you offer him water?

Not that I recall.

I would've thought that date was printed on your memory.

It is.

So, did you offer him water...

..Corporal Wood?

Did you?

Did you offer him water? Corporal Wood... Or were you not there?

Sorry, say it again, Stick. You want us to dismount into that?

They've got two men down. They need help.

Prep the boys for dismount.

OK, lads. You're on your own.

Are you ready for this?

Butch, are you ready for this?Yes.

Let's do this. Go, go, go, go!

Go!

Enemy, bridge side. We close with the enemy,

we take position one, yeah?

But that's 120 metres away.

Count us in.

Five, four,

three, two,

one.

50 meters!

Get on the ground now!

Get the fuck on the ground now!

Shut the fuck up!

Where'd the rest of them go? They could be back any minute.

Position one. Not a scratch on us, boys.

British fighting spirit done that, mate.

Here we go lads. Get in.

Wait there, wait there. I'll be right down.

Morning.

This intercom and security are here

because of all the threats against us. It doesn't work properly,

so I spend all my time running up and down these stairs.

It won't be the nutjobs that kill me,

it'll be the exhaustion.

Thanks for coming up to the office to see me.

It'll give you a chance to see the job the way it really is.

Of course, I'm too bloody busy

to get up to the university at the moment.

Some of you will end up in big fuck-off law practices in the City

with smoked glass and neck massages,

but the vast majority of lawyers work like this.

You'll need to get your brains around that.

Right, straight through, in here, come on.

My advice is go running,

do yoga, start flower-arranging.

Anything to give you a sense of perspective.

This job will eat you up and spit you out if you're not careful.

Who wants tea? Me. Ah.