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00:06Hello and welcome to His Majesty's Naval Base, Devonport, here in Plymouth.
00:11For hundreds of years, this place has been a home to the Royal Navy,
00:15and around half the nation's fleet is based here.
00:19This is a remarkable place.
00:22Thousands of servicemen and women pass through here every week.
00:26There are billions of pounds worth of warships and weapons and enough food to feed a navy.
00:33And then there's the staff and crew who live in and around the base.
00:41We're here at a time of serious international tension,
00:45when the Royal Navy has never been busier.
00:47And they've given us access across the fleet.
00:56You can feel it reverberating through your whole body.
01:00You feel like you can reach out and touch that.
01:02That is wild.
01:05Just off our bow is a Russian submarine.
01:09Throughout these special programmes, we're lifting the lid...
01:12Whoa.
01:13What are you doing?
01:14..on what life is really like in Britain's Navy today.
01:18I'm sure you tied that tie correctly before being dragged through a hedge.
01:21You sound like my mum.
01:22Get out of yourself, head moves, come on!
01:24These boys are fit.
01:25This is a different league within a different league.
01:28I do feel in very safe hands.
01:31Thank you very much.
01:35This is warship.
01:37Life in the Royal Navy.
01:39In this episode...
01:40That is quite the responsibility.
01:44Oh, do you know what?
01:45He's nailed that!
01:47I discover the dangers of refuelling at sea.
01:50Starring pumping.
01:51Roger.
01:53..where one wrong turn could spell disaster.
01:56We need to manoeuvre together to keep the ship on a safe course.
02:01I have to escape from a submarine...
02:04Nice big jump!
02:06..in one of the scariest things I've ever done.
02:10It was panicking, JC.
02:13It's good to see you, dude.
02:14..and over 20 years since fighting in Afghanistan began,
02:17I reunite with the Marines who served and were nearly killed alongside me.
02:23What the hell's happened?
02:24And then it was like, oh, you've been blown up.
02:40Hello and welcome to His Majesty's naval base, Devonport, here in Plymouth.
02:46HMS St Albans is one of a number of the Navy's frigates that call this base home.
02:52Yes, this place is also a home to something called the RFA, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
02:57Now, it's their job to keep warships supplied whilst they are out at sea.
03:02But it also means that they have to conduct one of the most dangerous manoeuvres
03:06that a warship can undertake, as I found out.
03:13Navy warships are designed to spend the majority of their time at sea.
03:20But they need a constant supply of food...
03:24..ammunition...
03:26..and, of course, fuel, to keep them at sea and in the fight.
03:32To top up on supplies thousands of miles from home, they have two options.
03:37They can either go into port, taking them away from the action...
03:41..or call on the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
03:46At a whopping 39,000 tonnes,
03:50this is one of four tankers operated by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
03:54The folks tasked with keeping the Royal Navy at sea.
03:58With everything from sausages and beans to fuel and ammunition,
04:01if a warship needs it, this lot have got it.
04:09The massive ship I'm on today is called RFA Tide Force.
04:15Steer 230.
04:16Steer 230.
04:17Think of it as a floating petrol station and warehouse all in one,
04:23allowing Royal Navy warships to refuel and restock.
04:28And, incredibly, it all happens while they're out at sea.
04:33This place is amazing.
04:34I've got no idea what it's for, but it's impressive.
04:39This huge tanker can carry up to 19 million litres of fuel,
04:44enough to fill eight Olympic-sized swimming pools,
04:47and it's home to around 60 people.
04:50Let's pop it on.
04:52You can open that bottle just on it.
04:53Deep in the bowels of the ship,
04:55third officer Lisa Fimleysen and AB Ursula Stone
04:58are making sure the fuel inside RFA Tide Force
05:01is top quality for the world's most advanced warships.
05:07Hello.
05:08Hello.
05:09How are we?
05:10Good.
05:11This place is very cool.
05:12Right now, we're stood on top of what we call Force Centre.
05:15It's one of our big tanks.
05:16It holds about 1,100 tonnes of diesel,
05:20and Ursula here has our cargo sampler.
05:23There's just a big tape in there,
05:24so we can wind that down into the diesel in the tank.
05:27The cargo sample will fill up,
05:29and then we go run our tests up in the quality control lab.
05:32If you want to stand here...
05:33Uh-huh.
05:35This, like, clicks in there.
05:37Oh, brilliant.
05:38So, yeah.
05:38This is...
05:40Do you feel it?
05:40Yeah, yeah.
05:41It's windy.
05:42So that's going down.
05:43Yeah, that's going down into the tank.
05:45That's it?
05:46I think that's it.
05:47That's it, that's it.
05:47We're going to reuse out the sampler now,
05:50and then we're just going to pop it into our jar here.
05:53OK.
05:53Now we're going to run a series of tests on it
05:55just to make sure it is good enough for us to issue to other ships.
05:59Excellent.
06:03Once the fuel has been tested and passed muster,
06:07it's ready to be supplied to Navy warships out at sea.
06:11And their next customer is about to arrive.
06:16That's the North-Royal-Westfalen bow coming into line with our stern.
06:21But that isn't a Royal Navy vessel.
06:24On their way is a German warship.
06:27New course.
06:29Two, two, zero.
06:30You're approaching.
06:31Captain Peter Spaulding is overseeing the difficult and dangerous task
06:36of aligning the two ships out on the English Channel.
06:41Hello, sir.
06:42Hello, JJ.
06:43I'm mightily impressed by this ship.
06:45This is a tanker.
06:46Yeah, this is a tanker.
06:47It's essentially a floating petrol station.
06:50A petrol station on a much bigger scale.
06:52Much bigger scale, yes.
06:56Tideforce and the German warship need to sail directly alongside each other
07:00at exactly the same speed in order for the refuelling to begin.
07:04Navigate, Roger.
07:05Captain Roger.
07:06We're going to put her about 40 metres...
07:0940 metres?
07:10...off the side of us.
07:12And we will send a large hose across and then we'll pump fuel through that.
07:1640 metres doesn't sound like a lot.
07:20This highly dangerous procedure is called replenishment at sea, or RAS for short.
07:29Tideforce become guide, steer course 215. Proceed at 12 knots.
07:36Warships of this size usually stay a quarter of a mile apart for safety.
07:42That's nearly ten times the distance we'll be at today.
07:50Standby station, 500 yards astern and to haul.
07:55We are minutes away from being right up on the side.
07:59It's only 40 metres, which is like...
08:01With the magnitude and size of these vessels, it doesn't seem like a lot.
08:06But everyone seems pretty calm about it, which is quite impressive.
08:09I'm not sure I would be.
08:14The two ships must work in perfect sync.
08:17No matter how bad the weather.
08:19Incredible.
08:22Too far apart, the fuel lines can't connect.
08:26Could you indicate visually a restricting ability to manoeuvre?
08:29Too close, and they risk a huge collision.
08:35That looked like the most extraordinary and kind of intricate and difficult manoeuvre.
08:40Yeah, it really was, but they kind of make it look easy when you're in amongst it.
08:45I don't know how they do it.
08:47Anyway, here's what's still to come in the programme.
08:53I find myself in the middle of a storm.
08:56Nice big jump!
08:59As I try to survive...
09:01Let's go!
09:02...every submariner's worst fear.
09:08On the customer ship, they're dragging across our probe.
09:11And it's all hands to the pump.
09:14There's a lot of moving parts here.
09:16Including the sea.
09:17As refuelling on the unpredictable high seas begins.
09:21Starting pumping.
09:21Roger.
09:41Hello, and welcome back to Warship.
09:44Life in the Royal Navy.
09:45Now, for most new recruits who join the Navy every year,
09:49they will probably end up on a warship like this one.
09:53But some could end up as crew on a nuclear submarine.
09:57And what lies ahead for them is largely classified.
10:01What is certain, though, is that life on a submarine is potentially deadly.
10:06So the Royal Navy does everything it can to prepare submariners
10:11before they set off on their secret and dangerous missions.
10:18Britain's submarines are patrolling the oceans at all times.
10:22Diving now.
10:27Sometimes not surfacing for months,
10:30on board are the dedicated men and women of the submarine service.
10:35And every submariner's worst fear is losing power
10:39and sinking to the bottom of the ocean.
10:43Safety is the ultimate priority on modern nuclear submarines.
10:48And here at the UK's top secret submarine base on the Clyde in Scotland,
10:54I've been invited to take part in some of the training
10:57that all submariners have to do before they go on any of their dangerous patrols.
11:08At this state-of-the-art facility,
11:11submariners prepare for the worst kind of emergency,
11:16which one day could save their lives.
11:19Hiya, nice to meet you, Petty Officer Pocock.
11:21Nice to meet you too.
11:21How are you?
11:22I'm good, thank you very much.
11:23Good. Right, where we're heading then?
11:25This way, come with me.
11:26Petty Officer Pocock is in charge of making sure
11:30every submariner has the skills to survive the unthinkable.
11:36If something goes wrong, that's kind of curtains.
11:40There's no way out.
11:41Hundreds of metres underwater.
11:44We can't phone an ambulance, can't phone a fire brigade.
11:47No-one's coming to help you, it's just you and your crew.
11:51It's a terrifying scenario.
11:53But if a submarine is stricken underwater,
11:56the crew's best chance of survival
11:58is reaching the surface entirely on their own.
12:02And I'm about to discover how it's done.
12:05Feet are in. Yeah.
12:06Down up for us.
12:07The first orders given in an emergency
12:10would be to put on an escape suit
12:12that would help me reach the surface.
12:15Make sure the zip's all the way up to the top, all right?
12:17Yeah.
12:17That's going to stop the water from getting on.
12:18Yeah.
12:18You're in a hood there.
12:19This is obviously just to keep you nice and warm.
12:21Blow for your yellow push-fit connector,
12:23which inflates your life jacket.
12:25That gives you buoyancy to get up to the surface.
12:28Most submarines are equipped with two escape hatches
12:32with capacity for one or two people.
12:35We'll have our outer hood up over the top,
12:38which gives us a breathable amount of air.
12:42The compartment is designed to fill with water
12:45to equalise with the pressure outside.
12:49Submariners can then escape
12:50and begin swimming to the surface
12:52with help from the escape suit's buoyancy.
12:57It's incredibly cramped in here,
12:59but the only safe way to evacuate from deep underwater.
13:03Oh, it's quite close to the boat, isn't it?
13:08Come in.
13:09As the water rises,
13:11breathable air comes from a supply inside the escape suit.
13:17Grab hold of the ladder in front of you.
13:18Hold yourself down.
13:20So that you don't float up to the top.
13:22Yep.
13:25You're kicking me up!
13:28I'm now fully submerged, and it's terrifying.
13:31It's feeling very real,
13:33like a submariner trapped on the seabed,
13:35with time running out.
13:38I now have to open the escape hatch and begin my ascent.
13:42Fortunately for me,
13:43we're not actually at the bottom of the ocean,
13:45and I cannot imagine how scary that would be.
13:52It was panic-inducing as the water rose up.
13:55Yeah.
13:56I was quite glad you were in there.
14:02But just like submariners who make it to the surface,
14:05my ordeal isn't over yet.
14:09Submarine!
14:12Nice big jump!
14:20After surviving the escape hatch,
14:23the crew would face a race against time
14:25to be found by search and rescue,
14:27especially if a storm was raging.
14:30This pool safely simulates bad weather out at sea,
14:34wind, rain, lightning, and huge waves.
14:41Our instructions are to try to join up into one group
14:45which would make us more visible to search and rescue.
14:50But I'm struggling to swim in my escape suit.
14:53It's hampering my visibility and draining my energy.
15:01Once joined up as a group,
15:03we all need to work together to reach the life raft
15:05that has also been floated to the surface.
15:09To conserve energy against the power of the waves,
15:12I'm told to swim on my back.
15:24With my muscles aching and lungs straining for air,
15:27I finally reach the safety of the raft and haul myself inside.
15:39I'm exhausted, but very relieved.
15:44Enjoy that?
15:44Oddly, I sort of did.
15:46It's an amazing buzz,
15:47and there must be an extraordinary survival instinct
15:51that kicks in.
15:52I don't know what steel you're made out of,
15:54but it's a lot stronger steel than most people, aren't you?
15:57They say.
15:59Having gone through the training today,
16:01it is utterly terrifying and incomprehensible.
16:05But if you want to understand what it is to be a submariner,
16:11to know what they might have to do to survive
16:16should anything really dramatic go wrong,
16:20was a real eye out there.
16:25That was pretty hairy,
16:27and quite the way to get an insight
16:29into what it takes to be a submariner.
16:31I mean, it was an adrenaline rush for me,
16:34but my goodness,
16:35the level of courage you must have to have
16:38to undertake a job like that
16:41several hundred metres below the surface of the sea
16:44is unimaginable.
16:46Yeah, it really is.
16:47But speaking of perilous jobs at sea,
16:49you might remember a little earlier in the programme
16:51I was out on RFA Tide Force.
16:53It was just about to refuel a NATO warship
16:56that was sailing just 40 metres off its side.
17:09RFA Tide Force is sailing in the English Channel.
17:12Steady on Rascourse 215 at 12.
17:17Alongside, just 40 metres away,
17:20is a 7,200 tonne German warship in need of fuel.
17:24Ready for replenishment.
17:28Captain Peter Spaulding must keep both ships
17:30travelling at exactly the same speed and direction.
17:34Not only a complex manoeuvre,
17:36but also incredibly dangerous.
17:38There's absolutely an element of risk.
17:41Two very big, heavy ships, very close together.
17:43There's lots of ropes, wires.
17:45It's quite complex seamanship in position.
17:47Before any refuelling can begin,
17:50the two ships need to be connected.
17:52Oh, look, he's got the harpoon.
17:54He's got the red helmet on.
17:56The Germans first need to fire a line over to Tide Force
18:00to become a guide rope for the fuel nozzle.
18:04Both vessels are moving at high speed,
18:06fighting gusts of wind and a strong current.
18:10So this shot needs to be pinpoint accurate.
18:13That is quite the responsibility.
18:15Here he goes.
18:21Oh, do you know what?
18:22He's nailed that.
18:24What a shot.
18:29With both ships successfully connected,
18:31the fuel hose can now be sent across.
18:34And we've got an audience.
18:42If you just look off the bow of the German ship,
18:46see some dolphins?
18:47What?
18:49They're a routine part of RAS, are they?
18:51You see them quite commonly, yes.
18:55Steer 230.
18:57The longer the ships are connected,
19:00the higher the chance of a collision.
19:02Three decks below,
19:03the engineers face a race against time
19:05to safely deliver the fuel hose to the German ship.
19:09Pops are pretty good.
19:10Chief engineer Matthew Elgar is the man in charge.
19:14You know when you go to a petrol station
19:16and before you can actually start fueling,
19:17somebody has to flick a switch in the shop?
19:20Mm-hm.
19:20This is the shop.
19:21Yeah, and we don't trust the customer to do the hose themselves.
19:24Yeah, we're getting married now.
19:27The hose is sliding slowly across to the Germans.
19:30What they're doing over there on the customer ship,
19:33they're dragging across our probe.
19:36It must align perfectly to connect with the German warship
19:40as both ships battle the constant movement of the sea.
19:48What he's going to watch is the hose.
19:50See, as he goes across the hose,
19:51he's got to keep that out of the sea.
19:54There's a lot of moving parts here.
19:56Yeah, there is, yeah.
19:56Including the sea.
19:58Can you see that bell shape?
20:00Sort of like a circle you can see from here.
20:03That's the fuel cap.
20:05Effectively, yeah, if you like, yeah.
20:07Once it's in and engaged,
20:08the fuel pressure actually helps keep it in.
20:10So, like, it's held in there.
20:17With the hose connected,
20:2030,000 litres of fuel is ready to begin pumping.
20:26Is there a big red button to press or something?
20:28Push that button right now if you want.
20:30What's that? Simple as that button there.
20:31The King Amos.
20:32Oh, there you go.
20:33Starring pumping.
20:35Roger.
20:38This pump is capable of transferring
20:41up to 600 tonnes of fuel per hour.
20:44Ships that are off course at starboard by five degrees.
20:48Navigate, Roger.
20:51With the refuel underway,
20:53both vessels must steer in sync
20:55to avoid ripping the fuel line apart.
20:57Make your course.
20:59Two, two, zero.
21:00Bussel in, Roger.
21:03There could be other ships or traffic ahead of us.
21:07Therefore, we need to manoeuvre together
21:09to keep the ship on a safe course.
21:11Both ships are sort of under your command at this point, right?
21:14Yeah.
21:16Both ships must turn together while still connected.
21:21OK, you're looking pretty steady there.
21:22Yeah.
21:22Every second, tiny corrections are made
21:25to keep them exactly in line.
21:27Steady, two, two, five.
21:31Navigate, off to the watch.
21:32Steady, two, three, zero.
21:34Navigate, we're good.
21:37The pump's pretty good.
21:38Yeah.
21:39Two and a half bar.
21:42Everyone's very calm.
21:45Practiced, professional.
21:46Yeah, I like it.
21:51Mars complete.
21:5430,000 litres of fuel has now been transferred
21:57to the German warship,
21:59and the hose can be disconnected.
22:05Job done.
22:06And at the end of it all,
22:08Captain waves them off.
22:09A nice cheery wave goodbye.
22:11Look at the lads.
22:14Edwidessein, is that?
22:15Is that goodbye in German?
22:19That was an incredible process.
22:21It is remarkable to think
22:22we have just refuelled that ship at sea.
22:25And now it is ready to go anywhere
22:26to do just about anything,
22:28even fight a war.
22:30And it's all thanks to the RFA.
22:36That was very cool.
22:38I mean, just to be able to refuel at sea
22:41as you're going along.
22:43I mean, I'm dreaming of the day
22:45that I could plug into a petrol tanker
22:47as I'm driving along the M6,
22:49never have to stop a service station again.
22:51Yeah, but I mean,
22:52as congested as the English Channel is,
22:55there's a lot more traffic on the M6.
22:57That's fair.
22:57But it would save you a lot of time.
22:58It would save a lot of time,
22:59but possibly create the traffic jam from hell.
23:04Here's what's coming up on the rest of the programme.
23:09After the events of 9-11 sparked war in Afghanistan...
23:14It's good to see you, dude.
23:16...JJ reunites with his fellow Marines
23:18almost 25 years since serving in the conflict.
23:22One of the things about being a Royal Marine Commandant
23:24is that you're ready.
23:25You're constantly ready.
23:28And our man Dwayne heads over to Yeovleton Air Station...
23:31Merlin 10 miles to land runway 26.
23:33...to find out just what it takes
23:35for rookie air traffic controllers
23:37to secure their place
23:38on the Royal Navy's aircraft carriers.
23:40He's got a Merlin coming across here.
23:42At the same time,
23:42he's got a civilian aircraft coming in for runway 26.
23:44That's coming in quite fast.
24:06Welcome back to the show.
24:08Now, what's coming up next is a little bit different,
24:11and a lot closer to home.
24:1325 years ago, Britain entered the war in Afghanistan.
24:17That conflict lasted 20 years
24:20and cost the lives of 457 armed forces personnel.
24:26Yes, and I was very nearly one of them.
24:28Now, you will have heard me refer to what happened to me in Afghanistan
24:31back in 2011 throughout the series,
24:34but this is the full story,
24:36as well as the story of those I was injured with
24:38and those that gave their lives.
24:42They really did it.
24:44September 11th, 2001.
24:49The World Trade Center was attacked by terrorists from Al Qaeda.
24:53This latest terrorist strike raises urgent questions
24:57about Al Qaeda's capabilities and its plans.
25:00A war on terror was quickly declared.
25:06And within weeks,
25:07troops were on the ground in Afghanistan.
25:15In early 2011,
25:17myself and my Unit 4-2 Commando
25:19received our final brief
25:21just days before we deployed to Afghanistan.
25:24I was nervous, excited.
25:26Quite frankly, I was ready.
25:28And the Marines either side of me were too.
25:33Seven miles north of Plymouth, Bickley Barracks,
25:36is where I lived and trained as a Marine,
25:39right up to my deployment.
25:40This was our accommodation block for J Company.
25:43This is where I said goodbye to my mum and dad, my girlfriend,
25:47the day we deployed to Afghanistan.
25:49Living with me back then
25:50was Canadian-born Royal Marine medic Cassidy Little.
25:55It's good to see you, dude.
25:57You too, man.
25:58You too.
25:59You look good.
26:00Yeah, you too, man.
26:02Welcome home.
26:04I bet I haven't been here in a long time.
26:06Yeah.
26:08We received our orders to deploy at the same time.
26:12Getting ready to go to Afghanistan.
26:14Can you remember how you felt when it came that day?
26:17Do you know what?
26:18One of the things about being a Royal Marine commander
26:19is that you're ready.
26:21You're constantly ready.
26:22It's something that basic training teaches you to be.
26:25My expectations of Afghanistan were managed from my first tour.
26:28What it would smell like.
26:30I knew what it would taste like in my mouth.
26:32I knew what it would sound like.
26:33I knew what the heat would feel like.
26:35Things that some of the other guys may not have experienced.
26:38Because it was my first tour, but like you, I was ready.
26:42When I arrived in Afghanistan, our checkpoint, you were already there.
26:46We had surmised that we were like,
26:48wherever they send Cass is going to be the worst place.
26:51And there you were standing like,
26:53Hey guys!
26:55And all of us were just like,
26:57Oh no.
26:58I tell that story so often.
27:07We were joining nearly 10,000 British troops on the ground.
27:12As part of Operation Herrick 14,
27:15to take the fight to Al Qaeda and the Taliban
27:17after the tragedies of 9-11.
27:25The fighting was fierce.
27:29Royal Marines were deployed across Helmand province.
27:32Our orders were simple.
27:34To head out on patrol and take the fight to the enemy.
27:43After weeks on the ground, on the 27th of May 2011,
27:47we received intelligence that insurgents had set up a bomb making factory.
27:52Our orders were to take it out.
27:57We made our way inside the factory compound.
28:02And shortly after, an improvised explosive device, or IED, detonated.
28:11Both Cassidy and I were caught in the blast.
28:14I felt everything.
28:15And I was like, what the hell's happened?
28:17And then it was like the echoing of the thud.
28:19It's like deep, evil sound.
28:22Sort of was like, ooh.
28:23And that was like, oh, you've been blown up.
28:31I didn't hear the boom.
28:32Yeah.
28:33I didn't hear the boom.
28:34I opened my eyes and I saw the dust and smoke swirling above me.
28:39And I remember having that thought of, why am I on the ground?
28:42And then I heard screaming.
28:44And it was coming from my left.
28:45I'd wager that was me.
28:48The Marines we were on patrol with kept us alive long enough
28:52for a casualty evacuation, or CASIVAC, to Camp Bastion,
28:57where teams of specialists saved our lives.
29:00But we would never be the same.
29:03I have an amputation of my leg below the knee on the right side.
29:09Two fractures of my lower leg on the left side.
29:12I've got soft tissue damage above the knee on both legs.
29:16I had a double fracture of my pelvis.
29:18A mild traumatic brain injury.
29:20I had one of those too.
29:21That's good stuff.
29:22Yeah.
29:29But as we were lying in intensive care,
29:32our comrades still had a war to fight.
29:35Hi.
29:36Good to see you.
29:37Good to see you, pal.
29:39Major Steve McCulley was the officer in charge of our company.
29:44Here we go.
29:45This is our turn.
29:46Oh, yeah.
29:47There, there's you.
29:48He was 200 metres away when the IED went off.
29:52I initially thought, is it an IED with an ambush follow-up?
29:56The icon radio that we used to listen to the Taliban communications
29:59that our interpreters had was on permanent send.
30:02Yeah.
30:03So we're listening to you guys screaming in pain.
30:06Yeah.
30:06And we think that's the Taliban over the other side of the wall
30:09about to kind of finish you off.
30:11Yeah.
30:11So I, I said to one of the other guys, get the lads ready.
30:14We need to get over there.
30:15So we're trying to get around as soon as we can.
30:18Fortunately, it wasn't.
30:19And we could get you guys Kazi back.
30:23The day after Cassidy and myself were blown up,
30:26with the mission still needing to be completed and Taliban presence high in the area,
30:32Steve stepped back out on patrol.
30:35What was it like going out on the ground the next day?
30:39That's tough, but you've got to go out and you've got to do it again.
30:43There isn't a day where you do not patrol.
30:45Irrespective of what had gone on, we needed to go and do our job.
30:49And the main effort was securing new checkpoints and bridges.
30:53And that was a great success.
30:54Hmm.
30:55Despite some, you know, tragic injuries and loss of life.
31:03Moments after the Marines left the safety of the base,
31:06the enemy struck again.
31:09And this time they had Steve in the crosshairs.
31:12We had eyes on a couple of guys that were acting suspiciously,
31:15but at that point there was no immediate threat.
31:17We were crossing an irrigation ditch and they triggered the IED that injured me.
31:23They'd specifically targeted me.
31:25They knew who I was.
31:31The next time I would see you, I was in the hospital bed
31:34and it was very clear that you were in a bad way.
31:39I saw you die twice.
31:41And I saw your family being brought to say goodbye to you.
31:45But you would never tell it.
31:47Yeah.
31:48Yeah.
31:48I was lucky, I suppose.
31:50I'm one of the four limners, as they say, you know,
31:52because I still had all my limbs.
31:53But my major injury was chest,
31:56because it was a directional fragmentation charge.
31:58So rather than stepping on it, it was buried in the side.
32:02So all the shrapnel.
32:03Yeah.
32:04Went all down my right-hand side.
32:05I had a big hole there.
32:06Kind of tore the right-hand side of my chest apart.
32:12It took three years for Steve to recover from the IED blast.
32:27Whilst all three of us were left with life-changing injuries,
32:32tragically, some of our comrades never came home.
32:38The IED that injured myself and Cassidy claimed the lives of Lieutenant Oliver Augustine,
32:45who had just turned 23,
32:47and 28-year-old Marine Sam Alexander,
32:50who had already been awarded the Military Cross.
32:55See up there?
32:56Uh-huh.
32:57Sam, who quite honestly was my hero,
33:01was laid to rest here in the cemetery by Bickley Barracks.
33:06Husband, father, son, brother, comrade, best friend.
33:12Oh, mate.
33:18It's a weird one.
33:19Before we went ashore, you know, Sam and I were sat there.
33:23I asked about the Military Cross.
33:24That's awarded to our most heroic, right?
33:28And when I asked him about it,
33:29he didn't like the idea that he would be seen as being any more heroic
33:32than anybody he's ever fought shoulder-to-shoulder with.
33:35That's the legend that we're talking about.
33:41He was rated as one of the best Marines in the company.
33:46Forever our hero, right?
33:47Yeah, man.
33:54Sam and Ollie gave their lives during Operation Herrick 14.
33:58And mine and Cass and Steve's story is just one story
34:02that is echoed by over 1,000 service personnel
34:06who were wounded during the Afghan campaign,
34:08along with 457 men and women who gave their lives.
34:13All gone, but never forgotten.
34:23That was profoundly moving.
34:25And, you know, I know that you train specifically to go into combat,
34:30to cope with situations like that,
34:32but is there any training that can prepare you
34:35for the loss of your best friend?
34:36Yeah, I mean, they made us to be pretty robust,
34:40but I will carry the scars, both physically and mentally,
34:44of that conflict for the rest of my life.
34:47But I do believe that it's kind of necessary, sadly, in the world,
34:51that there are men and women who are ready to serve
34:54and sacrifice like Sam Alexander did.
34:56But I also know that I've been extremely well looked after,
34:59and, you know, on a bad day I wouldn't be able to make that film.
35:03Yeah.
35:03But on a good day with the right support, which is what I have,
35:06I am able to have this platform
35:08and to be able to, you know, tell those stories,
35:11and I'm really grateful for it.
35:13And to remember the remarkable life of somebody like Sam Alexander.
35:17Indeed.
35:18You did it beautifully. Thank you.
35:19Here's what's coming up on the rest of the programme.
35:25Merlin, ten miles to land, runway 266.
35:27Our man, Dwayne Fields...
35:29He's got a Merlin coming across here.
35:31At the same time he's got a civilian aircraft coming in.
35:33..is with air traffic controllers destined for the front line.
35:38So, right now, we've got one coming in just from the southeast,
35:40about eight miles.
35:41Is that old?
35:42So, out to the east that way.
35:43So, completely the opposite direction.
35:44Yeah.
35:45The approach for runway 266.
35:46Brilliant.
36:08Welcome back.
36:09Now, the Royal Navy has so many amazing career opportunities,
36:12thanks to the fact it's such a massive institution.
36:15Now, some of them are the obvious ones, like being a chef or a navigator, an engineer,
36:20the type of thing that you would expect is required to keep a warship at sea.
36:24Some of them, well, they're perhaps a little bit less predictable
36:27because they involve aircraft in the air, as Dwayne Fields found out.
36:40You might not expect it, but the Royal Navy has a long association,
36:44not just with the sea, but with the sky.
36:51Since the First World War,
36:56the Navy has taken to the skies,
36:58with helicopters and high-speed fighter jets a central part of Royal Navy operations.
37:07Getting them airborne and ensuring they land safely after their mission
37:11is the job of Royal Navy air traffic controllers.
37:15Pascal 2-2, theatre land.
37:18Today, I've come to Yolverton Air Station to see where that journey begins.
37:24This might all look familiar to you,
37:26and buildings like this one behind me, you'll have seen at your local airport.
37:30The only difference is the aircraft they control,
37:34like the ones you can air behind me,
37:36might be carrying missiles or marines
37:38and destined for a dangerous mission.
37:43Hello, how are you doing?
37:44John, nice to hear you.
37:46How are you going?
37:46Yeah, good.
37:47Mate, what a view.
37:51Experienced air traffic controller,
37:53Chief Petty Officer Jonathan Brinley,
37:58has controlled aircraft on one of the Navy's biggest warships,
38:02HMS Prince of Wales.
38:03But now, he's getting others ready to follow in his footsteps.
38:08Is it very different being here
38:10than maybe being on board one of the aircraft carriers?
38:13Yeah, it's vastly different here.
38:16You've got 7,500 feet of runway.
38:18A carrier, you've got 900 feet.
38:20So the stakes go up in regards to there.
38:25Air traffic controllers learn the ropes here at Yolverton,
38:28where the team must safely manage
38:30around 15,000 takeoffs and landings every year.
38:34Berlin, 10 miles to land, runway 266.
38:36Today is a busy day on the airfield,
38:39and air traffic controller Dominic Hodge
38:41is being put through his paces.
38:43Corner 39, we're covering the floor. Roger.
38:45If he can prove he has what it takes here,
38:47then he can achieve his dream
38:49of being deployed on an aircraft carrier.
38:54One of the most hazardous places to work in the world,
38:57with jets, helicopters, fuel and missiles.
39:02All in close proximity.
39:07The stakes are high for Dominic,
39:10because when things go wrong at sea,
39:12it can be life-threatening.
39:16In 2025, the American aircraft carrier,
39:20USS Harry S. Truman,
39:21was deployed to the Middle East
39:23to help protect shipping from terrorist attacks.
39:30But it was the danger on board,
39:32which proved most costly.
39:33An F-18 Super Hornet fighter jet aboard the Truman
39:37has ended up at the bottom of the Red Sea.
39:40The jet was coming in to land
39:41when it failed to catch the wire,
39:43sending a $70 million aircraft overboard.
39:49Today at Yolvulton,
39:51Dominic's first challenge
39:52would be to land an incoming Merlin helicopter.
39:55That's proved the wind's still calm.
39:58With the pilot's safety in his hands,
40:00he must avoid any distraction,
40:02including from me.
40:04So right now, we've got one coming in
40:05just from the southeast, about eight miles.
40:08So where would that be compared to where we're looking?
40:10Is that all...
40:11So out to the east that way,
40:12so completely the opposite direction.
40:13Yeah, that's brilliant.
40:14The approach for runway 26.
40:15Brilliant.
40:169-4 Master Land, runway 26.
40:19Air jet-3-6-1-D, let's cut.
40:24His job now is to scan the whole runway,
40:27look out for birds, any hazards,
40:29anything he can perceive as a threat to the aircraft landing,
40:31and then he'll issue a clearance
40:33to give the aircraft permission to land.
40:35Three miles, commander 1-0,
40:36clear to land runway 26.
40:39Roger, copy.
40:41Commander 1-0, clear to land runway 26.
40:46Next, it's going to come along,
40:48and now it's going to do a hover check in front of the tower.
40:51And then it's going to allow itself
40:52just to perform a bit of stabilisation manoeuvres
40:54before it eventually then lands.
40:56That's OK.
41:01With the Merlin safely down,
41:03it's about to get even trickier for Dominic.
41:09A civilian aircraft and a Merlin helicopter
41:12have requested to land at the same time.
41:15So we've got something inbound now.
41:18He's got a Merlin coming across here.
41:20At the same time,
41:21he's got a civilian aircraft coming in for runway 26.
41:24That's coming in low.
41:25That's coming in quite fast.
41:31He's trying to keep it moving at the same time.
41:35He's got another aircraft now calling up down there,
41:37ready to manoeuvre.
41:40Dominic's already dealing with two inbound aircraft,
41:42but now another Merlin has radioed a tower
41:45needing to take off.
41:47We've got three things going on.
41:49One taking off,
41:50one helicopter coming in to land,
41:51and a civilian airplane coming in to land as well.
41:57Helicopters can hover.
41:58Planes can't.
42:00So Dominic needs to get the civilian aircraft down first.
42:06Dominic orders the military helicopters
42:08to hold their positions.
42:11And once the civilian aircraft is down,
42:14the helicopter that's been patiently hovering
42:16is brought in to land.
42:18Merlin, three miles to land, runway 26.
42:20Project copy.
42:29With the skies now clear,
42:31Dominic can direct the final Merlin to take off.
42:34You'll be on the plane for the plane, Joe.
42:46It's a textbook performance,
42:48helping Dominic move one step closer
42:50to doing this job on a Royal Navy aircraft carrier.
42:55This is a side of the Royal Navy I never knew existed.
42:59These people are so impressive,
43:01calmly controlling 100 million pound jets and helicopters
43:04whilst under so much pressure.
43:06I can't imagine how you do this
43:08whilst at sea on a moving runway.
43:10These guys are clearly some of the best in the world.
43:16I had never really associated aircraft with the Royal Navy before.
43:21Yeah, and we're talking about over 100 aircraft
43:23and several thousand personnel.
43:25So it's no small operation.
43:27As we saw, it's pretty challenging,
43:28trying to set something down on the deck
43:30of one of these things in a high sea.
43:32It's pretty impressive.
43:33It really is.
43:34Well, sadly, that's all we've got time for on today's programme.
43:37But here's what's coming up on our next extraordinary insight
43:41into life in the Royal Navy.
43:45Next time...
43:46The ship was going over, fires everywhere,
43:49and water was coming in the port side, and we were listing.
43:52JJ finds out about the last British warship to be lost in battle.
43:57I found myself on the deck tied up in wires,
44:00and I thought that this was my lot.
44:02This was where I'd end my life.
44:05Dwayne is in deep water facing the challenge of his life.
44:09It's a very high-stress environment.
44:11What could go wrong?
44:13Trapped underwater with just seconds to escape.
44:16Freeze, freeze, freeze!
44:17Before he runs out of air.
44:22And even as HMS Dragon braves a huge storm...
44:26The whole of the upper deck is now out of bounds.
44:29The ship will roll heavily.
44:33Below decks, standards must still be upheld.
44:36That is a lot of hair.
44:39Absolute.
44:41We'll see you then.
44:43Bye.
44:45And that's new warship Life in the Royal Navy
44:48next Wednesday at 8.
44:49If you or someone you know has been affected
44:52by anything in tonight's programme,
44:54head to channel5.com slash helplines
44:56for information and support.
44:59Next, the list of suspects is long,
45:01but who ultimately betrayed Anne Boleyn?
45:03A brand new Inside the Tower of London special
45:05reveals all after the break.
45:07***
45:07...
45:08...
45:10We are all here.
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