Deadly angels
BBC2, 9pm CAPTAIN Tom Legge is one of the Army’s “guardian angels”. While his colleagues train Iraqi army units, he is armed and ready to shoot down anyone who turns rogue.
It’s a legitimate fear, especially since some Iraqis had families who were killed by British soldiers during the war.
“I can see their side,” says one soldier.
But Capt Legge is practical about the job he and other guardian angels must do.
He says: “One of the ways we look at it is to be charming to every single person we meet and work with, but to always have a plan to kill them.”
It’s a shocking thing to hear, especially said so nonchalantly, but indicative of the challenges faced by the British Army at a testing time of change. This documentary series is immediately absorbing as it gives exclusive frontline access to the British Army, whether it’s rank and file soldiers or those in charge. Filmed over 18 months, it explains the difficulties with fighting wars when we are not actually at war. With the rise of Isis, the threat of a cold war in Eastern Europe and famine and conflict in Africa, the Army have to play a vital role in a deeply unstable world, while also tackling recruiting and budgetary problems.
“Afghanistan has taken a horrendous toll on our regiment,” says one soldier.
“You’ll struggle to find anyone who hasn’t lost a friend.”
In this episode, we follow the battle for Mosul, as the Army return to Iraq to help the locals defeat the Isis butchers. But not everyone trusts the soldiers.