dropping thousand pound bombs
and everything, uh, everything went well.
It was almost benign on
Pretty much immediately
there was an almighty
flames coming out of the left
And certainly at the time I
by an air-to-ground, a
which was, we knew
further to the south of us.
The, and so we turned
but pretty much as soon
coming out of the left
actually going home that night.
We knew we weren't going home.
Squadron Leader Bob Ankerson was forced to eject from his Tornado GR 1 when on a mission over Basra during Operation GRANBY in January 1991. Bob was one of seven RAF servicemen to be captured and held as a prisoner of war in Baghdad. They were finally released in March, days after the end of the war.
Iraq
| Role Navigator | Rank Sqdn Ldr | Age 28 |
I spent most of my time in captivity in solitary confinement.
Sqdn. Ldr. Bob AnkersonI found myself hanging under a parachute for the first time in my life.
Bob Ankerson
All of a sudden you're just two bodies lost in the desert
John PetersI spent seven weeks getting the shit kicked out of me
John Peters
Unless I tell him something I'm going to die.
Robbie StewartThey beat us with their pistol butts
John Peters
Once you see the missile you have 3.5 seconds until impact.
David WaddingtonThe Red Cross put themselves in great danger, with only a badge for protection.
Sqdn. Ldr. Bob AnkersonThey took my gun and both my watches, but they didn't find the gold.
Robbie StewartWe just don't know how you're not dead
John Peters
