Description
Physical description
Gloves: pair of gloves made of two-colour desert DPM printed chamois leather with a padded outer panel. Both gloves are fastened at the wrist with an adjustable strap made of dark tan nylon with a khaki plastic one-piece friction buckle. Both gloves show much wear and sweat-staining, the right with holes and tears caused in action.
History note
These gloves were worn by a soldier serving with 1 Royal Anglian in Afghanistan.
The 1st Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment (The Vikings) were deployed to Helmand Province in Afghanistan from March to October 2007. During the tour, noted for some of the most ferocious fighting experienced by the British Army since the Korean war, the Vikings lost nine men killed and a further 57 wounded. Participating in 350 engagements with Taliban forces (the average soldier experienced 40 contacts), over 1000 of the enemy were killed by 1 R Anglian's Battlegroup, which initially incorporated Estonian and Danish Recce troops. To quote the C.O., Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Carver, 'A policy of taking the fight to the enemy and penetrating the Green Zone where he had previously considered himself to be secure paid dividends. This was a challenging environment in which to fight. Locating the enemy, casualty evacuation, re-supply and the physical demands of both the extreme climate and such difficult terrain all added to the complexity. To the rifle platoons the fighting was no different to conventional warfare conducted by British Infantry numerous times over the past 100 years. The intensity of the fighting was best illustrated by the use of over 500 HE (high explosive) grenades and the regular employment of the bayonet during the tour.'
Whilst being successful on the battlefield, 1 R Anglian's reputation was further enhanced by the number of reconstruction projects that were effectively completed in Sangin. These included: working on improving irrigation; repairs to electricity transformers; clearing bomb-damage; constructing wells; opening schools and medical clinics. The latter projects especially were invaluable in earning the confidence of the local population, who later evidently supplied vital information that proved useful in the fight against the Taliban.
Among the awards bestowed on the Battalion were one Distinguished Service Order, six Military Crosses, five Mentions in Dispatches, 15 Commendations awarded from the Joint Commander Afghanistan, and a further 47 Commendations from the Commander British Forces.