Description
Physical description
Goggles, strap and cover: pair of protective yellow lenses made of plastic, mounted in black plastic frames with rubber cushioning. The goggles have an adjustable black elasticated strap and a tube of black fabric is attached, being able to be threaded over the goggles when not worn. A length of white tape is attached to the strap. The goggles show signs of wear and the plastic bridge is snapped, being a stress-point.
History note
These goggles were worn by Private T A Cox, who served in 5 Platoon, B (Suffolk) Company, 1 Royal Anglian ('The Vikings') in Afghanistan, from March to October 2007.
B Company's first task after arriving at Camp Bastion in April was to participate in Operation SILICON - to clear the Taliban north of Gereshk, in an area previously known by the Royal Marines as an enemy stronghold. Numerous Taliban, located in well defended positions, were killed on the first day. After rest, B Company pushed on in the drive to force the Taliban out of its area, north of Sangin town (Operation LASTAY KULANG). Anticipating to be in action for 4 - 6 days the battle in fact went on for a month, the fighting taking place in dense and difficult terrain. In the first days the Company lost one killed and 14 wounded, but cleared the enemy out of what he believed was an impregnable area.
After a brief three weeks' defensive patrolling in Nowzad in the north-west of Helmand province, the Company was redeployed, this time north of Sangin to force the Taliban out of the Green Zone and into the fire of A (Norfolk) Company. However, the enemy fought a stubbornly for five days, B Company fighting at close quarters in temperatures of 55 degrees for up to 16 hours per day. Despite taking serious casualties the Company completed its task, killing subsantial numbers of Taliban.
Pulled out to provide protection for an irrigation project, the next task was to move to Kajaki, in the north-east. There the Company patrolled from a Forward Operational Base (FOB Zeebrugge), until the end of their tour, but still under fire most days. It was in this period that the Company lost three men tragically killed by 'friendly fire' with a further two seriously injured.
The deployment although at some cost was a resounding success for the Vikings. To quote the Commanding Officer, 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.'
Applied by hand in black ink to the white tape attached to the strap.
25161034 PTE COX