iT has been disclosed that a 22-year-old Army Captain from Looe took command of the operation, earlier this month, to rescue six members of the 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment, from the rebel militia West Side Boys in Sierra Leone.
Capt Danny Matthews, aide-de-camp to the commander, Major Matthew Lowe, was ordered to take over command of the company after Major Lowe was wounded by shrapnel. The rebels had just over a minute from when they heard the helicopters to prepare to defend themselves - but their every move over the previous week had been watched by SAS men.
As battle raged from the air and on the ground the SAS freed the hostages. Meanwhile, on the South Bank of Rokel Creek Capt Matthews and his fellow soldiers waded up to their midriffs for at least ten minutes, each man weighed down by as much as 60lb of kit. They then had to hack their way through 150ft of jungle to reach the camp.
The platoon successfully took its first objective - a crumbling one story building - but came under heavy fire as they approached the second. A mortar bomb exploded in front of the men, injuring seven. Among the wounded was Major Lowe.