"Lob a flashbang." "Go!" "Surveillance..." "You were there on surveillance?" "Sir." "Imagine if you'd been there to shoot people." "Not good, Aidan." "No, sir." "We're left With a damage limitation exercise." "Quite a challenging one." "There is, after all, rather a lot of damage." "They were French Special Forces, armed, in the UK, unannounced." "Yes." "Plan A - blame the French." "It's always worked in the past." "Bit of a stink about the girl, though." "One of ours." " why was she on the ship?" " She's a captain from Det." "Even so, girls in body bags..." "She's still alive." "You'd better pray she stays that way." "'The clamour for an inquiry gained momentum 'when government backbenchers 'joined the call for a full and frank Whitewash-free inquiry 'into the friendly fire incident on motor vessel Dowager Joan.'" "Are you family?" "Family?" "No." "How is she today?" "Same as yesterday." " Sleeping beauty." " Been here long?" " About an hour." " Sorry." "Didn't realise anyone was here." "Hello, my love." "Hello." " Mr walshe?" " Yes?" " I'm..." " I can guess." "I don't have anything to say to you." "Fine." "I'm..." "I'm sorry." " I just wanted to say..." " I don't care what you have to say." "Really." " Heads up." " As you were." "Prime Minister's announcing a full judicial inquiry later today." " what's that mean?" " widgery?" " Bloody Sunday." " Shit." "In a word." "Three judges." "No holds barred, no whitewash." " whole truth and nothing but." " Is that such a bad thing?" "This sort of thing brings down governments." "And they don't like that." "This inquiry means they'd rather We were brought down than them." "You face the risk of dismissals and might even go to prison." "How?" "I mean, We were just obeying orders." "So were most of the people at Nuremberg." "Treasury lawyers are on their way and Pru Banks from Ml5 to arrange statements." "If we all sing from the same hymn sheet - the French had no right to be there, the French shot first, they failed to stop shooting despite warnings, we might pull through." "If not..." " Any news on Dotsy, sir?" " walking wounded." "I'm assigning you a new troop Rupert, pro tem." "'Captain Ian Macalwain." "He'll be with you this afternoon.'" " Afternoon, Sergeant." " Sir." "Don't people salute round here?" "Um..." "No, sir." "By and large, they don't." "That was a rhetorical question." "How do you mean?" "I mean, I'm a captain and I would like to hear the occasional sir and see a salute." " Sir." " Better." "Thank you." "Now I'd like to see the personal files of Red Troop, please." "Key?" " Sir, those files are meant to be..." " Shall I come back in and start again?" "That would be another rhetorical question, sir." "I'm the new leader of Red Troop." "I would like to see the men's files, please," "Sergeant." "Caroline walshe." "Shame, that." "I hear she's a looker." "Henry Garvie." "Richard Mann." "James Dow." " Louis Hoffman." " Rather a depleted little troop." " Any chance of some coffee?" " Sir." "Black." "No sugar." "You bastard." "Jem and Louis in support of Caroline." "They see X-ray 1... produce and raise an automatic weapon." "Also witnessed by Ricky." "Yeah." "I also witnessed you kicking it off by lobbing a flashbang onto the deck." "Jem said to do it before storming the gangplank." " Why would he do that?" " Ask him." "Hey!" "He was my friend and you do not make jokes." "Are you finished?" "Jem and Louis in support of Caroline." "They see X-ray 1 produce then raise an automatic weapon." "They then shout a clear warning:" ""Army." "Drop your weapon."" "Army..." "Drop... your... weapon." "X-ray 1 then opens fire." "Why?" "Hi, Pru." "Why would a French soldier, when you've just stated, "Drop your weapon,"" "why would he go ahead and open fire?" " Why are you asking me?" " That's what the tribunal wants to know." " Are the statements ready yet?" " Er..." "No, not yet." "Um..." "Can you grab a coffee?" "We'll be with you in half an hour." "Do we have to give statements?" "How can we convince the court it was the French if we don't?" "I thought you were off to Luton to take over a TA depot." "But we don't have to give statements." "I thought you wanted to tell the truth." " I just don't want to lie." " Lie about what?" "About the fact that everyone Was gagging for a fight." "That Dotsy wasn't in control, the comms were next to useless." "That Caroline was sent back onto the ship when people knew it would kick off." "That we shot our own people?" "That you shot Caroline?" " That Louis started it all." " Men used their dicks instead of brains." " what did you say?" " You heard." " You hypocrite." " what, I'm the hypocrite?" "You were shagging the bird in Bosnia." "Hypocrite!" " who's been shagging Caroline?" " Bastard!" "Gentlemen." "I'm Captain Macalwain." "Right." "Sir." " Come." " Lan. what can I do for you?" " Red Troop are a total rabble, sir." " Deal with it." " well, I've had a few thoughts, sir." "I wonder if it might be an idea to have them profiled." " Psychologically assessed." " Are you mad?" "They kill for a living." "Some of them enjoy it." "What would your shrink make of them?" "Next idea?" " I thought maybe a rugger match." " What?" "What a very good idea." "It is a widely-held view that free speech and free enquiry underpin liberty in a democracy." "This inquiry has been established by order of both houses that we may resolve a matter of urgent public importance with regard to the shooting on the motor vessel Dowager Joan." "We are now in session." "We had infiltrated a highly dangerous and organised gang whose currency was in heroin and human beings." "Our ship was going to a mid-ocean rendezvous with the heads of this gang." "Infiltrating the gang was the work of many months." "An opportunity such as this was unrepeatable." "The more people you tell of such an operation, the more risk it will be, er..." " Compromised?" " Exactly." "That is why there was no attempt to tell British authorities that you had armed men in a British port?" "Well er... yes, but we felt we were in a harbour for maybe 48 hours, and why risk many months' work?" " we had not expected to be attacked." " From the British soldiers' perspective..." "Perspective we will share in due course." "Please, er... continue." "It was the act of a coward to attack with no warning." "So crazy for violence were they, they shot their own." "We are not trained to attack with no order." "Why would we do that?" "Why?" "There was no warning." "Men falling without..." "Men falling... without firing a shot." "I think we could be in for rather a bumpy ride." "Yes, I know." "There's no point in sending us a bloody invoice till you've sent us the bloody kit." "Another week in this office and someone's gonna get killed." " How are you doing?" " Shite, thanks." "Why aren't you back on Ops?" "Ask that bollocks." "Tell Jamie why I'm not back on Ops." " The powers that be have..." " And who are they?" " The CO." " Oh, yeah?" " My file." " How did you get that?" "Perks of being the tea lady." "Here." "A page and a half of Henno's reasons" "Why Pete Twamley should be put out to grass." "Fitness." "I could carry you over the Pen y Fan, you bastard." "Reaction speeds and judgment?" "It implies it was my fault I copped a few in Bosnia." "It was your reactions confronted with the slag you'd been shagging that cost me." "You took all the time to do this when you can barely write." "Why?" "I expect the tribunal to explain why my daughter, who is an intelligence expert and not a frontline soldier, and has not been trained in this kind of savagery," "Was allowed to be in the middle of a firefight with a pack of mad dogs and is now in a coma fighting for her life." "Come." "Henry. what can I do you for?" "It's Captain Macalwain, sir." "We're the only footballers in the regiment and he's asked us to play rugby." "And you will." "You will bloody obey orders." " Is that clear?" " Sir." "Henry..." "Sit." "Tough times." "Things are going very badly for us at the inquiry." "Very hostile. we'll be lucky to get out of this without some of us going down." "Sacrificial lambs, that sort of thing." "All this bally kerfuffle With Caroline's parents." "Well, somebody needs to get them on side." "Maybe you should talk to them." "I already did." "It didn't go too well." "Well, speak to them again." "Sir." "Tell them I'm putting her up for an MC." "And are you?" " I need to get to training." " Good man." " Dempsey." " what kind of ball is that?" " A rugger ball, old chap." " Anyone ever played this before?" " Game for upper-class poofs." " Charlie'll make up the seven." " Hi, chaps." "I, er..." "I take it you'll be playing, then, sir?" " Without me, it would be six." " What about injuries?" "There won't be any." "Pick it up, pick it up!" "Get moving." "Come on!" "Down... and hit!" "Make sure your head is clear of the ground." "Where's the ball, sir?" "Over here." "It's over here, now." "Come on!" " Ah, bollocks." " You'll get it one day, son." "Bollocks." "That's a hospital pass." "Passing to a player about to be tackled." " Yeah?" "well, that's why I did it." " Heads up." "Terrifying." "Things are going badly against us at the tribunal." "The witnesses are killing us." "You are individually and jointly in danger of indictment" "With a variety of offences up to and including murder." "Failure to appear in the witness box will only confirm the growing impression that we're guilty." "You're not just individuals." "You are part of a regiment." "My regiment." "And the regiment is under threat." "I'm asking you to appear in person in the courtroom." "Reporting restrictions will apply." "But the court will not allow you the anonymity you're used to." "Will they be asking us to do spreads for Hello!" "Magazine as well, sir?" "When your book comes out, Ricky." "I want you to give evidence." "To win them over." "That's the only thing that can turn this back our way." "Thank you." "Come back soon, Dotsy." "She looks peaceful." "Yes." "Could she stay this way?" "It's difficult to know at the moment." " Nurse?" "It's all right, Caroline." "It's all right." "Don't try to move." " Hey, hey, hey." " Relax." "Relax." "It's best if you go now." " Is she OK?" "She wants you to go." "It's OK." "It's OK." "Was there firing anywhere else before this?" "No." "Did you see who shot first?" "Yes." "It was the..." "Marcillac." "The man on deck." "Other witnesses were adamant they heard no shouted warning before firing." "They were mistaken." "There was a warning." "And then there was firing?" " Yes." " Perhaps he was firing warning shots?" "Shots are shots." "And Poynton and the SAS man on the dock, designated Soldier C, opened fire at this point." "Yeah." " No more warnings being shouted?" " It just kicked off." "There's no time for calling stuff out." "You just go on until..." " Until?" " well, until it's over." "Till you go down or run out of ammunition or the other guys go down." "You go on until you run out of ammunition?" "No orders?" "No controls?" "Just it's kicked off and you go on until you run out of ammunition?" "It all sounds rather undisciplined and wild." "It also sounds rather callous, rather indifferent to those human individuals" "Who were hurt or killed." "Lady, listen." "This Poynton bloke you're discussing, whether he did this or that." "He was my closest friend." "In my work, you do not easily admit to having friends." "In other jobs, people get transferred or sacked." "In my job, people get killed." "But he was my friend." "There's nothing callous in my thoughts about what happened that day." "My friend died because unauthorised, armed French Special Forces" "Were hanging around in a British port." "It's very easy now, now that we all know who they were." "It wasn't then." "Those armed men posed real and immediate threat to life." "We dealt with that threat." "It's what we're trained for." "We do it very well." "'The press caught my wife and I in a particularly vulnerable state.'" "Cheers." "'Because of the secret nature of Caroline's work," "'I was unaware of the true nature of what she did 'and probably said more than I ought to have." "'I'm quite happy the tribunal will clear matters up." "'I have no further comment.'" " Good old Henno." " What do you mean?" " Offering Caroline a medal." " what?" "It was Dempsey's idea." "That's just bollocks." "Are you gonna testify against the regiment?" "I dunno." " It's doing my head in." " I can't sleep." " Shall I make you a drink?" " Yeah." " OK." "You go on up." " Can Jamie take me up?" "Go on then, Jamie." "He won't bite." "Come on then, mate." " Hi." " Hi." "Is Pete in?" "No, he's not back yet." "Come in." "Hey, that's great news about Caroline, isn't it?" "Yeah." "Did I see Jamie's car outside?" "Yeah, he's upstairs." "He's reading to the kids." "So, how are things with you and Diana?" "How are things with you and Pete?" " Don't ask." " He knows I blocked his return to Ops." " Oh, my God, Henno." "I'm so sorry." " So am I." "How can you ride your bike in that state?" "Oh..." "Cosy happy families." " Drink?" " No, thanks." " Don't get sanctimonious on me, mate." " Pete!" "Are you here to ask how I got on in Luton?" "Or do you wanna check my fitness?" " Pete!" " Try me." "Go on." "Have a go, uh?" "It was me that asked him to block you!" "The loyal wife, eh?" "What are you..." "It's like the bloody waltons in here." " Right." "I'm off." " Yeah, you do that." " They're asking for you." " I'm not surprised." "I'll mind them." "They're my kids." " Are you gonna be all right?" " I'll be fine." "He'll pass out in a minute." " OK." "I'll get going." " Yeah." "I'd better..." " See ya." " Bye." "'More SAS personnel are giving statements tomorrow." "'The MoD refuse to comment while the inquiry is ongoing 'but inside sources say there have been further calls 'for the days of secrecy surrounding the 22 Regiment SAS to be ended.'" " Hey." " Jamie." " Is he in?" " No." "No." "He's away fishing till tomorrow." "Come in." " You OK?" " Yeah." "How's Mum?" " She's not home." " Jamie." "On a respite week." " Hey, mate." " Jamie, it was an accident." "Did you come to get him?" "I warned him you would." "I told him." "You are 26 years of age and currently serving with the 22nd Regiment." " Yes, sir." " How long have you been with the SAS?" "A little under a year, sir." " And before that?" " The Green Army, sir." "Regular army." "For six years." "Oh." "Very good." "And you are Soldier C Who was at the foot of the gangway when the shooting began on motor vessel Dowager Joan." "If I may, my Lord." "My client wishes to exercise his right to silence." "But you were at the dock?" "My client exercises his right to silence." "Do you have any memories you wish to share with us?" "Forgive me, my Lord." "My client wishes to exercise his right to silence." "'The little shite's torpedoed us.'" " I thought you'd told them to talk." " I'd asked them, sir." "I can't deprive them of their right to silence." "Poor leadership, Aidan." "Very bloody poor." "I've shielded you from upstairs, but now heads are going to roll." "At least the girl's woken up now." "Too bloody late to make much difference, I suspect." " Come." "Ah, Dots." "Relief column, I hope." "No." "Louis keeping silent means they Want Henno and Jamie this afternoon." "Sir, Jamie's gone awol." "He's not answering his mobile phone or his bleeper." "Nobody knows where he is." " Maybe we can juggle the witnesses." " Can't do it, sir." "I spoke to the MoD barristers." "Their Lordships will go ballistic." "And we'll look even more of a shower than we already do." "Dotsy, find him." "It's getting bloody desperate, Henry." "I thought we were on top of things." "First Louis drops us in the shite, now Jamie." "Perhaps he's offering himself up as our sacrificial lamb." " Come." "Sir, I think Jamie's gone to see his family." " where are the others?" " Henno's giving evidence," "Jamie's gone awol, Pete's gone to look for him." " what?" " Louis's here." "Louis, Louis, Louis," "Who let me do my turn on the stand, slagging my mate off to save his pathetic little arse." "All right." "Louis, run." "Ricky, chase him." "If you catch him, you can hit him." "Once." "Stay within the pitch." "Louis, go." "Ricky..." "Come here!" "I'm gonna kill you!" "Come here!" "Well, we're in luck." "There's been a delay." " A lot more forensic this morning." " How long?" "Keep me posted." "Could be our luck's turning." "Henno's not needed for an hour or two." "I'm used to him dealing with problems, but he's off the pace at the moment." " Any idea why?" " This is it." " He said he was heading to Hereford." " But he didn't." "Can you think why?" "Was it some business to settle?" "Stepfather?" "Where would Jamie find him?" " He's away fishing." " when's he back?" "Beth..." "Six feathers, right?" "Cast, sink, strike, wallop." "Fish in every feather." "None less than a pound and a half." "My, oh, my." "It's the gay hussar." "You ever... touch my brother again..." "Get off!" "Get off me!" "Come on, you bastard!" "Come on!" " And again." " Come on!" "Hey." "Hey." "Hey!" "Heads up!" "Hey." "Look at me!" "Look at me!" "You ever touch them again..." "I will kill you." "Jamie?" "Pete?" "In the car." "I thought you weren't fit." "That's a matter of opinion, boss." "May I ask you, Sergeant?" "Would the expression "keep on shooting until you run out of ammunition"" "be an SAS byword?" "We're usually brought in When a situation has to be resolved" "With the use of violence." "In those circumstances, we are agressive and robust." "If you hesitate..." "You might find out it's a French special forces unit you're up against." "Did the firefight just happen or were there decisions involved?" "There were decisions." "However, decisions made in that environment can't really be judged in the same context as decisions made in the peace and quiet of a courtroom." "I believe a bullet from your weapon Wounded Captain Caroline walshe." "That bullet was not from my weapon, sir." "Our forensic report says it was from your weapon." " That is incorrect, sir." " well, you are Soldier A." "Sir." "And the bullet fired by Soldier A hit John Lamaison, caught the rib, followed the curvature and left the body at 35 degrees." " were these notes handed to your team?" " Er..." "Yes, my Lord, they were, but there wasn't time to communicate that information." "You are telling this court you failed to tell your client that he fired the bullet that shot down and seriously injured one of his people?" "Er..." "Yes, my Lord." "I'm afraid that is the case." "That's very shoddy." "Perhaps it would be unkind to press this matter." "Shall we come back to Soldier A later?" "I'm fine, sir." "If I may, my Lord." "So be it." "You all submitted statements." "Yes." ""I shot him because he posed a genuine threat to myself and my colleagues." ""I shouted two clear warnings then opened fire."" "Do you recognise that?" "That is my statement." "Well, no, actually." "That is the statement of Soldier B." "But I can understand the confusion as all the statements are uncannily alike." "Did you collaborate on their production at all?" "No, ma'am." "The court turning out as stressful as the battlefield after all." "Now, Soldier A, I think you should seriously consider your position now." "Is it true you got Henno to tell Captain Walshe's parents she's up for a gong?" "Ah." "The truth thing again." "Yes, I did." "Do we hand out medals for killing allies?" "It would be a first, Jamie." "Is there anything you wouldn't do for this regiment?" "No." "Good luck in the witness box." " However you decide to play it." " Sir." "So you believe you're always acting within the guidelines?" "And any suggestion that you, because of your training, might have been overeager to get involved, as it were, are false?" "I put a tracker on the ship and wanted to get off without nobody knowing." "I wasn't eager to get involved." "I mean the SAS were overeager." "Is that a question?" "Were the SAS overeager to get involved?" "I told you." "I was on the other side of the ship." "I had no idea if they were." "Ask them." "Did you get an idea they were overeager from the debriefing or conversations you had with colleagues after the event?" "I've been in several situations where shooting took place." "I've seen many bodies." "Some of them people I've killed and some bodies of my friends." "It's not something you go home and look forward to happening again." "Were they overeager?" "I don't know." "If it has such an effect on you, why do you do it again and again?" "And if the bodies were innocent people or women colleagues, do you still shrug and move on to the next job?" "I don't think that's what I just said." "What I'm saying is you don't give up just cos your mates die." "No, it's not pleasant." "But it is a fact in what we do." "So you don't just give up." "Had Captain Walshe had the same training as you?" "She'd done several tours in Northern Ireland." "That's a no?" "During the firefight, were there no communications saying the opposition were French soldiers?" "Not that I know of." "Well, you're all pretty quiet." "What about my lovely children?" "How was your day?" "Come in." "Help yourself." "There's plenty." "No, thanks." "Jamie came on side in the end." "Still not enough." "Well, what else is there?" "A resignation or two might buy off the slavering hordes." "It's all very sad." "Family moved out?" "Not coming back?" "Anybody know?" "You holding up all right?" "I'm fine, Aidan." "Right." "Well, I'll be off, then." "You are Soldier B." " I am." " Captain in the 22nd Regiment, otherwise known as the SAS." "I am." "And Troop Officer on the day of the confrontation on the Dowager Joan." "Yes, sir." "Would you share your memories of that day?" "Yes, sir." "Armed French Special Forces were operating without our knowledge on a ship in a British port, a ship we were tasked to keep under armed surveillance." "They had no right to be there and their very presence was a recipe for disaster." "The fact of their presence was not a licence to shoot them." "No, sir." "You were the officer in command?" "Yes, sir." "Do you feel that you behaved appropriately?" "No, sir." "Two of my men were trapped onboard the ship and I, in error, allowed more of my men to move to forward positions in order to effect the exfiltration of those two men on the ship." "I should not have allowed them to move forward." "Having got into a hole, I should have stopped digging." "It was my responsibility to assess levels of risk and keep strong lines of communication with my men." "I failed in both these areas." "I failed... to maintain control of the situation." "And that failure contributed in concert with the transgression of the French Special Forces to considerable loss of life." "I am duly resigning my commission." "I apologise to those who have suffered the loss of loved ones." "My Lords." "As agreed with your Lordships," "I have a signed, sworn and witnessed affidavit from Captain Caroline walshe" "Who remains in intensive care and is unable therefore to attend these proceedings." "She has asked that this statement be read out at the tribunal." ""There has been a good deal of emotive sniping" ""about the presence of a woman in the operation on the Dowager Joan."" "'I resent the sexist nature of many of the comments I have read." "'I worked hard and made several applications to be attached to 22 Reg." "'It has been a matter of great pride that I have served with that regiment." "'When I am fit, I hope to return to take my place with them.'" "Come on, Red Troop!" "Yours, Henry." "Go on, Henry!" " That was a hospital pass." " I know." " They seem to be enjoying themselves." " Yes." "Come on, Red Troop!" "Come on, prisoners!" "Hey, Referee?" "Get a grip, will you, man?" "How's the game going?" " Finely-balanced." " Good." "And good news filtering down." "Your chap who did the decent thing." "Seems to have had the desired effect." "It should all be done and dusted." "The French contributed a junior cabinet minister and two officers." "So we win." "Come on, Ref!" "Come on!" "Come on!" "Come on, Ricky!" "That's the way, Henry." "Come on!" "Heads up, lads." "Heads up." "Present." "Eyes front." "Salute to the front." "Salute." "All right, that's enough."