Operation Palliser: British Military Intervention in Sierra Leone | May - June 2000
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 11 июн 2024
- In May 2000, with the civil war in Sierra Leone showing no signs of improving, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan appealed to Britain to intervene in the West African country, to ensure that it didn't fall into the hands of rebel forces. Accordingly, on the 5 May 2000, the British Government announced the launching of Operation Palliser, the codename for the British Military intervention in Sierra Leone; Palliser has since been hailed as one of the most successful Military operations in history.
------------------------------
Music licensed from Artlist.io
- Reflection by Oliver Michael
------------------------------
NO PART OF THIS VIDEO MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM (REACTIONS OR RE-UPLOADED) WITHOUT THE PRIOR PERMISSION OF THE CREATOR
------------------------------
Patreon Supporters
Gonk_God/Liam Tox/J L/Joe Price/Richard Woodard/Robinson Reyes/BIA GERMANY/The Dilfy/Adam Davies/Nicolas Tang/Mike Lassiter/Ry Jones/Toff/Peter van der Werf/Matt B/Sean Bao-Han Rogers/Mr. E. Meat/Joe Sirianni/John McLaurin/Wayne Makepeace/Alexander K Leach/Keven Guimaraes/J P Beestone/Scott Cook/SuperBres/Craig Lanham/Jacob Sherman/BEARman/Ashton Astwood/Fredrik Nilsen/Thecolon24/Sean Speer/Bill Brockman/Nicholas Fuller/Luis Pena/Brett Wells/Kevin Hill/BEARDEDGUY/Gavan Tanham/Thomas Gosney/Mark Varley/Christopher/Apollo/Tith SreyVibol/Mark Dougherty/Silvio Masis/Josh Hodges/Mole/NNJAfoot/Michael A McBroom/MFC Ninja/Juan Cedillo/Isaac Morpurgo/Bern Price/Alex Alexandrow/BrickDickRick/Connor Webber/Infrequent Traveler/jes kg/Escipio Sumski
------------------------------
Want to support the Channel?
All I ask is, if you enjoyed the video, please like it and share the video on whatever Social Media platform you use. This will tremendously help the Channel and expand its Community.
Or if you would like to support the Channel further, you can become a patron using the link below: / livethforevermore
Also check out my eBooks available at:
livethforevermore.co.uk
If you're new here and like the content, please be sure to subscribe and turn on the notification bell button to ensure you never miss an upload.
Documentary Chapters
00:00 - Introduction & Background to the Civil War
05:17 - Op. Palliser - Army Deployments
08:07 - Op. Palliser - Navy Deployments
10:20 - SLA Reorganisation & Counter-Offensive
13:12 - Battle of Lungi Lol
15:09 - Conclusion
Always fascinating seeing the impact a small professional force can have in these 'low-intensity' conflicts with rebels and poorly trained militias.
I would certainly not call the British responding force small. The supporting naval and air assets required a huge amount of support personnel, and are honestly what made some of the largest difference
@@mezzanoon And the fact that their soldiers were willing to engage the enemy, unlike the UN forces who had the same or indeed more resources.
Laughs in executive outcomes
@@colinharbinson8284UN forces are not legally allowed to engage the enemy. This is why a lot of the missions are fails, they are humanitarian missions with armed soldiers led by civilians not a military peacekeeping missions lead by military personnel.
@@neildavid10 That's not true, from the UN website: "Non-use of force except in self-defence and defence of the mandate
UN peacekeeping operations are not an enforcement tool. However, they may use force at the tactical level, with the authorization of the Security Council, if acting in self-defence and defence of the mandate.". The main problem comes down to the calibre of troops that countries use for the UN; it's never top tier, but lower echelon soldier's with little to no training, basically conscripts. And governments do not want to see their soldiers being killed under the UN banner, as it will cause backlash within the country of the soldiers; see the 24 Pakistani soldiers were ambushed and killed while inspecting a weapons-storage facility in Somalia, the Pakistani government took a huge amount of criticism within their own country. So, most UN soldiers will hold back and not engage due to either incompetence at the local level, or cowardice at the national level, or that the UN mandate is muddied and nonsensical, so, no one knows what the hell they are doing there.
I was on this operation.
I'm really proud of what we did there to help those people.
Massively underrated and appreciated channel. Amazing commentary, animations, and almost impossibly specific/accurate details minute by minute. Thank you so much for posting these videos.
This is by far my favorite channel.
Well said. The attention to detail is fantastic 👌
I read about Lunghi Loi in a book about the Pathfinders. It again showed how well the British Army can do it's job under the most demanding circumstances with limited resources.
Best book I’ve ever read
Can any of you remember the name of the book ?
Lol, limited resources? That must be not a UK
@@52wy .
Outstanding as usual. British troops as always a credit to their country
Unfortunately, our leaders are the only enemy we can't beat.
The British armed forces have taken a huge dive in quality for diversity, inclusivty, and equity.
We have at least 10% female soldiers who in combat are fucking useless.
Imagine a 18 year old woman with 100 lbs of kit clearing a trench?
It's not going to happen.
If women can't compete against men in sport, how do they compete in war?
with how the world has repayed us we should have pulled up the drawbridge and left you all to it.
@fedyno4reviews well you fed us to the Japanese while were fighting your war, then made us all apply for visas to be able to return in favour of the EU, 3 generations of my family fought in British conflicts and i cant even visit for over 90 days without good reason.
That escalated quickly 😅
@@fedyno4reviews Self-pitying tosh. Quite typical of your ilk. Ppull up the drawbridge, hypocrite. Now!
The UN intervention would have been a good idea. If the UN wasn't completely useless.
I thought it was also pretty stupid that the UN also condemned Siera Leone for employing Executive Solutions to come and kick the RUF's arses. When the UN hadn't yet intervened, and when they did their performance was absolutely no substitute for the South African mercenaries.
The problem is what mandate is given. Peacekeeping is just that, being neutral observers, only allowed to defend themselves....
Yeah of course. And if they are not deployed with sufficient force they can't even defend themselves. Hence the 17 dead peacekeepers and the captured ones before the British intervention. I don't have a problem with the peacekeepers themselves, but the UN ought to have sent more forces and given them parameter to defend the communities they were stationed in. Otherwise they're just there observe horrific things being done to the locals, which I'd wish on no-one.
The UN only started caring when special interests were being threatened by the fall of the capitol, till then they seemed content on looking to be doing something while letting the "rebels" terrorize innocent civilians
The amount of restrictions given to the UN peacekeepers always ruin their effectiveness. The problem is that UN top brass is ran by bureaucrats who know nothing about warfighting.
@@rileyernst9086 I agree. I served as a peacekeeper in Lebanon in 1989, with the Norwegian contigent, but we had little trouble. During 20 years, Norway lost 21 casualties, most to accidents. In total, Norway has participated in about 100 missions, in about 40 countries, since WWII. Around 120 000 have served, whith a loss of 200. Unfortunately many suffer from PTSD. Still, most of us feel we made a difference....
Pathfinder Platoon’s effort in holding and fending off Lungi Lolfrom the RFU was really impressive. What was not mentioned here was that the 26 Pathfinders were under equipped, under strength and not enough Ammon because they had just arrived a few days prior and quarmasters were still sorting out supplies at the airport. Steve Heaney in his book mentioned that when contact was made with RFU, he requested reinforcement from HQ. A Chinook arrived the next day with only an officer onboard. When Steve and his CO saw only 1 guy disembarking from the Chinook, they went into a rage and anger because that officer was sent on a fact finding mission. Needless to say that officer got F by them for coming empty handed. They felt abandoned by the HQ. After that 9 mortar men from the Royal Artillery were sent to reinforce the Pathfinders. With the long range and heavy weapons of the RA, that proved decisive in the battle with RUF.
Not quite accurate. C Coy were on the ground reinforcing the PF by about 0700. The company extracted that evening after the rebels had withdrawn / been defeated. C Coy were back out the following day and stayed for 5 or 6 days. I was there on both occasions as part of a medical team. Most surreal was the arrival of a RMP SIB team to assess if the rebels were killed legally.
@@barryalexander2909 Thanks for sharing your experience. Just read the book again, and indeed C Coy was sent to reinforce. In the book, it was mentioned Major Bob Bryant led the C Coy. Probably not his real name but his character in the book was quite bossy and he tried to pull rank on the PF.
There was also a RM Capt who was sent before the C Coy’s arrival where the RM was planned to take over from the PF afterwards
Thank you for again an outstanding upload!
The Brits conducted themselves and their operations *impeccably* in SL - shout out to the lads and ladies involved in this often overshadowed deployment ❤🙏🏻🇬🇧
Follow up on this with Op Silkman next please. Especially covering II Sqn RAF Regt only Operational jump this century and last since Suez. Followed by Barras.
I agree, please do follow ups as suggested by @mrjonnylowes
There are two versions of Barras. The Official one and the real one.
@@chethemerc7841 yeah? That’s interesting, doesn’t surprise me. Something doesn’t tally with the KIA Trooper.
Thank you and yet another outstanding presentation video on our forces worldwide.
There is a book called Operation Mayhem about the Pathfinders in Lungi Lol. An Operation Certain Death, when the Sas/Paras attacked the West SIde Boys in Sierra Leone to rescue British soliders. Both are great books.
My mate was one of the Pathfinders on that operation
@@DONK8118 The book sounds as though there was a bit more going on than described. Not knocking this channel as it's great but perhaps the MOD should stop preening themselves and let British troops be acknowledged for what they face and what they do. Mirbat comes to mind . Many thanks for your mate for his service. I hope he is ok.
FYI Operation Certain Death was the planned mission to land SAS troops in Argentina during the Falklands War. The one in Sierra Leone you are referring to is called Operation Barras 😊
@DONK8118 my mate was one of the captured. I also would of been there if not kicked out for fighting a few months earlier.. sad times
The proposed operation in the Falklands was Operation Mikado.
There was no "Operation Certain Death"; that's not how operations are named.
Will Fowler wrote a book for Osprey Publishing titled "Certain Death in Sierra Leone: The SAS and Operation Barras 2000"
That's probably where the confusion is coming from.
Love your content brother. Watching the vid now. Keep up the outstanding work. Long live the fighters!
Great piece mate, keep 'em coming.
where standard history has no intention of reminding generations of the work we do as a small nation globally. You endeavour to educate. Thanks again mate.
Thank you, UK forces for bringing much-needed leadership and relief to the people of Sierra Leone 😊
Thanks for a terrific video!
Amazing as always
Another excellent episode. Well done the lads. Thanks for uploading.
Funny how quickly the accusations of "evil colonizers" are forgotten when it's time to ask for help so you don't get ravaged by your own kind
So colonising other people's land is a good thing then?
@@skepticalbadger Don't think he said that did he
It takes a special kind of liberal to demonise the ones ready to risk their lives to help others who by their own corruption and incompetence have managed to turn independence into a living hell.
If you're a racist just say that and go on with your day
@@DBlockSquadron
We thank the British very much for their service , every day is poppy day
This channel is superb
How about the excellent work of Executive Outcomes in Sierra Leone?
Great content! Well made and a favourite of mine on you tube.
I was involved in basilica, great deployment
Thank you for your service.
Thank you for your service. Because of it. Today we are free in Sierra leone 🇸🇱
@@mohamedjalloh8048 No worries mate. It was heartbreaking to see all the amputees, yet still managed to be a beautiful and welcoming country
I did Silkman in 2001, absolutely loved the country. It had calmed down a lot by then and had most weekends to be able to travel and experience the area around Freetown. I agree the destruction inflicted on the people by the RUF was horrendous.
Brother your content is always center mass!!!
loved the video mate! you could have also included Operation Khukri in this video.
Great video as always. When will you do one on Operation Barras in Sierra Leone?
the thing is operation kukri lead by the indian forces was the one that led to operation pallister because after operation kukri did india set the stage that direct action needed to be taken against these rebels if yall dont know operation kukri was an indian special forces mission to rescue i think 400 indian UN troops and bring them back to india
India did Op Khukri going against UN mandate. Jaitley was as much angry at UN headquarters as much he was at RUF. No wonder after Sierra Leone Indian peacekeepers were given much more autonomy in places like South Sudan, causing to things like Bloody Christmas battle in 2013
Shows how important good training and communication is. A small trained force is superior to a bunch of rebels running around like headless chickens.
Operation Barras next 👍🏻
Short for "Embarrass"...
How to rescue an imbecilic officer and his men after he makes a total coc* up on a patrol...
Nah Silkman Op jump next, followed by Barras.
I heard several times about the Barras operation...a difficult and very complicated operation.Great respect to the services that successfully completed the operation...great respect from 🇵🇱🕊️🤝
Recently read the Para Pathfinders RSM Steve Browns biography in which he describes Lungi Lol and Op Palliser, Highly recommend his books.
If you haven't seen it already watch, The Pathfinders: Jungle Battle in Sierra Leone | TEA & MEDALS it's a 45 minute interview that goes into great detail about lungi lol
@@alexward7536 is it on YT? I don't have a a tv. but sounds great
Quality!💛
Interestingly, The Para's captured a couple of L1A1 Rifles, and took them home as trophies. When they looked up the serial numbers, they were surprised to discover that some of them were used by the Regiment on "Bloody Sunday". Worryingly, these rifles were meant to be held in embargo at Donnington as part of the criminal inquiry into events that day.
Great no nonsense video on the British intervention that saved Sierra Leone from becoming another Somalia. On another note, will you do a video on another event that occurred in Sierra Leone involving the British military and a certain group called the West Side Boys? (Hint: Operation Barras)
Great Work❤
Another excellent story presented by yourself.
My experience of UN peace keepers in the former Yugoslavia supplied by third world countries was similar….Malaysia and Nigeria spring to mind. Quite simply they wouldn’t soldier or even leave their barracks. Utterly useless….🇬🇧
But in Malaysia it's been advertised as if Msian troops have been highly successful. Even deployed crack commandos to ward off Serbians.
As a Brit and labour member on both counts one of our finest hours
Can you do a video on Operation silkman
Simply the best !
Do one on operation Barriss next.
I was there in 91-92. I helped train SLA and SLA-Navy units. Busy days.
The UN excuse sounds a lot like the excuse used in Mogadishu in 1993.
You know youre gonna have a bad day coming up against a few SAS and paras... great video 👍
I just read Gunship Ace about Neall Ellis, the Sierra Leone Civil War is tragic.
The odd thing about this is that I recently went into contract to buy a house in Sierra Leone. I knew that once there was a Civil War. But I didn't know the extent of the war.
Too I am adopting a son who is in Sierra Leone.
respect to Nigeria for also participating in the operation in the country. They proved their metal
Wow, they should make a movie out of it.
I was there on RFA Sir Percivale. Got the medal. I saw a few dead bodies float down the Leone river.
There is an excellent podcast called "Tea & Medals" that did an episode about the contact at Longi Lol that interviews Brig. David Richards and the infantry on the ground
There is a great interview with the CO of the pathfinders detailing the conflict on the ground. The Pathfinders: Jungle Battle in Sierra Leone | TEA & MEDALS is the name of it, it's a great channel with some interviews with some very interesting people and I highly recommended it
Slight problem. The Airport layout at the time of the civil war did not look like that shown. The northern 'Terminal' shown did not exist. The terminal then in existence is on the other, southern opposite side, of the runway - the apron can be seen as what looks like a three legged table. Those 'legs' are the taxiways onto the apron.
A decent summary but you omit a significant chunk of some.of the most interesting aspects leading up to and of OP PALLISER itself. This includes the 4 day escape and evasion from RUF captivity by Royal Marines Major Phil Ashby who had been a UN Observer. Then subsequent tasks conducted by the Amphibious Readiness Group who set about conducting an urgent Non Combatant Evacuation Operation (NEO) before reconfiguring into a warfighting role, conducting foot, vehicle and boat patrols against the RUF. The ARG was led by Captain Scot Lidbetter RN (Captain of HMS Ocean) and Lt Col Andy Salmon RM ( CO 42 Commando Royal Marines). I happened to be one of 2 Royal Marines Officers leading 4 day boat patrols with 9 ASRM and 42 Cdo against the rebels. I also commanded the first ARG mission, to find a channel up the Sierra Leone river in order to get HMS Chatham at least 5km upriver, bringing 42 Cdo Recce Troop under the protection of naval gunfire support. Major Phil Ashby joined me on that mission fresh off his r day E&E. I hope this fills in some gaps.
Hi, nice to have a Rupert speak up for a change, Sir!
Well done!
Fantastic video as always. Once again and unfortunate example of a UN deployment being nothing more than a paper tiger. I spent some time working with and being around a lot of UN admin/policy types in Africa as a pilot on contract. I'm convinced they only worked for the UN because they couldn't get a job as a barista or bartender.
Executive Outcomes also did operations in Sierra Leone
As a survivor the British Soldiers saved so much life including mine the RUF would have killed everyone if they didn’t intervene
The UN 😂
My thoughts exactly. Absolutely not surprised at all.....😄
I love us 🇬🇧
I started Baby para training around this time and already heard that a few after completion would be going here
Damn, popped into my feed as my kid is getting in the car. I’ll be back!!!!!!!!
Ah yes, the UN...UNinterested in doing anything...as usual...
Except that, in this case, the UN was the driving force behind this Op. It has had its moments, though not recently
@@bbbb98765Don't expect nuance from YT commenters.
@@skepticalbadger Never give up. It's always worth adding something useful. Despite the very low success rate
@@bbbb98765 so you missed the part where it took the British having to send manpower out to the UN to organize them and get them motivated to actually do what they were they were there in the first place to do...
Selective hearing I take it...?
@@ca9968 Nope. Caught it. Obviously. What you haven't clicked onto yet is that that is exactly why Kofi Anan asked the Brits et al to go in and beef it up. And it worked. Because the UN played it cleverly. All clear now? I can dumb it down if necessary, and I fear it might be
South African P.M.C Executive Outcomes finest hour as well iirc?🧐🇬🇧👌😎👍👍👍
Rest in peace Brad Tinion.
Please cover operation Franklin (the cockleshell heroes raid)
If you want to know more about the battle at Lungi Lol, there’s a great interview with the Pathfinder’s Platoon Sergeant Steve Heaney MC on the Tea & Medals podcast.
Do one for the 1st battalion paratroops at Djebel Alliliga Feb 1943,described as some of the toughest they faced. The Fallschirmjäger they faced called them the red devils ( their nickname to this day).
Valentine Strasser sounds totally like an invented name for a rpg game
Just an average British trip to Africa
And now, the Army finds itself stretched thinly with just 72k personnel...
Not to mention 6 front line fighter squadrons in the RAF and 19 major surface units in the RN!
More money spent on booze at Boris Johnson's Covid party and dodgy ppe contracts given to Tory cronies.
"Invetervention"? Don't ya hate it when typos are immortalized in thumbnails?
Good spot! Don't know how I missed that typo, but I will quickly amend it. Thanks 👍
I am surprised that no mention was made here of the role of EO?
Here I mean in the background history leading to Ops Peleser.
❤
nice one mate. The brits as usual show the way to go. The UN worldwide everywhere they deploy and operate are a complete waste of rations. And always have been so.
Maroon machine at its best rapid deployment and getting the job done.
The effectiveness of the British army cannot be more clearer than this.
Make Indian special forces operation video too Operation khukri in Sierra Leone which waa done before this operation
Interesting how the SAS was deployed but nothing was heard about their (obviously successful) operations.
Contrast with if SEALs had been deployed. There'd be 20 books written about their operations. 😂
You have to have a degree in creative writing to be chosen for SEAL selection now
Except there are how many SAS's programs around the world? Also, at least one of the groups like SAS in the United States, says they just copied the SAS.
@@Ukraineaissance2014 or a good agent.
And we all know those Paras just wanted to get stuck in.
This hardly touch's on the true story of Lungi Lol. 26 Pathfinders 1 Royal Marine a platoon of UN Nigerian troops with very little ammunition and the unarmed villagers against an estimated 2000 rebels. Only illum rounds for the mortars, no claymores, there wasn't even a QRF available, read Operation Mayhem by Steve Heaney MC and Damien Lewis
Back when Britain (we) did stuff
Proud to be English
That's how to fight
Sad part of the world. In my prayers. No plans to retire there. Yea British Armed forces!
Important note: Sierra Leone was a colony established by the British for those rescued from slavers. It's protection is part of our debt of honour.
It's heart wrenching to observe that the British army can pacify the madness of African leaders to stick in power.
If you have spent any time around British Paras you will get that they are less Hollywood and more Sid Vicious.
Basically, short mad and very bad to know, lol
Who ever said aggressive attitude doesn’t help?
military hardware and technology made the differences .....
I hate correcting you but Argyll never went up the river. Just saying.
Well that's the first time I've seen that picture @14:46 that's me . no1 on the no1 mortar
Thankyou for your service o7
UN being useful as always
Difficult when their mandate, directed by security council, states they cannot fire unless attacked and are mostly under funded.
@@archstanton6102 I can second that. I served in Lebanon in 1989....
@@archstanton6102 True. The security council is more interested in appearances rather than actually doing anything....
🇬🇧💪🏻
France was present in Sierra Leone rebel war in the form of Guinea Conakry military to protect people like me,ya'll see I am a rebel too . I'm a French too . I'm French -American. Although I was also supporting the rebels too
These were the operations that gave Tony Blair a taste for war. He liked the idea of being seen as a hero to the world while doing it on the cheap.
Once again a failure by UN forces, many people do not realise the countries that provide these troops are very well paid for their role. If they cannot do the job they should not be paid and replaced asap.
The troops are for most part, not to blame. It is mainly the upper management who fails the mission.
@@dragonstormdipro1013 It's not "upper management" it's "senior officers" and a lack of leadership. As they say "management is knowing what needs to be done but leadership is getting it done".
@@johnallen7807 No, the upper political management is to blame for UN failures. For example, in Sierra Leone itself the military head of UNAMSIL was Maj Gen VK Jaitley. He was a capable officer who helped India win Kargil War. But in SL he was utterly frustrated because his troops only had the permission to accept the surrender of rebels by UN management in NY. These resulted in 223 Indian Gorkha troops being surrounded by RUF. Jaitley had enough by this point to start Operation Khukri going against UN Mandate.
@@dragonstormdipro1013 So he should have resigned.
@@johnallen7807 He did ultimately. He was also dealing with Cancer by 2000. However before retiring he also almost threatened UN to never send Indian peacekeepers ever again if they weren’t given more autonomy on field. This resulted in peacekeepers gaining more autonomy in subsequent UN missions. Read about Indian UN operations in South Sudans in 2013 and you will see marked improvement.
🍿
You're using footage of Nigerian ECOMOG troops as S-leonean troops.
BRF BABY
Go back to 1995.
Executive Outcomes did the same with 76 men in total.
Bad as 👏👏