Skip to content

BACK TO BUGOJNO: REVISITING BOSNIA 30 YEARS ON – James Woodley

Thirty years ago, C Company, 1RGBW, was deployed to Bugojno, Bosnia, as part of Op Grapple 5, from September 1995 to March 1996. Stationed in a shoe factory on the outskirts of Bugojno, we patrolled the main supply routes to deter banditry, manned observation posts like BM8 overlooking the front line between BiH and Serbian forces and operated a checkpoint between BiH and Croatian forces in the Volice Valley. Alongside these duties, we carried out crucial aid projects—delivering donated clothing from the UK and repairing schools to help local children return to education.

In September 2024, 14 veterans returned to Bugojno to revisit what was a formative and memorable tour. Our Company Commander, Farren Drury, reached out to the Stipo Derek school via Facebook to reconnect. The school was one of two we made safe during the 48-hour “Brandywine Challenge,” which later expanded to five schools and returned 5,000 children to education. As we walked over, we met a local journalist who wanted to cover the story and contacted “Jupe”, the former BiH 307 Brigade commander, who came to the school and welcomed us like old friends. Touring the grounds, memories of the renovation work resurfaced, along with the heart-breaking letters children had exchanged with their British pen pals—raw, unfiltered accounts of life during the war.

Next, we visited our old base, the shoe factory, still much as it was 30 years ago, with bullet holes in the ceiling ventilation. The cold of that time came rushing back—temperatures dropping to -24°C, freezing water bottles and kettles alike. We then headed to Tito’s Lodge, which had once been part of our running route. Old habits kicked in as we cautiously stuck to the tarmacked roads, remembering the ever-present threat of mines.

Our journey continued up the hills east of Bugojno, where we were warmly welcomed by a family whose father had brought cakes to soldiers at BM8. Their hospitality, as 30 years before, was a reminder of the kindness we encountered amid the harshness of war. From there, we returned to BM8 itself, overlooking Bugojno, recalling how it provided a front-row view of the Serbian SA2 missiles streaking down the valley, leaving craters the size of double-decker buses. It was also the site of one of the largest contacts, where nearly 600 rounds were fired.

The convoy moved on to Gornji Vakuf via the Volice Valley, where we had manned a checkpoint between Croatian and Bosnian forces. It was here, in quiet moments, that the odd cow would occasionally trigger a landmine—a grim echo of the war.

In Gornji Vakuf, we paid our respects to Lance Corporal Wayne John Edwards at Edwards Bridge near the old UN base, where we had been evacuated during intense shelling. From there, we travelled to Sarajevo, passing the half-built ski chalets we once used as a FOB for patrols along the eastern supply routes.

In Sarajevo, we took part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the British Residence, led by the British Ambassador. We honoured the four RGBW soldiers killed in Goražde: Privates Ben Hinton, Phillip Armstrong, Martin Dowdell, and Chris Turner, who were killed in two separate incidents whilst on patrol in September 1994. We also remembered all 59 British personnel who lost their lives in Bosnia.

The trip concluded with tours of Sarajevo and Mostar, followed by a final celebration in Split.

It was a deeply meaningful trip, reconnecting with old comrades and revisiting the places that had shaped us. It felt like no time had passed. We shared stories from our time in Bosnia, some we had missed 30 years ago, and reflected on the role we had played in helping restore peace. Seeing the country now at peace was a powerful reminder of the difference we made.

The following former C Company, 1RGBW comrades participated: Anthony Boocock, Farren Drury, Steven Farley, Cain Howley, Matt Keates, Iain Lunt, Andy McGurk, John Morris, Lee Murray, Dave Paniccia-Brown, Alan Pocock, Craig Rogers, Colin Simmons and James Woodley.

Chairman’s Note: The four RGBW soldiers killed in Goražde are remembered in the Memorial Garden within the Rifles, Berkshire and Wiltshire Museum. Please do pay your respects next time you are in the museum.

NB.  This article also appears on The Rifles ‘Swift’ website.  The Rifles and RGBW Regimental Association assisted this event with a grant.

Please follow and like us:
error1
fb-share-icon0
Tweet 20
fb-share-icon20

Leave a Reply