OPERATIONAL SERVICE MEDAL AFGHANISTAN GUARDSMAN JENKINS WELSH GUARDS OP HERRICK

Offered is a Operational Service Medal, clasp AFGHANISTAN, impressed named GDSM A JENKINS WG 30019046, court mounted for display with original case of issue. Comes with the book ‘DEAD MEN RISEN’, the story of the Welsh Guards Afghan tour and exerpts from The Welsh Guards Magazine 2009.

Guardsman Jenkins served with 2 Company (The men of the island of the mighty). Whilst there were 2 Guardsman Jenkins within the Battalion, the soldier in the P.O.W. Company is listed as Gdsm Jenkins, the soldier in the 2^nd Coy is listed as Gdsm AJ Jenkins 46. As per the film Zulu with Jones 347, Jones 201 etc, it was the culture of the Battalion to call soldiers with similar names either by their last 2 digits of service number or name and last numbers, hence Jenkins 46 was in 2 Coy.

The Welsh Guards deployed to Afghanistan April 2009 – October 2009 and were involved in constant heavy fighting during their deployment. Under resourced and undermanned for tasks assigned to them they suffered 6 killed and 11 (?) wounded in action, most from low metal content I.E.D’s that were just about impossible to detect with the issue metal/mine detectors .

The killed included the Battalion commander, a Company commander and a Platoon commander.

Not only were they required to man outposts, but to patrol and hearts and minds the locals. An example of the intensity of fighting that occurred at Shamal Storrai, a sniper pair in a 40-day period of contacts on the base and patrols, achieved 75 confirmed kills. (p471 Dead Men Risen)

Guardsman Jenkins well and truly earned his medal, I.E.D attacks, ambushes followed by firefights with large groups of Taliban attempting to cut off small patrols, constant attacks on convoys and posts, mates killed and wounded, it was an incredibly stressful campaign that is still being fought by some men suffering from PTSD.  February 2020 Birmingham Live article records that over 10 Welsh Guardsmen Afghan veterans have taken their own lives.

The book Dead Men Risen, is well written and covers the actions of 2 Coy.