Rousing 'battle cry' Army hero from Ulster

national | miscellaneous | news report

Friday March 21, 2003 19:58

by ROBBY - RN

rob_s57 at hotmail dot com

Dungannon

A CIGAR-chomping Army officer from Belfast has emerged as a military hero in the Gulf, following his impassioned eve-of-war speech to troops.

The rousing words of Lt Colonel Tim Collins, commanding officer of the First Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment, have been widely reported in the UK Press.

At an emotionally-charged rally on Wednesday just 20 miles from the Iraqi border, the 42-year-old colonel instructed his troops to wrap their fallen comrades in a sleeping bag, fight on and grieve for them after the heat of the battle.

The Sun newspaper had Lt Col Collins pictured on the front page of yesterday's edition, wearing combat fatigues and shades. His words were reported under the headline: 'Brit Colonel's storming battle cry'.

Lt Col Collins said: "It is my foremost intention to bring every single one of you out alive but there may be people among us who will not see the end of this campaign. We will put them in their sleeping bags and send them back. There will be no time for sorrow."

And he had fierce words for Saddam and his henchmen. "As they die they will know their deeds have brought them to this. Show them no sorrow," he said

But in a warning against illegal killings, Lt Col Collins told his troops to remember that those Iraqis who surrendered deserved the right to return to their families.

"I know of men who have taken life needlessly in other conflicts. I can assure you they live with the mark of Cain upon them," he said.

Born in Belfast and educated at Royal Belfast Academical Institution, Lt Col Collins is a Queen's graduate. He was commissioned into the Royal Signals in 1981 and transferred to the Royal Irish Rangers in 1982.

The colonel - who comes from a family with a long history of military service - has been stationed across the globe, including the Falklands, Berlin and Northern Ireland.

He served as company commander in the first battalion of the Royal Irish before being appointed head of the battalion in January 2001. He is married with four children.

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Comments (12 of 12)

I say old chap

by Lord Widgeridoo

Fri Mar 21, 2003 20:16

"As they die they will know their deeds have brought them to this. Show them no sorrow."

Wasn't that our rallying cry on Bloody Sunday .....

Tally-Ho for Queen and Country .... even though the old bag is looking a bit rat-arsed these days ....

Still the same old imperialists

by Cliona Towne

Fri Mar 21, 2003 21:27

Using the Irish as 'cannon fodder' is nothing new. Collins sounds like he might be fighting the Crimean War.

I'll Get Him In My Sights

by The Sniper

Mon Mar 24, 2003 11:56

I'll get him in my sights

by rooster

Sat May 28, 2005 17:52

hope you don't exercise a shoot to kill policy sniper-boy

donkeys led by donkeys

by Pol

Sat May 28, 2005 18:26

I don't think the UVF - sorry, BRITISH army - would like to be described as Irish cannon fodder. If you know onnly one thing about the kind of people who leave this island to fight for the saxe-Coburg-Gotha crown it's that they are no more Irish than the BNP.
As for the Bloody Sunday comparisons - the religious savages that are currently gaining a foothold in Iraq won't be as 'dainty' as the Provos when it comes to revenge.

Pol, their more irish than you are!!!!!

Sat May 28, 2005 18:32

At least their ready to fight for freedom and democracy.

So why ´haven't you joined them rooster ?

by little red rooster

Sat May 28, 2005 20:07

Rooster since you're getting such a hard-on singing the praises of Tim Collins, why haven't you donned the old uniform yourself and gone out to put manners on the Gunga-Dins for the greater glory of Queen and country (and lost Empire) ?

Or don't you want to put your money where your mouth is ? Let others do the fighting while you're safe and sound at home in wee Dungannon, is that the way it is with you ?

if only roo, if only

Sun May 29, 2005 01:05

tonite, I'm not even in Dungannon, I'm not even on the island of ireland, you might have heard about this thing called the World Wide Web that allows me to post from any country in the World!
I am however in uniform and on night duty!

uniform , night duty

by cock

Sun May 29, 2005 01:59

Aye , hes dressed as a naughty nurse in a transexual S&M bar in Amsterdam , taking the coats at the door .

Yahoo - Dungannon is safer

by Kenmaginnis

Sun May 29, 2005 03:40

Dungannon surely is a far safer and saner place tonight Rooster. Lets all hope you keep your distance and your twisted logic that supports and promotes state terrorism away from the town. The last thing this town needs is terrorist apologists such as my namesake and yourself running loose, inflicting hardships on nationalists.

On night duty ?

Sun May 29, 2005 14:32

So what the f**k are you doing surfing the web and posting comments here .....

Whatever happened to that "eternal vigilance" which is the price of liberty, democracy and all that shite you claim to be fighting for ?

No wonder we are losing the war against terror when our defence depends on a bunch of bloody Internet addicts and virtual reality warriors .....

ha ha ha

Sun May 29, 2005 18:15

The last thing this town needs is terrorist apologists such as my namesake and yourself running loose, inflicting hardships on nationalists.

-oh yeah, I'd forgotten all about your poor wee MOPE's

So what the f**k are you doing surfing the web and posting comments here .....

-bit me, pecker head, I'll plan my working day as I see fit, I'll let you collect the dole in the manner you see fit.

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Rousing 'battle cry' Army hero from Ulster

Comments (12 of 12)