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.