‘And there was one guy, a sniper, who used to like taking pot shots. He had this big silenced rifle, with a home-made suppressor. Like a length of drainpipe, it was. And so we couldn’t ever get him localised. Most of the time he missed. But every now and then he got close enough to make for a brown trousers moment. And twice he shot blokes. Wounded one badly enough for a medvac to the UK. The other was dead before he hit the deck. Straight through his right eye socket and out the back. So we were getting pretty bad-tempered about it. Some of the older blokes talking about cutting his balls off, if they ever caught him.’

He shook his head in dark amusement.

‘It was all bollocks of course. For one thing we were never going to catch him. And if we did, no way the YeahRuperts would let us keep him long enough for any torture. They were just blowing steam off. A bit like you would have, wouldn’t you, Deano?’

Raised middle finger from Deano.

‘Anyway, one day my platoon got sent up to a village near the front line. Check how the inhabitants were doing, show our faces, that sort of thing. Three Warriors full of squaddies. Fully bombed up, because you just never knew what was going to happen next. Commanded by a salty old warrant officer because our lieutenant was away on emergency bereavement leave. We drove up into the hills, got to the village and put the Warriors into all-round defence on the edge of the settlement. No more than thirty houses, a right one-horse town. The boys debussed and wandered off, all very non-threatening, caps rather than helmets. The usual “what the British Army does better than anyone else” routine. Leaving me in Juliet’s turret to keep an eye on things.’

‘Juliet?’ Den, somewhat baffled.

‘My Warrior’s nickname. Our officer was a bit of a frustrated actor on the side, so he called them Romeo, Juliet and Paris.’

‘Paris?’

‘Not now, Den. Read the play. Anyway, there I was. Ready to lay down some proper fire support if things went sideways. In theory. So I stood in the turret, smoking a fag and using the machine gun as a leaning post. Just enjoying the sunshine and listening to the birds. After a few minutes something made me look round. I don’t know, instinct, or a sound, or just a flicker in the corner of my eye.