I was covering calls and was on the early shift when we heard that two Paras from our patch had been attacked in Iraq.

I can’t remember if the families contacted us direct or whether we already had contact numbers – I had only been at the paper a few month at this stage – but it was quite a buzz to turn this around in time for that day’s deadline.

I remember I did a series of articles featuring soldiers who had returned to the area after serving in Iraq.

Two North Lincs soldiers under fire on board RAF helicopter

A SCUNTHORPE paratrooper was shot in both legs and another from Messingham escaped without injury after taking part in a shoot-out in southern Iraq.

Private Luke Murray and friend Private Mark Tune were part of a helicopter-bound rapid reaction force assisting colleagues who came under fire in the village of Amarah yesterday.

Today the mothers of both soldiers have expressed relief at hearing their sons are alive and well following the incident.

Troops in the pair’s regiment – 1st Battalion the Parachute Regiment – patrolling the town came under attack rom rocket-propelled grenades, heavy machine guns and rifle fire from ‘a large number of Iraqi gunmen’.

A quick reaction force, including a troop of Scimitar armoured vehicles and a Chinook helicopter, called in to assist them also came under fire.

Seven men in the helicopter – including Pte Murray – and one man on the ground were injured in the fighting. The Paras’ two vehicles were also destroyed.

The incident happened on the worst day of combat tor British troops since the end or the Iraqi war.

The day also saw six soldiers from the Royal Military Police killed at a post 15 miles south of Amarah.

• Thousands of additional British troops could be sent to Iraq in the wake of yesterday’s attacks of UK personnel, Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon indicated today.
• Mr Hoon said an urgent review was under way into the safety of British forces following the attacks.

North Lincolnshire duo under fire in Iraq

Troops’ mums are so relieved

THE mums of two North Lincolnshire paratroopers who came under enemy fire in Iraq today spoke of their relief that their sons had survived.

Privates Luke Murray and Mark Tune were serving with the 1st Battalion, the Parachute Regiment, when they came under fire yesterday in the first attacks on the British since the war ended on May 1.

Six British soldiers were killed and eight inured in two separate attacks in Iraq – the heaviest British combat casualties since the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime.

Troops from the battalion patrolling the village of Amarah, north of Basra. came under attack from rocket propelled grenades, heavy machine guns and rifle fire from ‘a large number of Iraqi gunmen’.

A quick reaction force, including a troop of Scimitar armoured vehicles and a Chinook helicopter, was then called in to assist them and also came under fire.

Seven men in the helicopter, including Pte Murray who was shot in both legs, and one man on the ground were injured in the fighting. The Paras’ two vehicles were also destroyed. Pte Tune escaped uninjured.

The injured were initially were initially taken to the 202 Field Hospital near the city of Basra, before the two most seriously wounded were transferred the US field hospital in Kuwait for specialist treatment.

Luke’s mum Kay Price (42), of Scunthorpe, said: “We were were relieved because he talked to us, but we didn’t know the extent of his injuries, but they are not life threatening.”

She said all she knew was he had been shot in both legs after the attack on the Chinook. as they were going to the rescue of comrades who were under fire.

Luke has phoned home regularly since the war ended.

Mrs Price said she had not even realised Luke was involved in the incident. Luke had tried to call home at 1.30pm yesterday to reassure his mother but she was out.

He called again later that afternoon from the field hospital, when his mother was in to say he was ‘okay’.

She said he was a hero to her. She added: “Our hearts go out to the families of those who have been killed and are injured. We just feel lucky that he’s been able to speak to us.”

Mrs Price said: “The other ones who are critical are Luke’s friends and we’d like to be there for him. It’s not something you want your sons to go through.”

Pte Tune, who was friends with Luke, also managed to contact his family this morning say he too was okay.

His mum, Gail of Messingham, said: “I heard it on the news. I didn’t know then it was the Paras”

She said she heard from Mark’s fianceé. Gemma Lewis, that it was Mark’s regiment which was involved. Mrs Tune said: “He rang this morning at 6.30am to say he was okay.”

She added: “He’s okay but they were his friends that were injured. Obviously I felt great relief, but my heart goes out to other families. They were due to come back on June 30. We thought it was over.”

From the Scunthorpe Telegraph on Wednesday, June 25, 2003.