The History Podcast – The Fort: 8. Bullet Magnet

BBC Radio 4 | Original Air Date: September 16, 2025
Episode Summary:

Overview

In this gripping episode, British commanders, soldiers, and Apache pilots recount a harrowing assault and an extraordinary rescue mission in Afghanistan. Through their firsthand accounts, listeners are drawn into the chaos, confusion, and courage that defined an operation to recover a fallen comrade, Lance Corporal Ford (“4D”), under intense enemy fire. The episode highlights the immense difficulties of battlefield coordination, the daunting physical and emotional challenges faced during casualty recovery, and the camaraderie and professionalism of those involved.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene – The Bullet Magnet

• [01:10] Captain Chris Fraser Perry opens candidly:
  “I'm right now sat next to a bullet magnet.”
  This immediately establishes the high-risk nature of the mission and camaraderie between the soldiers and pilots present.

2. The Assault and Initial Confusion

• [01:28] Lieutenant General Rob McGowan describes watching the mission unfold remotely via Predator drone:

  “We knew where Lance Corporal Ford was. The two helicopters landed...you lose complete situational awareness.”

• [01:55] Tom (Apache pilot) shares cockpit details, emphasizing careful preparation but also the ever-present unpredictability:

  “You get off the aircraft, the wall will be there.”
  “Run to the wall.” — Captain Chris Fraser Perry

• Marines land in a dust-swirled “brownout,” disoriented and under fire, highlighting the chaos of combat insertions.

3. Breakdown in Communication and Murphy’s Law

• [02:38] Tom recounts a fateful cockpit mishap:

  “What they call Murphy's Law, the Apache door. My mechanism was broken, so if I got out of the cockpit, I couldn't get back in.”

• Unplanned, Geordie (back seat pilot) jumps out to direct Marines amid intense risk:

  “I wouldn't ask anybody to do what I wasn't being prepared to do myself.”

• [03:32] Colonel David Amlow explains the challenge:

  “There was still a considerable amount of Taliban in and around the fort.... When Geordie gets out of the aircraft to help lead the Marines ... Tom immediately identifies movement in the fort itself, which is now only 15, 20 meters to his front.”

4. Stuck in the Cockpit and Under Fire

• [04:55] Tom, unable to fly due to a locked collective:

  “This is probably not the best place in the world to be, but I've got the best team in the world supporting me.”

• Tom calls in air cover from Nick and Charlotte in overhead Apaches, who begin suppressing enemy targets extremely close to their own men.

5. ‘Winchester’—Out of Ammo

• [06:31] Colonel David Amlow recounts:

  “…Charlotte had become the first British Apache pilot to Winchester her aircraft… was the first British pilot to completely empty it of ammunition.”

• [06:45] Charlotte recalls:

  “It was quite scary at the time. I was sort of wishing we had a little bit more because it didn't seem to last very long, even though there's quite a lot of it.”

6. Desperation and Extraction

• Tom describes the frantic moments as Geordie returns:

  “This guy is breathing through his ass. He is panting like you have never heard anybody pant.” [07:14]

• Despite exhaustion, Geordie releases the collective friction, and they lift off—still taking fire and with Marines perilously exposed on the helicopter wings:

  “Another two Talibs... I engage those even though the guys are on the wing. And I was just like, you know, clearly that's not a great thing because it's loud.” [07:20]

7. Recovery of Lance Corporal Ford (“4D”)

• [08:59] Captain Chris Fraser Perry details the challenge of finding and recovering the casualty:

  “The blades from the helicopter kick up all this loose and fine sand and dirt… you couldn’t see anything. … if I was a Taliban fighter, I'd be shooting at that dust cloud.”

• He describes the personal risk of running toward 4D, noting in hindsight the danger of possible booby traps:

  “Knowing what I know now, like booby traps and people just waiting for soldiers to come up to their injured... But I saw Matthew and just run straight towards him. And it's...very obvious that he was instantly killed.” [10:59]

• [11:19] Dave Regg shares his sense of helplessness:

  “Sadly, he's dead and, and we have to get them back. And that was quite difficult, partly because I didn't do a very good job of it...maybe I'm just making excuses, I don't know.”

8. Physical and Emotional Toll of Evacuation

• Both Dave and Captain Fraser Perry struggle to carry 4D’s body, burdened by equipment and stress:
  • “4D was sort of 6 foot 4, 6 foot 5. He had all his ops kit on, so he had all of the ammo scales, his armor, my armor, my ammo scales… it wasn't easy.” — Captain Fraser Perry [11:47]
  • “The old fireman's carry didn't work. I couldn't even lift him off the ground. I'd never had a problem with that before. ...there were two other Apaches in the air above us pulling down covering fire and there was a lot of gunfire. The empty shells from their 30mm cannon are sort of landing around our feet and I started to panic a little bit.” — Dave Regg [12:34]

9. Race Against Time & Extraction

• [13:36] Ed Macy, another Apache pilot, reflects on the expectation vs reality:

  “I expected to be on the ground for three minutes... Three minutes max. ...I think it's about four or five minutes... They looked exhausted. It's now desperation. I need to get out.”

• After debating with his own backseat pilot, Ed jumps out himself to assist—underscoring the tightrope between discipline and necessity.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• "You lose complete situational awareness."
  – Lieutenant General Rob McGowan [01:28]
• "If they're not briefed, they're no good."
  – Tom (Apache pilot) [02:38]
• “Winchester” – completely out of ammunition, unprecedented for a British Apache pilot in theatre.
  – Colonel David Amlow & Charlotte [06:31–06:45]
• "I was sort of wishing we had a little bit more [ammo]... it didn't seem to last very long."
  – Charlotte, Apache pilot [06:45]
• "I was physically strong and fit. So yeah, this was a different kettle of fish."
  – Dave Regg, on the emotional and physical weight of battlefield casualty recovery [12:34]
• "I expected to be on the ground for three minutes... It's now desperation. I need to get out."
  – Ed Macy [13:36]

Segment Timestamps

| Time | Segment | |----------|------------------------------------------------------| | 01:10 | Introduction of key pilots and marines | | 01:28 | Command overview and helicopter landings | | 02:38 | Ground chaos & cockpit mishap explained | | 03:32 | Command and helicopter air support roles | | 04:55 | Tom stuck in cockpit; request for air suppression | | 06:31 | ‘Winchester’ - Charlotte runs out of ammo | | 07:14 | Geordie extraction; helicopter takes off under fire | | 08:59 | Marines’ struggle with brownout and confusion | | 11:19 | Discovery of Lance Corporal Ford | | 12:34 | Difficulty of evacuation under fire | | 13:36 | Pilot Ed Macy’s perspective on the ordeal |

Tone and Atmosphere

The episode is intense, authentic, and moving. Speakers recount events with gritty detail and raw emotion, balancing professionalism with frank vulnerability. Camaraderie and mutual support permeate the narrative, set against the deadly uncertainty of close combat.

Conclusion

“Bullet Magnet” stands as a stirring testimony to courage and improvisation under fire. The episode meticulously renders the unpredictable reality of modern warfare—moments of confusion, the grim calculus of combat, and the extraordinary efforts made to bring everyone home. The firsthand accounts immerse the listener in the dust, noise, and fear of Afghanistan, reminding us of both the human toll and the powerful bonds forged under fire.