WHEN Lance-Corporal Ben Whatley was killed on Christmas Eve, he was leading his Royal Marines from the front as they fought close up with the Taliban. His family in Norfolk had put Christmas festivities on hold, expecting him home in early January.

It has now emerged that the clash in which Whatley died – a helicopter-borne assault on the village of Chah-e Anjir — was the climax of a month-long operation in Helmand province involving 1,500 British, Afghan and coalition troops.

The offensive, described in detail this weekend by those who took part, claimed the lives of five servicemen and wounded many others. It was one of the biggest operations mounted by Britain’s forces since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Operation Sond Chara – Pashto for Red Dagger – was named after the Royal Marine commandos’ shoulder badge.

Its aim, apparently now achieved, was to stamp Afghan government control on a Taliban-infested region of Helmand province and allow locals to register and vote in presidential elections later this year.

The Red Dagger battles were mainly fought north and west of Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital. In one, marines had to “yomp” through mud to attack the enemy dug in at a strategic town. In another, a village was taken by a frontal charge led by Danish dragoons’ tanks.

“Some of the places we stayed in were a nightmare,” said one soldier. “Sleeping in the mud was the worst. It was difficult to tell who the enemy was – it was pretty scary.”

Whatley, 20, from King’s Lynn, Norfolk, was killed in some of the fiercest fighting of the offensive.

Chah-e Anjir was the Taliban command post from which insurgents controlled increasingly audacious attacks, including one in October when 300 marched into Lashkar Gah, raising serious questions over who was in control.

The troops in the assault on Chah-e Anjir had presents from Britain in their packs ready to open once the fighting was over.

Despite his young age, Whatley had already served in Afghanistan and seen his best friend killed. He was one of what his commander described as “a tight and combat-hardened band of warriors”.

Whatley was killed at the head of his section, “fighting from the front for his friends”. They were among marines pouring into Chah-e Anjir, ferried by Chinook transport helicopters and backed up by Apache helicopter gunships.

Preparations for Red Dagger began in November with intelligence-gathering operations in which Marine Tony Evans, 20, from Sunderland, and Marine Georgie Sparks, 19, from Epping, Essex, were killed by a Taliban rocket-propelled grenade.

The offensive, which included British, Danish, Estonian and Afghan troops, began in earnest on December 7.

The first clashes included an attack on a village used as a safe haven by the Taliban when Danish Leopard tanks from the Jutland Dragoons led a combined assault with British and Afghan troops.

The speed of the Leopards caught the Taliban by surprise. After firing a final flurry of 107mm rockets, they fled.

There were no operations on December 8-10 out of respect for the Muslim religious festival of Eid al-Adha, but as darkness fell on December 11, hundreds of Royal Marines from 42 Commando attacked the town of Nad-e-Ali.

Some went in by helicopter; others advanced on the ground, backed up by armoured vehicles and Apaches.

“We air-assaulted in at night,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Charlie Stickland, commanding officer of 42 Commando. “Thankfully all the insertions went very swiftly and very well and we unhinged the insurgents.”

Meanwhile, another force of commandos and Afghans, backed up by the 2nd Battalion, The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment, took the town of Shin Kalay, west of Lashkar Gah.

The Taliban soon hit back as the troops set about building two forward operating bases to maintain control of the area.

Over the next few days the Commando Reconnaissance Force and K Company of 42 Commando, known as “the Black Knights”, were involved in fierce fighting as the Taliban tried to retake lost ground.

Members of 24 Commando Engineer Regiment were struggling through a sea of mud to construct the operating bases, often under intense fire.

Corporal Cunningham, a section commander, said: “At times we were constructing in torrential rain with mud up to our knees and whenever the enemy saw us building they would have a go.”

The most intense fighting of the offensive was on December 17-19 in the battle of Zarghun Kalay, north of Lashkar Gah. Commandos had yomped through mud to get there and then fought hand-to-hand in a “360-degree battle” with insurgents often surrounding them and well dug in.

Whatley distinguished himself in this clash, his company commander said. “Ben knew how to fight,” said Major Rich Cantrill. “I saw him with my own eyes during the battle for Zarghun Kalay, winning the firefight against tough insurgent opposition.”

A number of troops were wounded in the fighting and an Australian serving with 1st Battalion, the Rifles, was killed. Rifleman Stuart Nash, 21, was from Sydney. He had joined the British Army to do “real soldiering”. Nash was hit while giving covering fire from a rooftop. He died later of his wounds.

Captain Dave Glendenning, commander of the marines’ artillery support team, said of the battle: “Almost every day we were in intense firefights ranging from grenades and small arms ‘shoot-and-scoots’ to four-hour battles with the enemy as close as 30 metres.”

The Taliban reverted to roadside bombs and on December 21 one killed Corporal Robert Deering, a mechanic from Commando Logistic Regiment, who was investigating a blast that had wounded three marines.

Four days later, as Christmas Day drew to a close, Chah-e Anjir fell to the British and four Taliban safe havens had been brought under control.

Eventually the men could enjoy Christmas. Marine George Georgiou, who fought at Zarghun Kalay, said: “It was touch and go but, true to word, the lads of J Company made it back to Lash Vegas [Lashkar Gah] in time for a late Christmas lunch. We received a warm welcome from everyone.”

Explore UK News

• Crime News

• Education News

• Health News

• Scotland News

Times Recommends

• Please help: maimed children of war want their lives back
• Unlocking the cruellest prison
• Prince Charles named in £81m court battle