Private from 1st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment on patrol in Basra, 2004

Digital photograph taken by WO2 Giles Penfound, Army Media Operations, Basra, southern Iraq, Operation TELIC 4, 30 June 2004.

Soldiers of 6 Platoon 'B' Company provided multiple patrols around the Local Government HQ Building in Basra to protect against possible attacks from militants, on what should have been the first day of Iraqi Independence. The patrols started at 0645 in the morning and lasted for the whole day with soldiers supporting the local Iraqi police force. With the exception of normal criminal activity it was a very quiet day and failed to live up to the dire expectations of some. As a result of their aggressive and positive patrols the incidences of attacks on their base location dropped.