ON THE GROUND

Available on: BBC Sounds | Apple podcasts | Spotify

In 2003, Audrey Gillan was embedded during the invasion of Iraq with a small squadron from Britain’s Household Cavalry Regiment. Just nine days into the war, two American A10 pilots opened fire on a convoys of their small tanks. One soldier died and another was seriously injured; at least two Iraqi civilians who were standing nearby holding a white flag were also killed. “We’re in jail, dude,” said one of the pilots, caught on the cockpit tape, on realising their error. Not only did they not go to jail, they weren’t even disciplined. Seventeen years on, neither of the pilots involved have spoken publicly about what happened or offered any apology.

In On the Ground, Audrey revisits the most controversial incident of the war along with the award-winning BBC producer and presenter Dan Maudsley. An emotional rollercoaster for Audrey and a compelling investigation for Dan, the series tells the story of that incident and D Squadron’s war through the men’s eyes and Audrey’s voice. It examines the now-infamous friendly fire incident, which a British coroner later ruled as unlawful, and the aftershocks that are still felt today. The nine-part podcast, made for BBC Radio 5 Live/BBC Scotland/BBC Sounds, was nominated for a Foreign Press Association award in the radio/podcast category.

Financial Times journalist Fiona Sturges said: “On the Ground is a remarkable listen: detailed, unflinching and revealing about the ripple effects of a wholly avoidable tragedy.”

In The Times, Francesca Angelini said: “Gillan’s precise description brings the narrative to life, pulling listeners into Iraq and its surreal landscape as she recalls the trials of embedding with the squadron and being shot at in the back of a tank.”

Miranda Sawyer, in The Observer, wrote: “Gillan is a compelling broadcaster, taking us with her wherever she goes. Her interviews with the soldiers are gripping, her powers of description immense, and you are brought right into the scene of death. There’s a deeply moving moment when she speaks to a military doctor who responded to a different life-or-death incident; and she’s great on the camaraderie and terror of war, the long-term effects on the psyche.”