British officer tells of moment when suicide bomber attacked

The moment three Black Watch soldiers were killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq was recalled in graphic detail by their friends and colleagues yesterday.

Just days after the Scottish regiment had been moved north into the "triangle of death", amid growing controversy back home, the three young men died as they manned a vehicle checkpoint. The 1st Battalion of the Black Watch lost five men during their brief deployment into American-controlled territory at Camp Dogwood.

At the inquest yesterday into the deaths of Sgt Stuart Gray, 31, Pte Paul Lowe, 19, both from Fife, and Pte Scott McArdle, 22, from Glenrothes, on 4 November 2004, Pte Andrew McMenemy described seeing a red Opel Omega speed up as it approached. "About two seconds later there was an explosion," he said. "It lifted me off my feet and threw me across the road. When I looked round I could see a fireball 100ft in the air.

"I recall trying to get up but my knees kept giving way and my left arm was twisted. When I was receiving first aid I then heard mortars incoming towards the vehicle checkpoint."

The hearing in Oxford was told the company had been due to meet US forces to hand back Warrior armoured vehicles that had been damaged in an attack the previous day. The other unit was late, so they set up a checkpoint. An hour later they were attacked. The three soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter were killed instantly; eight others were injured. They were the first British soldiers to die in a suicide bomb attack in Iraq.

"I ran back towards the back of the Warrior to get my rifle," said Pte Scott Pollard. "I saw a body lying face down. It was Pte Lowe ... I couldn't find a pulse."

Major Robin Lindsay had been speaking to Pte Lowe seconds earlier. "He appeared at the open door of the Warrior and talked for a short while," he said. "Pte Lowe moved away from the back and I looked out. Everything went blank. All I could see was a ball. As it got closer I could feel a burning sensation on my face. I then heard a large blast."

Nicholas Gardiner, the Oxfordshire coroner, ruled all three had been killed unlawfully. He later heard from the mother of Pte Mark Dobson, 41, from Co Durham, who was found hanging by his rifle strap in his room at Basra airport on 28 March. It was two weeks before he was due to return. The Territorial Army soldier serving with B Company of the Tyne-Tees Regiment left a suicide note to his parents, Jean and Arthur.

Mr Gardiner recorded a verdict of suicide.