'Sickened' by PoW Photos May 31 2003




By Jim Guthrie, Evening Mail


Midland photo shop girl who tipped off police about pictures of the alleged torture of Iraqi prisoners of war told today how she felt sick at what she saw.

Kelly Tilford, 22, spoke out as Gulf War soldier Fusilier Gary Bartlam, 18, from Dordon, near Tamworth, was grilled by investigators about a film handed in at a Max Spielmann branch for processing.

She discovered photos allegedly showing an Iraqi PoW gagged and bound, hanging in netting from a fork-lift truck driven by a British soldier. Other pictures depicted soldiers allegedly committing sex acts near captured Iraqis.

Kelly said she uncovered the photos while checking a film at the processing firm's Tam-worth branch in George Street.

"I felt sick when I looked at the pictures," Kelly said.

"They were grim and I just felt awful.

"There were just a couple of photos with a couple of soldiers in the pictures. I showed them to a colleague and she called the police straight away."

Fusilier Bartlam, serving with the Ist Regiment of Fusiliers, was on leave at home afterreturningfromthe war. He was arrested when he returned to the photo shop and taken for questioning.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed that a soldier was being held in military custody while the Special Investigations Branch of the Royal Military Police launched an inquiry.

Fusilier Bartlam's parents Paul and Margaret run a corner shop in the former mining village of Dordon on the A5.

Mrs Bartlam said: "We know it's very serious, but he's a young lad. He made one big mistake, but how many other soldiers are like him who go in naive and find themselves in the same position?"

An MoD spokeswoman said: "We confirm an investigation is under way. If there is any truth in these allegations the MoD is appalled."

Soldier arrested over Iraqi torture photos

Embarrassment for army which prided itself on its tolerance

Richard Norton-Taylor
Saturday May 31, 2003
The Guardian

Military police are questioning a British soldier about photographs of alleged "torture" of Iraqi prisoners of war, including one gagged and bound, and dangling in netting from a fork-lift truck.
Other photos allegedly show soldiers commiting sex acts in front of captured Iraqis.

Perverts are a disgrace to the army.

And the army is already possibly dragged into a criminal war.

Now we may have even more dishonour to tne name of our country.

What a damn disgrace - dogs led by a poodle!!!!

please don't take my name in vain. although imitation is, of course, the sincerest form of flattery.

So why are you all complaining, I thought you agreed with fags being allowed in the military? What do you expect?

Who is that pervert admirer "sceptic" who thinks only he/she/it can use that name?

He must have one too many hamburgers and thinks like Ronald McDonald.

And that "use my name in vain" - you must think like Poodle!!! And I can only say "Jeeez H Christ!!!" to that!!!!

How about doing something more useful for humanity like condemning even in principle perverts if in case our lads are nor found to be perverts (you know there is that brand of whitewash branded "MoD"????).

The ladies (girl in photo shop and the mum of the lovely boy) have set themselves as examples, now it needs an almost intelligent person like you to follow the lead (your favourite paper Sun has published quite a bit - even the Sun is embarrassed by our lovely boys!!!).

to use whatever name you like. but don't try to mislead.

pervert admirer? who he? not me.

grow up.