A Rutland Army Officer who led troops called to assist with a human rights investigation into a massacre of civilians by violent extremists in Mali, has been made an Officer of the British Empire (OBE).

Lieutenant Colonel Will Meddings commanded the Long-Range Reconnaissance Group (LRRG) - the UK contribution to the United Nations (UN) Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission (MINUSMA) in Mali.

The Task Group provided the UN with a long-range reconnaissance capability and acted as the eyes and ears on the ground in hard-to-reach places.

During the deployment the Task Force investigated a massacre in the south-east of the country that left over 50 people dead. The troops secured the area, gathered evidence and provided protection from further attacks to allow a UN Human Rights Team to interview locals and collect forensics. 

Military vehicles and personnel in action (image courtesy of the British Army).

They remained at the scene for three weeks and due to their rapid arrival, the Task Force was able to provide critical information to support the UN investigation.

The six-month deployment was code-named Operation NEWCOMBE. It saw the Task Group patrol from its base in Gao for days and weeks at a time, gathering intelligence and information on what was happening on the ground and covering hundreds of kilometres.  This information was then passed to the UN to help them understand and respond to threats and protect civilians. 

Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment and soldiers from C Squadron, 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards formed the basis of the reconnaissance group. They were supported by a variety of regiments with a wide array of skills including bomb disposal experts, drone operators, an electronic warfare team and a high-tech surgical team.

The award citation states: "He (Lt Col Meddings) commanded the Long-Range Reconnaissance Group (LRRG) in Mali, developing the force by going further and staying longer in the field than any other previous task force. Under his command, the LRRG found new ways of using surveillance and reconnaissance equipment, forged new links to civilian agencies and developed an explosives exploitation facility with UN partners."

Military vehicles and personnel in action (image courtesy of the British Army).

Lieutenant Colonel Meddings (43) whose 20-year Army career has seen him complete three tours of Afghanistan and one in Iraq, said: "The award acknowledges the hard work, in difficult circumstances, of the whole 300-strong task group in Mali. I'm hugely proud of what we achieved, from investigating human rights abuses to ensuring the UN mandate was enforced.

"During the tour from May-Dec 2021 the LRRG patrolled over 5,000km. It investigated a massacre of dozens of civilians by an armed group, providing aid and medical support while gathering evidence to support the UN investigation team.

"Part of its job was to ensure illegal armed groups could not threaten and rob Malians and during its patrols it interdicted several armed men, seizing machine guns and rocket propelled grenades. Its most demanding patrol involved a three-week, 1,500km cross-country patrol to the distant town of Menaka to support the other UN units based there."

Lieutenant Colonel Meddings now works in the Permanent Joint Headquarters in North London leading the planning team for future operations in Africa. 

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