government and the forces on the ground as to
what to do because word had come through that
the soldiers were going to be given to a splinter
group of insurgents and probably executed.
“The commanding offi cer on the ground took
the decision to mount a quick reaction force to
break these blokes out. The map is said to show
the area where these two SAS soldiers were
being held and apparently my Land Rover was
part of that quick reaction force. That’s what
I’ve been told, but to date I have not been able to
verify if it’s true or not.”
On the bad press Snatch Land Rovers received
during their time in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mark
said: “I’ve spoken to a few owners who served
with them and they have all said that it was
still better than patrolling in a soft-skin vehicle.
You’ve got to consider it was the only vehicle
used in bulk numbers out there (Iraq) because
the army did not want to project a war-like
image.
“So, for patrols around towns and villages
they opted for a Land Rover. A lot of the streets
and roads in the smaller towns and villages
were narrow and could not take big armoured
vehicles and the only thing that could get down
the alleyways was the Land Rover. Also, the
IEDs being used were very powerful and there
were few vehicles that could withstand them
adequately.”
Mark has no plans to offl oad his anytime soon.
“It’s one of the cheaper military vehicles to buy
and maintain,” he said. “The cost of buying one
today is nothing compared to what was spent
on them. I’m told the initial costs of the purchase
and upgrades with all the armour was said to be
around £80,000.
“It’s top heavy, the vehicle weighs just over four
tons so you need to be cautious when driving
and, on the motorway, you can’t do excessive
speeds.
“It’s comfortable at around 50mph and itSPECIFICATIONS
Make Land Rover
Model Snatch
Nationality UK
Year 1992 onwards
Production Run 994
Engine Land Rover
Type V8(original) / 300Tdi
Fuel Petrol / Diesel
Power 83Kw
Speed 100 km/h
Gearbox R380(later versions)
Gears Five
Dimensions(overall)
Length 4.8m
Width 2m
Height 2.37m
Wheelbase 2.79m
Turning circle 13.25m
Weight 4,050kg‘The cost of buying one today
is nothing compared to what was spent on them’
The Snatch Land Rover is based on
the Defender 110 chassisA member of Roebuck Company, Territorial Army, Princess of Wales’s
Royal Regiment (PWRR) is shown providing top cover in a Snatch Land
Rover, during a move from Basra Airport to the city. CROWN COPYRIGHTDecent examples
sell for around £10,000‘The cost of buying one today
is nothing compared to what was spent on them’
‘The cost of buying one today
is nothing compared to what was spent on them’
‘The cost of buying one today ‘The cost of buying one today
is nothing compared to what was spent on them’