{"id":177690,"date":"2024-07-08T16:19:14","date_gmt":"2024-07-08T15:19:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foxnwolf.com\/locknload\/?p=177690"},"modified":"2024-07-08T16:19:52","modified_gmt":"2024-07-08T15:19:52","slug":"pen-farthing-veteran-rm-writes-book-about-afghan-rescue-operation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foxnwolf.com\/locknload\/?p=177690","title":{"rendered":"Pen Farthing &#8211; Veteran RM writes book about Afghan rescue operation"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"ssrcss-xza2yt-ComponentWrapper ep2nwvo1\" data-component=\"image-block\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-8589xk-StyledFigure e34k3c23\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-g2ff6-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/d165\/live\/a4f4d230-3b82-11ef-ab0f-e9c29025e029.jpg.webp 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/d165\/live\/a4f4d230-3b82-11ef-ab0f-e9c29025e029.jpg.webp 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/d165\/live\/a4f4d230-3b82-11ef-ab0f-e9c29025e029.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/d165\/live\/a4f4d230-3b82-11ef-ab0f-e9c29025e029.jpg.webp 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/d165\/live\/a4f4d230-3b82-11ef-ab0f-e9c29025e029.jpg.webp 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/976\/cpsprodpb\/d165\/live\/a4f4d230-3b82-11ef-ab0f-e9c29025e029.jpg.webp 976w\" type=\"image\/webp\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"ssrcss-11yxrdo-Image edrdn950\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1024\/cpsprodpb\/d165\/live\/a4f4d230-3b82-11ef-ab0f-e9c29025e029.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/d165\/live\/a4f4d230-3b82-11ef-ab0f-e9c29025e029.jpg 240w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/d165\/live\/a4f4d230-3b82-11ef-ab0f-e9c29025e029.jpg 320w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/d165\/live\/a4f4d230-3b82-11ef-ab0f-e9c29025e029.jpg 480w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/d165\/live\/a4f4d230-3b82-11ef-ab0f-e9c29025e029.jpg 624w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/d165\/live\/a4f4d230-3b82-11ef-ab0f-e9c29025e029.jpg 800w, https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/976\/cpsprodpb\/d165\/live\/a4f4d230-3b82-11ef-ab0f-e9c29025e029.jpg 976w\" alt=\"Pen Farthing looks directly at the camera as he holds a dog, he is sitting down and wearing Royal Marine commando gear. \" width=\"437\" height=\"246\" \/><\/picture><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-tvuve5-StyledFigureCopyright e34k3c20\" role=\"text\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-1f39n02-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image source, <\/span>Nozad<\/span><\/div><figcaption class=\"ssrcss-1mget3o-StyledFigureCaption e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-y7krbn-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Pen Farthing&#8217;s new book recounts his experience of evacuating his charity from Afghanistan in 2021<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1hbb5i-BylineComponentWrapper e8mq1e90\" data-component=\"byline-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-qt5zqv-BylineWrapper e8mq1e917\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-h3c0s8-ContributorContainer e8mq1e916\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1u2in0b-Container-ContributorDetails e8mq1e913\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-68pt20-Text-TextContributorName e8mq1e96\">Shivani Chaudhari<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-84ltp5-Text e8mq1e910\">BBC News, Essex<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-jlwt2c-Divider e8mq1e915\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-xza2yt-ComponentWrapper ep2nwvo1\" data-component=\"metadata-block\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-13nu8ri-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"ssrcss-30fcoe-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\" role=\"listitem\">\n<div class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-1f39n02-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Published 8th July 2024<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\"><b class=\"ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">A former British Royal Marines commando said it was therapeutic to write a book about his experience of evacuating animals and people from Afghanistan during the Taliban takeover in 2021.<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">In the mid-2000s Paul Farthing, known as Pen, from Dovercourt, Essex, set up Nowzad, an animal charity in Kabul.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Mr Farthing made headlines three years ago when, following the withdrawal of UK and US troops from Afghanistan, he was accused of prioritising &#8220;pets over people&#8221; when evacuating his charity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Mr Farthing said the &#8220;pets over people tagline was absolutely horrendous&#8221; and his evacuation, known as Operation Ark, saved 67 Afghan people and 171 animals.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">In Afghanistan, Nowzad cared for dogs, cats and donkeys &#8211; some of which belonged to UK service men and women.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Mr Farthing said that his animal shelter had predominantly employed young Afghan women.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;I couldn&#8217;t bear the thought that we were going to just leave them behind,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Yet saving the staff and evacuating them out of Kabul meant that the animals in the shelter would have no-one to care for them, which is why both staff and pets were rescued, he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Mr Farthing told BBC Essex: &#8220;The &#8216;pets over people&#8217; tagline was absolutely horrendous, until today we&#8217;ve never had any media outlet that has focused on the people we rescued.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-19w8cxh-ComponentWrapper-HeadlineComponentWrapper egtrm1f0\" data-component=\"subheadline-block\">\n<h2 id=\"Dark-memories\" class=\"ssrcss-1ipj56t-Heading e10rt3ze0\" tabindex=\"-1\"><span role=\"text\">&#8216;Dark memories&#8217;<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-uf6wea-RichTextComponentWrapper ep2nwvo0\" data-component=\"text-block\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-7uxr49-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">When speaking about his book, called Operation Ark, he said: &#8220;The book was almost never written because I almost didn&#8217;t want to revisit it all because it would just drag up all of those dark memories I wanted to put behind me.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;For me it was therapy, it was writing it and putting it all into place.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;I can say now that I have no regrets, we saved 67 people and 171 animals.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">He said he hoped the new book will put the &#8220;pets over people&#8221; accusations to rest.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">He added that Nowzad is still operating and has been providing aid in Ukraine.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Image source, Nozad Pen Farthing&#8217;s new book recounts his experience of evacuating his charity from Afghanistan in 2021 Shivani Chaudhari BBC News, Essex Published 8th July 2024 A former British Royal Marines commando said it was therapeutic to write a &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/foxnwolf.com\/locknload\/?p=177690\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,54,13,117,97,32,47],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-177690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general","category-rm-expats-wherever-you-are","category-rma","category-rmc","category-royal-marines-museum","category-royal-marines","category-royal-marines-band"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/foxnwolf.com\/locknload\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177690","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/foxnwolf.com\/locknload\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/foxnwolf.com\/locknload\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foxnwolf.com\/locknload\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foxnwolf.com\/locknload\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=177690"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/foxnwolf.com\/locknload\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177690\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":177692,"href":"https:\/\/foxnwolf.com\/locknload\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177690\/revisions\/177692"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/foxnwolf.com\/locknload\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=177690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foxnwolf.com\/locknload\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=177690"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foxnwolf.com\/locknload\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=177690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}