to the sky, there is heavy cloud cover and the wind is still blowing fiercely, but his ear is sharp and he recognises a sound. He looks at Riley and shouts: RUNNN!

They both take off in a sprint towards the end of the bridge, Tommy and Kenny look at each other and then back to Rob as if expecting an explanation.

Shearer and the other soldiers didn’t need any such added detail however. Years of training to follow orders had engrained a hair trigger into their reflexes when they were told to take cover. The look on Rob’s face tells Tommy and Kenny to forget the questions as, now hearing the sound he heard, the rush of a jet engine streaking overhead, all three of them turn and run.

The heat is what first surprises