Sarajevo Airport, 1992

[Wm. Harris]

Hello all,

I‘ve been doing a bit of reading on the liberation of Sarajevo airport in 1992 by Canadian troops under the UN. However, any of the sources I‘ve looked at have been short on the details armchair historians like me look for. Perhaps someone here can answer a few short questions for me.

1) What was the battalion that actually liberated the airport. I‘ve seen 3/RCR mentioned but have read nothing definitive.

2) How were the Canadians equipped? Were there any specialist teams with the enigmatic battalion as they went into the airport? What about armour support?

3) What about the Serbs? What was their strength at the airport?

Does anyone know the answers to one or all of these questions?

 

[MadNad]

Hey,

Officially it was the 1 R22eR Battle Group, composed mostly of Glorious members of the 1 R22eR and 3 RCR. But as you know members from all trade and units from CFB Lahr participated in the liberation, Field Amb, HQSIGS, SVCSBAT and so on, since they all were being move to the 1R22eR Battle Group.

Standard equipment were used, M113, TUA, MLVW, ILTIS and service equipment from the time. As for special team, RCR TUA had security duty at the airport, Vandoos recon took care of escort duty around town, plus some other advance recon team deployed around the town. And normal liaison group at each HQ.

The strenght prior to the arrival was large, Including the Serbian base between downtown and the airport that became camp beaver later on. On the airport mostly tanks, airdefenses system and troops. As for the size and specifique units i don't remember.

 

[armyvern]

An excellent account of UNPROFOR and CanBat 1 the article below contains a large section on the Sarajevo Airport, who was there, what led up to it, and the aftermath:

"From Ottawa to Sarajevo - Canadian Peacekeepers in the Balkans:"
by Dawn M Hewitt

http://www.queensu.ca/cir/pdf/Martello18.pdf