Boots : Lieutenant Colonel R J H Noble, Al Muthanna Task Group

Pair of khaki leather and nylon boots with padded collar and removable cushion insole. Each boot has four pairs of brass eyelets and five pairs of riveted loops to retain the nylon laces. There is a pair of mesh covered ventilation holes at each instep. The boot uppers around the ankles are made of nylon and there is a webbing strip stitched across it. The suede tongues are lined with a green fabric and have a small pocket secured with Velcro. The leather is stained and scuffed and the rubber soles are lightly worn. The rubber strip just above the soles is worn and broken in places, particularly at the toe and heel. The boots are dusty and mud has dried in a number of places including around the eyelets, ventilation holes, soles and the toe and heel.

Associated with the service of Lieutenant Colonel Roger John Henderson Noble of 2 Cavalry Regiment. In 2005 Noble was appointed Commanding Officer of the Al Muthanna Task Group (AMTG) which was to be deployed to southern Iraq in April.

The AMTG, consisting of approximately 450 personnel, was tasked with providing a secure environment for the Japanese Iraq Reconstruction and Support Group (JIRSG) and assisting in the training of local Iraqi Army units to enable them to take over the internal and external defence of their country. On 15 October a referendum was held for the people of Iraq to decide whether or not to ratify the proposed constitution of Iraq.

This item was collected from Noble after a visit to the As Samawah polling booths to show Multinational Force support for the referendum and to assess the public’s participation. The Iraqi people voted to accept the new constitution and it was officially ratified on 25 October. Noble was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for 'distinguished command and leadership while employed as Commanding Officer for the Al Muthanna task Group in Southern Iraq during the period 24 April 2005 to 25 October 2005.'.