How Close is 'Close Combat'?

[William F. Owen]

In May 2004, approximately 20 British troops in Basra were ambushed and forced out of their vehicles by about 100 Shiite militia fighters. When ammunition ran low, the British troops fixed bayonets and charged the enemy. About 20 militiamen were killed in the assault without any British deaths.

There are a number of reasons to doubt the veracity of this story. At best it simply did not happen.- based on the account presented in the British Army Review and others who were there.
Since 2005, one weapons in four in a UK Rifle platoon fireteam can have a bayonet attached to it, so giving the order "fix bayonets" just means the one man with the bayonet does something.

Based on a few years of research, I have found very few truthful accounts of men actually using bayonets in combat.