ROYAL MARINES BASE CHIVENOR - Some of the British sailors and marines captured by Iran spoke Friday of the moment when they feared they were about to be executed by the Revolutionary Guards.
Royal Marine Joe Tindell, 21, among the 15 naval personnel seized at gunpoint in the northern Gulf on March 23, said he thought they were having their throats cut one by one.
He feared the worst when they were taken to a detention centre the day following their capture.
"On day two the mood completely changed, they changed from the military dress to all black, their faces covered," Tindell told BBC television.
"We thought we were going to the British embassy but we got taken to a detention centre, all 15 of us.
"We had a blindfold and plastic cuffs, hands behind our backs, heads against the wall. Basically there were weapons cocking. Someone, I'm not sure who, someone said, I quote, 'Lads, lads, I think we're going to get executed'.
"After that comment someone was sick and as far as I was concerned he had just had his throat cut.
"After that point on we were all basically standing there waiting for it to happen.
"From there we were rushed to a room, quick photo and then stuffed into a cell and didn't see or speak to anyone for six days."
At a news conference at Royal Marines Base Chivenor in Devon, southwest England, some of the former captives recalled the incident.
Royal Marines Captain Chris Air, 25, said it was the lowest point of their detention.
Royal Navy Lieutenant Felix Carman, 26, said: "When we first went to prison we were put up against the wall, hands bound, blindfolded and people were cocking weapons in the background, which as you can imagine is an extremely nerve-wracking occasion.
"That was the worst moment. There was a lot of trickery and mind games being played."
He told Sky News television: "We thought that it was possible that the worst could be coming.
"However, I managed to free my hands, pull off my blindfold and I saw it wasn't the case so I shouted to the lads 'Stay calm, it's not going to happen'.
"That's when I got jumped again and dragged off but at least I knew that we weren't going to executed at that point."
The youngest captive, Royal Navy Able Seaman Arthur Batchelor, 20, said their ordeal felt like "emotional torture."
"At some points I did have fears we would not survive because my imagination was running wild," the operator maintainer said.
"They were very aggressive towards us. It was a scary ordeal but I think they were aware that I was the youngest one. I feel a lot more grown-up now. It has definitely matured me as a person."
04/06/2007 19:28 GMT