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cup of tea 9:58 Mon Mar 28
The Falklands War

If you missed the documentary on Channel 4 last night try and watch it on catch up. It was a very good insightful piece on how close Britain came to losing the war and first hand knowledge of the monumental fuck ups in decision making of a lot of senior officers in the British ranks

Some excellent clips including the famous departure from Southampton and the SS Canberra as well as the Sir Galahad being bombed by the Argentinian air force

Almost 40 years since the start of the war and it shows the hell the British troops went through in appalling conditions in a war 8000 miles away from home

Excellent viewing if you are interested in this sort of thing

Northern Sold 12:09 Mon Mar 28
Re: The Falklands War

Yeah watched it thought it was very good... no massive surprises as lot of the stuff being told is in publication (Falklands - Forgotten voices etc)... still think can't get my head around the Sir Gallahad in San Carlos bordering on anything as bad as the Ruskis have done in Ukraine... interesting the differing views of the worth of 5th Infantry (Scots and Welsh Guards and the Gurkhas) brigade being there ... have read some pretty scathing stuff as to why they was even deployed

BRANDED 12:18 Mon Mar 28
Re: The Falklands War

Im reading “Across an Angry sea” the SAS in the Falklands. Recommended.

A couple if anecdotes. There’s a bloke down my pub who was a marine on the Sir Gallahad who will never talk about his experience.

My sister was an entertainer on the Canberra in the late 80s or early 90s and I got a chance to go on it for a few days after it had been fully refitted. Nice ship.

Northern Sold 12:32 Mon Mar 28
Re: The Falklands War

BRANDED... I think your bloke down teh pub is pulling your plonker... there was no RM's on the Galahad when it went up.. it was full of Welsh Guards... the RM's and Para' were a part of 3 Commando Brigade adn were either the other side of the Island or yomping to Mt Harriet

cup of tea 12:34 Mon Mar 28
Re: The Falklands War

When that bloke was explaining about trench foot condition I thought "I'll never moan about gout again"

Lee Trundle 12:40 Mon Mar 28
Re: The Falklands War

Northern Sold 12:32 Mon Mar 28

GUTTED, Brando?

BRANDED 12:41 Mon Mar 28
Re: The Falklands War

NS, he was deffo on it. He’s a Geordie. I thought he was a marine but that may well be wrong. I rarely speak with him and when I do its never about this.

Northern Sold 12:51 Mon Mar 28
Re: The Falklands War

BRANDED…. Not ALL the Welsh Guards were taffs so that’s his get out of jail card… he sounds like the cunt my sister has been shacked up with… 2 tours of Afghanistan with the RM’s… reckon he got captured and tortured by the Taliban and was saved by the SAS… that on top of coming out with that he taught Para’s how to get through P-Company… oh and apparently does not like fireworks as they set off his PTSD… hence why he can’t work… and my sister pays for everything… as he’s a war hero…. but the real funny thing is... my neice has been dating a 30 year old that works in security... his previous job?? A RM Commando who served in Afghanistan.... apparently my sisters other half can't meet him as it also might start off his PTSD...


My name is Walter… Walter Mitty

BRANDED 12:51 Mon Mar 28
Re: The Falklands War

“ Following the air attack, the fires quickly began to burn out of control. The main evacuation of the injured and wounded was organised and carried out by the ship's Royal Marine detachment. The Marines organised the launch of life rafts from the bow of the ship, whilst at the same time marshaling helicopters for personnel to be winched clear. Immediate first aid was given to those most seriously wounded and a triage system set up.”

Northern Sold 1:03 Mon Mar 28
Re: The Falklands War

Oh he was a part of the RM ship detachment?? What I remember there was a few sorting out an unexploded bomb from the previous day so Ok I will backtrack there might have been a handful of RM's on there that day... fair play he might not be a Walter after all...

BRANDED 1:09 Mon Mar 28
Re: The Falklands War

I deffo know he’s got a traumatised soul.

Anyway, it was hardly WW2

“Almeda Star – On 17 January 1941 the passenger and cargo liner was about 35 nautical miles (65 km) north of Rockall in heavy seas when U-96 hit her amidships with one torpedo, causing her to stop. She did not sink so U-96 fired two more torpedoes hitting the liner in the stern and again amidships. She had launched four lifeboats but still had people on deck when U-96 surfaced and opened fire on her with her 88 mm deck gun. The submarine fired 28 incendiary shells about 15 of which hit the liner and started small fires aboard. These soon went out and U-96 hit her with a fourth torpedo which exploded in her forepart. Within three minutes Almeda Star sank by her bow. When rescue ships arrived no trace of the ship or the 360 aboard was found”

Kaiser Zoso 1:09 Mon Mar 28
Re: The Falklands War

You OK today, hun?

epsom 1:28 Mon Mar 28
Re: The Falklands War

Northern

RM's were assigned to the LSL's in detachments to provide functions such as air cover using GPMG's as well as many other tasks. These were the marines not in the main companies within a commando but other skills such as drivers etc.

The evacuation of from injured and wounded from Galahad was carried out by RM's who organised the launch of life rafts from the bow of the ship, evacuating the injured etc. Sgt Brian Dolivera was mentioned in despatches for this and the RM detachment were the last to leave the ship. They then volunteered to go back with the RN bomb disposal team to help lift out the 1000 lb unexploded bomb that did not go off.

Suggest that if a RM says he was on board at the time and does not want to talk about it, there's a good fucking reason...

ted fenton 2:01 Mon Mar 28
Re: The Falklands War

I was 32 when all this kicked off recently married and living in Harold Wood and would have signed up without a blink it's what you do when you have raging hormones.

Away from the Falklands what I didn't know was that Harold Wilson probably saved thousands of young British men by keeping Britain out of the Vietnam War! It was probably Harold Wilson’s greatest achievement.

So says veteran Kirklees councillor Peter McBride said he was probably the only Prime Minister after World War Two to resist enormous pressure from America.

Northern Sold 2:53 Mon Mar 28
Re: The Falklands War

epsom 1:28 Mon Mar 28

Yup fair do's.... although as I have said as our family have found out there are many more Walter Mittys out there than true Vets (see below)... but yeah you are spot on I didn't think it through enough...


https://thewaltercumpershunterclub.wordpress.com/about/

southbankbornnbred 3:28 Mon Mar 28
Re: The Falklands War

My uncle was a para in the Falklands.

Tough as old boots soldier - basically a finely-tuned killing machine. His unit were dropped in and fought their way across challenging terrority laying waste to young, poorly-equipped Argentine soldiers. But the experience screwed him up, as war does to many folk.

I rarely asked him about his experiences: would just let him raise it. He once said they did it "because that's what we were trained - and told - to do: and we were damn good at it."

The things he saw and did? Fucking hell. I'm quite hard-bitten when it comes to my profession. But frickin' glad I never had to go to war. Those blokes are on a different level and, too often, it screws with them in later life.

Grumpster 7:19 Mon Mar 28
Re: The Falklands War

Probably one of the most pointless bits of land the argies could have fought for.

Cousin was a bit young to fight there, but as a navigator in a phantom a few years after, he had to do a stint there along with another 200 odd poor bastards on a rotation and reckons it's the most bored he's ever been in his life with fuck all there except for sheep.

Gaffer58 7:31 Mon Mar 28
Re: The Falklands War

Grumpster, sheep you say, great I’ll get me wellies!!!

Toe Rag 7:50 Mon Mar 28
Re: The Falklands War

If you get a chance to read it “3 Days in June” by James O’Connell.

The story of the 3 Para’s Battle for Mount Longdon in their own words.

One of the most harrowing books on war I’ve ever read.

Company by company and platoon by platoon accounts all the way through.

The book’s author had his eye and part of his face shot out in the opening seconds of the battle.

RBshorty 7:52 Mon Mar 28
Re: The Falklands War

Ted 2:01

A lot of that had to do with Suez. Helping a allied out. And all that. It was just returning the favour.

Crassus 8:06 Mon Mar 28
Re: The Falklands War

RB
I never knew that, but Suez, yes makes sense

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