35 years ago - Falklands

[ricardian]

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[charliegolf]

There were a great many more than 255 dead...

RIP

[parabellum]

I'm pretty sure that when we gather at the Cenotaph on the nearest Sunday to November 11th. we remember our own dead, quite sure I have not yet heard mention of Japanese, Italians or Germans.

[Cows getting bigger]

I'm pretty sure that many of us have moved on from being selective about the abhorrent price of war.

[Duchess_Driver]

^^ What he said.

However, I do remember noting at a church parade some time ago a subtle change from 'our' dead to 'the' dead of war. On chatting to 'the God Squad' later over tea I asked and he was quite keen that his service was inclusive not just to combatants but innocent victims of all war.

At the going down of the sun.....

DD

[NutLoose]

Blimey that long ago, I remember waving off my mates and seeing them all back slightly less jovial and subdued having survived the Conveyor.

[langleybaston]

C Met O STC on the phone to me at Bawtry

"The bastard Argies have invaded the Falklands!"

"So what's the plan? What are we doing?"

"Nothing. Word here is we can do buggerall!"

Was it not an Admiral who pursuaded Maggie to go for it?

[PPRuNeUser0139]

Yes, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Henry Conyers Leach.
It would have had to be a dark blue call as the other services were constrained by the lack of suitable land bases.. (without wishing to start this well-worn debate off again)

[charliegolf]

Blimey that long ago, I remember waving off my mates and seeing them all back slightly less jovial and subdued having survived the Conveyor.

You Odius then Nutty?

[woptb]

As a spotty 21 year old JT,I remember how excited & happy we were at the prospect of a fight with the Argies.
Pretty pathetic (my personal reaction, that is) in hindsight:sad:

[NutLoose]

Yes I was, so long ago, but still fresh in the memory CG.

Woptb, we all were.

[charliegolf]

I was the 33 Sqn duty crewman the night before the Canberra sailed, and I got a call telling me to pack up my crap, and to be ready to deploy on a single Puma afloat. Call never came, and the Pumas were never involved.

[westernhero]

Probably a good idea you didn't go, as the Argies flew Pumas on the islands a blue on blue might have happened. I believe a couple of times Harriers got a fleeting glimpse of a Puma and then attacked as they were bound to be not ours ?

[NutLoose]

Err they also flew Chinooks. we on the other hand were the new kids on the block re operating them.

I think it was something to do with Wessex at the time being seen as a better alternative with the commonality of spares with the RN. Though some nice man did fly in with his Hughes 500 to look at making bags for I think the Puma.

[BossEyed]

There was quite a bit of discussion around 5 years later of a ship clearance for Puma, and it didn't progress due to (in particular) the high vertical CG and narrow track undercarriage. I wonder if an early view along those lines also had something to do with them not being deployed in '82 into a South Atlantic winter?

A potential clearance was revisited several times after that but with much the same view from the operators, which also included thoughts on things like no blade fold and IIRC standard tie down points that were felt to be potential contributors to ground resonance when on the deck.

[charliegolf]

Err they also flew Chinooks. we on the other hand were the new kids on the block re operating them.

I think it was something to do with Wessex at the time being seen as a better alternative with the commonality of spares with the RN. Though some nice man did fly in with his Hughes 500 to look at making bags for I think the Puma.

Clearly remember those hideous green bags:ok: Puma in a growbag- poetic really.

CG

[charliegolf]

There was quite a bit of discussion around 5 years later of a ship clearance for Puma, and it didn't progress due to (in particular) the high vertical CG and narrow track undercarriage. I wonder if an early view along those lines also had something to do with them not being deployed in '82 into a South Atlantic winter?

A potential clearance was revisited several times after that but with much the same view from the operators, which also included thoughts on things like no blade fold and IIRC standard tie down points that were felt to be potential contributors to ground resonance when on the deck.

The average windspeeds in the Falklands in winter were seen as an eye opener too, Bossy.

CG

[NutLoose]

Very few of my friends got feet dry, most were paddling around the South Atlantic.

[salad-dodger]

A story for every occasion!

S-D

[Mogwi]

Probably a good idea you didn't go, as the Argies flew Pumas on the islands a blue on blue might have happened. I believe a couple of times Harriers got a fleeting glimpse of a Puma and then attacked as they were bound to be not ours ?

Yep, one with 30mm and another with wing-tip vortices. Cheap kill! All crew survived amazingly.

[jayteeto]

Jnr Tech Jayteeto, aged 19, was deployed on Atlantic Conveyor.
One of my colleagues whinged about the 'new boy' getting the glory and insisted on taking my place. He survived the sinking. I learned never to volunteer

[Fonsini]

It seems like even now there are still stories coming out about the Falklands conflict that have remained secret these past 35 years. But what really catches me these days are the stories of the 18 year olds who were killed and the thought that I turned 18 during the fighting.

I think that people really began to understand what those lads went through when the Simon Weston documentary was released.

[The Old Fat One]

At the military "sharpend" level there was a great deal of individual and unit bravery (on both sides) as well as quite a lot of effective military leadership and innovation, albeit mixed in with the inevitable percentage of "cock up".

On a foreign policy and diplomacy level, it was a complete fiasco with ongoing and far reaching consequences.

RIP those on both sides who made the ultimate sacrifice for yet another unnecessary and completely preventable conflict.

[gums]

Salute! Cherrio!

Love to hear the stories about that skirmish from so long ago.

Our unit at Hill had a super debfrief from a Harrier dude. Sadly, we did not get a similar AAR from the IAF after they blew up the Iraqi nuke plant, and I had been an IP for those guys!!!

We sat back amazed at all the things the Brits did and also appreciated the kind words about our AIM-9 "Lima" that was hastily integrated on their Harriers. The pilot described his shot and said the missile went st ahead and his first thot was the damned Yanks always made bold claims. About 2 tenths of a second later the Lima did a bat turn and smoked a Mirage or Entenard or A-4.

Good grief, they had low ceilings and fog and followed flares on the ocean until getting sight of their landing boat ( container ship, carrier, who cares?)

I was blessed to fly with two RAF exchange pilots in two different jets. A breed of their own, and we Yanks have always held the RAF in deep regard.

Gums sends...