SIGNALS FROM THE FALKLANDS The Navy in the Falklands Conflict An Anthology of Personal Experience

Compiled and Edited by JOHN WINTON

LEO COOPER CONTENTS

Editor's Preface xi

Glossary xiii

Diary of Principal Events i

LEAVING FOR THE SOUTH ATLANTIC, from HMS Invincible

The Falklands Deployment 2nd April-17 September, 1992, 9

LETTERS TO SUSIE: by C.P.O Arthur Gould, HMS Arrow 14

ENDURANCE'S WAR Letter of Fleet C.P.O. Geoffrey Cox of 13 JUNE, 1983 17 'YOU'VE GOT TO GET ON, JOHN': THE RESCUE OF THE SAS FROM SOUTH GEORGIA AND THE ATTACK ON THE SUBMARINE SANTA FE. Extracts from a diary kept by Lt C.J. Parry, RN, HMS Antrim, 2 April-June, 1982 21

DEALING WITH THE PRESS by Lt Cdr Rupert Nichol RN, from Letters from the Task Force 1982 31

SOUTH ATLANTIC ISLAND [Ascension] by Vox Non Incerta (Captain Robert McQueen, CBE, RN), from The Naval Review, Vol.70, N0.4, October, 1982 35

LETTERS TO SUSIE: II 41 CONQUEROR'S WAR PATROL by Cdr Christopher Wreford-Brown, DSO, RN, from a lecture given at Cambridge University 45

THE LOSS OF HMS SHEFFIELD by Captain 'Sam' Salt, RN,

from an interview of 18 January, 1984 55

HMS SHEFFIELD Statements for Probate 60

LETTERS TO SUSIE: III 63

DISBELIEF by Lt Cdr Rupert Nichol, RN, from Letters from the Task Force 1982 66 ATLANTIC CONVEYOR from Recollections of the Falklands Campaign from the Senior Naval Officer SS Atlantic Conveyor, Captain Michael Layard, CBE, RN 71

LETTERS TO SUSIE: IV 78

THE LOSS OF HMS ARDENT by MEAi Ken Enticknapp QGM, from an interview of 6 June, 1984 79

CASEVAC SORTIE by Surgeon Cdr Rick Jolly, OBE, RN, from an interview of 24 October, 1989 87

'IT'S THEM ARGIES, SIR, THEY'RE GOING TO CAUSE A FLIPPIN' ACCIDENT ONE DAY' [HMS Argonaut] by CANOPUS [Captain C. H. Layman, LVO, RN], A Personal View of the Falklands Campaign from The Naval Review, Vol. 71, No.i, January, 1983 90

LETTERS TO SUSIE: V 94

'IT SUDDENLY DAWNED ON ME WHAT IT WAS ALL ABOUT - WE WERE AT WAR' [HMS Antelope], by Leading Seaman (Radar) Jeffrey ('Bunny') Warren 97 vi 'WE WERE DETERMINED, WE HAD THE KIT, WE HAD THE FLEET . . . ' [HMS Plymouth], by Lt Cdr Ken Napier, RN, from a letter of 10 July, 1983 103

PREMONITION from letters of May, 1982, by Lt Cdr Glen Robinson-Moltke, RN, First of HMS Coventry, written to his wife Christine 108

HMS COVENTRY IN THE FALKLANDS CONFLICT - A PERSONAL STORY by Captain David Hart Dyke, LVO, RN, from The Naval Review, Vol. 71, No. 1, January, 1983 no

'GIVE US YOUR HAND, MATE, AND CLIMB IN, STANDING ROOM ONLY, BUT THE BEER'S GOOD' by Radio Supervisor R.S. (Sam) Mcfarlane, of HMS Coventry, from Everyone needs something to believe in Right now, I believe I'll have another beer 116

THE THIRTY DAY WONDER [Atlantic Conveyor] from Recollections of the Falklands Campaign by Captain Michael Layard, RN 120

LIFE IN TWO YANKEE [HMS Andromeda] by Sub Lt N.J. Hall

RN, from The Naval Review, Vol.71, No.i, January, 1983 124

POET'S CORNER from HMS Penelope's Ship's Magazine 128

LETTERS TO THE TASK FORCE from HMS Broadsword Falklands, 1982 131 'WHAT I DID DURING THE SUMMER HOLIDAYS ..." by Lt Cdr Robin Kent RN, 801 Naval Air Squadron, from HMS Invincible The Falklands Deployment, 1982 135

vu EVERY CORNER OF THE SKY by Lt D.A.B. Smith, RN, of 8OO Naval Air Squadron, Letter from Captain of HMS Hermes to Director of Public Relations (Navy), 22 March, 1983 138

THE GLOOM ROOM, by SWEO, from HMS Broadsword Falklands, 1982 140

A FALKLANDS CRUISE [SS Canberra], by Lt Cdr Martin Reed RD RNR, from The Naval Review, Vol.71, No.3 July, 1983 144

FIVE STAR WARS [QE2], by Lt Cdr B. Warlow, RN, from Supply and Secretariat Newsletter April, 1983 151

EVERYONE WANTED STROMNESS, by Captain J.B. Dickinson, RFA, from The Naval Review, Vol.71, Vol.3, July 1983 (under the title 'April Fool') 153

MABEL, by Cdr Peter Moore, RN (Retd), Chief Officer RFA Stromness, from letter of 27 May, 1984 159 J RFA SIR GALAHAD - THE DEMISE OF A GALLANT KNIGHT, by Captain P.J. Roberts, RFA, from The Naval Review, Vol.72, No. 1 January, 1984 161

'IT WAS LIKE SOMETHING OUT OF A NIGHTMARE . . . ', by Surgeon Cdr Rick Jolly, OBE, RN, from an interview of 24 October, 1989 169

TUESDAY 8 JUNE: THE DAY THE LUCK RAN OUT, by Lt Cdr Ken Napier, RN, of HMS Plymouth, from Diary of Events — Operation Corporate 172

THE 116-DAY WAR PATROL [HMS Onyx], by Lt Cdr Andrew Johnson, RN, Letter of 19 March, 1994 175

LETTERS TO SUSIE: VI l8l via IMPRESSIONS OF THE FALKLANDS CRISIS, by the Rev Charles E.Stewart, BSc, BD, RN, of HMS Hermes, from the Church of Scotland magazine Life and Work 186

ACTION DAMAGE, by Constructor Cdr R.K. Pudduck, CEng, MRINA, RCNC, CinCFleet's naval architect, Report of Proceedings 191

ADVANCE PARTY IN SAN CARLOS BAY, from NP l8lO MSV Stena Seaspread Falkland Islands, 1982 202

ENGINEERS' INGENUITY, by Vice Admiral Sir Ted Horlick, KBE, FIMechE, MIMarE, from a lecture to the Fellowship of Engineering, 15 February, 1983 204

LEADERSHIP IN THE FALKLANDS CAMPAIGN [HMS Intrepid] by PEDE (Captain P. Dingemans, RN), from The Naval Review, V0I.7T, No.2, April, 1983 209

GOING HOME, by Captain 'Sam' Salt RN, from an interview of 18 January, 1984 218

ARGONAUT'S HOMECOMING, letter of 7 October, 1983, from a Staff Public Relations Officer 220

THE VIEW FROM THE FLAG BRIDGE, by Rear Admiral Sir John Woodward, KCB, from an interview of 25 October, 1982 223

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