Ajax Bay. Journal of the Royal Naval Medical Service 1983;69:35–39

History 59 Ajax Bay R T Jolly

First published as:

Jolly RT. Ajax Bay. Journal of the Royal Naval Medical Service 1983;69:35–39

Summary down to the galley gunports and loaded into a single LCU. The ship was to sail within three hours. As a result of fierce aerial attacks on the fleet supporting the landing force on Friday, 21 May 1982, SS CANBERRA was In conjunction with the Medical Officer in Charge CANBER- ordered to sail from San Carlos Water. Elements of her med- RA (Surgeon Captain F. R. Wilkes MBE RN), the following ical organisation were hurriedly put ashore into a deserted decision was taken. HQ Troop of Medical Squadron and No 2 refrigeration plant at Ajax Bay. Three weeks later they had RN Surgical Support Team (Surgeon Lieutenant Commander treated over 650 battle casualties, performed 210 operations P. J. Shouler RN) were to be offloaded, together with as much under general anaesthetic, and been bombed by Argentinian in the way of surgical, anaesthetic and medical equipment as aircraft. Despite appalling circumstances, their results were a they could carry themselves. These assets were inserted into triumphant success. As Officer Commanding Medical Squad- Red Beach where No 1 Troop of Medical Squadron (Sub ron, Commando Logistics Regiment RM, the author was in Lieutenant M. Hazell RN) and the Parachute Clearing Troop charge at Ajax Bay throughout the land phase of hostilities. (Major P. Lansley RAMC) were expected to join from SIR GALAHAD and Norland respectively. SHORTLY after nightfall on D-Day, a message was received in CANBERRA, anchored in San Carlos Water. The liner was No 3 Troop of Medical Squadron (Lieutenant E. Bootland to sail as soon as possible, away from the fierce attacks of the RN) and the Band of MGRM Commando Forces remained Argentine Air Force that had persisted throughout D-Day, and embarked in CANBERRA, together with those medical and proceed to the eastern edge of the Total Exclusion Zone. surgical assets specific to the ship. Over 50 casualties were received during that first day and emergency surgery continued For CANBERRA’s Action Medical Organisation (Figure 1) as the liner slipped away to the north and east. this order produced problems. It had always been intended to split off those elements manned by (or dedicated to) the Royal Ajax Bay is a desolate spot on the western side of San Carlos Marines at some later stage, but with this short notice there Water. Almost encircled by the Sussex Mountains, it is relative- were no proper lifting facilities for stores such as helicopters. ly sheltered compared with other recognisable geographical All disembarkation stores, therefore, had to be manpacked features of the harsh Falklands terrain. In the late 1950s the

Canberra Ajax Bay MOIC

DMOIC OC Med

“SST 3” P & O staff No. 3 Troop HQ troop No. 2 RN Med. Sqn. Med. Sqn. SST

No. 1 Troop Collecting sect. Band of MGRM (Sir galahad) 19 Fd. Amb RAMC commando forces Med. Sqn.

PCT (Norland) 16 Fd. Amb. RAMC

Figure 1: Action Medical Organisation SS CANBERRA. 60 Journal of the Royal Naval Medical Service 2018; 104(1) then Government was persuaded, jointly with the Falkland of local labour. Since that time the buildings had been aban- Islands Company, to build a slaughterhouse and mutton re- doned, although Royal Marines of Naval Party 8901 were reg- frigeration plant here (Figure 2). The investment gave poor ular annual visitors during their peripatetic wanderings around return, however, since the facility had to be abandoned with- the ‘camp’, as Falklanders term any part of the islands away in months of commissioning, apparently because of a dearth from Port Stanley.

Figure 2: Ajax Bay from the north-east. Note mexeftote in lower right hand corner and logistics supplies close to buildings.

The construction of the main building was unique in the sense On 23 May the medical facilities were tested for the first that the walls were largely composed of compressed cork, with time by a number of casualties from 3 Para. Although flown an inner and outer skim coat of concrete. This excellent insulation initially to HMS INTREPID for some reason, all but one feature meant that the cold refrigeration chambers warmed up of the injured were operated on in Ajax Bay. The system quickly and stayed that way. The lack of windows made lighting worked, all survived, and traditional inter-service divisions difficult, a problem exacerbated by the failure of generators ini- began to blur. tially. Stowage on an LSL deck had meant exposure to the South Atlantic; salt laden air and electrics do not mix well. Outside the building a large number of sangars and foxholes were dug, some with thick and elaborate roof constructions Ventilation was barely adequate. However, the floors were for overhead protection. Also scattered throughout the area lay level, dry and vermin free. A casualty flow system was es- huge quantities of logistic stores. Pallets of ammunition, fuel, tablished, with the traditional sequence of reception, triage, rations and other combat supply items were distributed with resuscitation, preoperative, theatre and post-operative areas. the best skill and ingenuity that Ordnance Squadron could Initially, two of the largest refrigeration spaces were designat- muster, but the boggy wet ground and the limited area avail- ed as theatres because the roof reinforcement here was par- able made this very difficult indeed. By the time over 10,000 ticularly strong. tons of War Maintenance Reserve had been unloaded from ships in San Carlos Water, transferred ashore by mexeflote and The staff made their homes and slept where they could in ad- then dumped within the Ajax Bay logistic area, our neighbor- joining rooms which also acted as overspill areas in case of hood became extremely crowded. heavy casualty loads. The other half of the building was des- ignated as a facility for prisoners; in the old slaughterhouse a Combat supplies are legitimate targets. We were so close to main galley was set up for central feeding, adjacent to the B them that a conscious decision was taken not to put Red Cross- echelon of 45 Commando RM who had made the initial land- es on our roof. Argentina, incidentally, is not a signatory of the ings at Ajax Bay. Geneva Convention. History 61

In between air raids, signaled by six short blasts on the duty insulated from it by a triple layer of sandbags and two walls. watch-keeper’s whistle, the men of Ajax Bay found their at- A contraction of available space was forced upon us, however, tention diverted by the ghastly sight of HMS ANTELOPE and soon surgical staff were eating and sleeping, at close of burning to death, or the more cheerful spectacle of an attack- play, in their operating theatres. The latter term is perhaps an ing Mirage’s conversion into flaming, Rapiered confetti. It is estate agent’s description of two field operating tables, each in important to place Ajax Bay’s achievement as a second-line a small, curtained off and dusty corner. medical facility in this context - staff shared the same air threat as front-line troops, perhaps slightly greater because of Why didn’t we move to another building or more spacious accom- the real possibility of enemy parachute forces assaulting rear modation? Both aspects were investigated. While other buildings logistic areas. were fit for human habitation (just) they were certainly unsuitable for the performance of surgical procedures. An attempt to set up The instinct to cut and run for a sangar when the whistles were tented facilities on the far side of Ajax Bay resulted in wind and blown were the same for a surgeon or medical assistant. In Chinook rotor blades combining to defeat our Norway-proven nearly every case instinct was suppressed and duty done in- storm lashings. Level, well-drained ground did not exist local- stead. ly. Bombs or no bombs, the refrigeration plant continued to be the best option, so we contented ourselves with the suggestion The integration of SS UGANDA into our casevac chain now that the Argentine Air Force planners would have marked it ‘de- presented problems. Because of her Geneva-ratified hospital stroyed’ and not worth a second visit. Both pilots who attacked ship status, all communications to her had to be ‘in clear’. us, incidentally, were dead within minutes - one taken by Rapier, With the land forces and other ships reluctant to be pinpointed the other by Sea Harrier CAP. by such transmissions, it was difficult for us in Ajax Bay to let her know what was happening. The ‘Red Cross Box’, a vast UGANDA continued her excellent work and support, now area of South Atlantic some 30 miles north of San Carlos, was critical because of severe lack of holding space in Evacuation. also too far for helicopters battling any sort of headwind. By We buried the dead of Goose Green on a little slope just above dint of hastily scribbled messages and personal visits, UGAN- and behind the ruined end of the building, then returned to DA was kept in the picture. Her staff responded magnificent- the Argentinian wounded. Some mendicant barber-surgeon on ly and also persuaded London to allow the ship in closer for their side was treating gunshot wounds with three metal clips longer periods. and a handful of tetracycline. After a few days of anaerobic fermentation, the mess and smell were an unpleasant com- Argentina’s national holiday (25 May) saw the double blow bination, and it is perhaps fortunate that their wounded were of the loss of HMS COVENTRY and ATLANTIC CON- captured and then properly treated. VEYOR. Ten flash-burnt survivors of the first incident came to us and were treated with Flamazine, analgesia and seda- Reinforcements arrived on 30 May in the shape of No 1 tion. They joined an A-4 pilot with a nastily-fractured knee RN SST (Surgeon Commander N. Scholes RN), personnel following low-level ejection near the ship he was attacking. and stores from HMS HERMES. Our cramped conditions Two days later, Ajax Bay itself was cleverly attacked from the meant that they would be better deployed to UGANDA, south by two Skyhawks using parachute-retarded bombs of now facing a huge workload of delayed wound closure and French design. The release point may have been too low be- other problems. By now we had completed over a hundred cause of eight bombs released, only three exploded. A stick major procedures under general anaesthesia. Remarkably, of four weapons hit the main building but only one, the first, this was without loss. detonated and turned the slaughterhouse back into its origi- nal purpose. Five men were killed and 27 injured. As stacked The ammunition explosion at Goose Green then spoiled this ammunition pallets began to burn and explode, those injured record slightly with one legless and virtually exsanguinated were operated on. Argentinian POW dying just inside the front door. His injured colleagues were then endangered by our running out of blood, Bombs Nos 2 and 3 came to rest in the same area, one embed- and the senior Argentine officer’s refusal to allow further do- ded in refrigeration machinery, the other lying on the ceiling. nation. He was invited into theatre to see our efforts for his Bomb No 4 crossed the roof above the hospital before hitting men, and two hours later we had sixty fresh units and a colonel the front wall and ending up on the adjacent hill. As well as in need of sedation! missing the roof joists on its descending track and failing to det- onate on impact with the wall, the weapon narrowly missed the CANBERRA arrived the following day with Land Force rein- author as it bounced on the ground and he dived into a sangar. forcements in the shape of 5 Infantry Brigade (with 16 Field Ambulance RAMC) and additional medical staff. DMOIC These unexploded bombs were a huge threat of steadily di- (Surgeon Commander J. G. Williams RN) and No 3 Medical minishing proportions. The risks of a 33 hour time delay fuse Troop disembarked to help with personnel shortages in Ajax were present but almost forgotten in the heavy casualty load of Bay because now 1 Med Troop had deployed forward to Teal Goose Green. Eventually most Ajax Bay staff had seen, pho- Inlet, and each front line unit had been reinforced with a sec- tographed or touched the ‘fridge bomb’ and were content to be ond green or red bereted medical officer. 62 Journal of the Royal Naval Medical Service 2018; 104(1)

The big white liner took our load of injured that day too, be- stocks to re-equip them, followed by the HERMES SST sur- cause UGANDA was away exchanging customers with her Ar- gical equipment. Their morale was shattered, understandably, gentine equivalent, the Bahia Paraiso. A number of Canberra’s but they recovered quite quickly to end the war on a high note. staff also came ashore for the day to take photographs in the clear afternoon light, and a new sign appeared over the door: The SIR GALAHAD disaster set back plans for the final as- Welcome to the Red and Green Life Machine. sault while 1 Welsh Guards regrouped and were reinforced This was a heartfelt celebration of the outstanding track record by two companies from 40 Cdo RM. Our medical support of Ajax Bay and all the men who worked in it to support the arrangements were also adjusted to take account of 16 Field expanded 3rd Commando Brigade. Ambulance’s impaired efficiency, and we also had to field the Red Cross personnel who landed from UGANDA to inspect For the next six days life was relatively quiet as 5 Infantry POW conditions. When their leader asked for details of the Brigade moved around by ship to Fitzroy and Bluff Cove. Up nearest hotel, we realised that there were severe communica- in the mountains, Brigadier Julian Thompson and his staff tion wavelength problems! planned the feature by feature assault on the mountains sur- rounding Port Stanley. The gunlines were also ammunitioned And so those last days came upon us as 3 Para, 42 and 45 properly to the unexpectedly high Goose Green expenditure Commandos, 2 Scots Guards and 2 Para linked their names rates. Every 105mm shell had to be flown forward to the bat- forever with Mount Langdon, Mount Kent, Two Sisters, Tum- teries by helicopter, sometimes under direct enemy fire. bledown and Wireless Ridge. The casualties were flown initially to Teal Inlet or Fitzroy and dealt with in the Forward HMS PLYMOUTH was bombed on 8 June and smoked her Dressing Stations there. Those that were assessed as fit to way slowly into San Carlos Water. Ten casualties were deliv- travel longer were backloaded again to Ajax Bay, some fifteen ered to Ajax Bay, a surprisingly low figure considering the minutes flying time further on. ferocity of the Mirage attacks. As dusk fell more helicopters began to arrive, laden with burnt Welsh guardsmen and con- A number of injured men overflew all the ground-based med- firming rumours of a disaster at Bluff Cove. The textbooks talk ical units and arrived as fresh cases on UGANDA. Then came of a mass casualty situation and the readjustment of medical the magical and unforgettable all-stations message about effort required so that the greatest number benefit rather than white flags in profusion over Port Stanley. We had won. The those with the greatest need. No accurate casualty estimate Lord High Admiral, Her Majesty the Queen, was toasted in was ever available from HQ, but by the time 120 patients had double tots that night. come through the door there was little remaining floor space. The ships in San Carlos Water agreed to help - FEARLESS, 40 Commando took the surrender of West Falkland and more INTREPID and ATLANTIC CAUSEWAY each took 20 casu- Argentinians with festering wounds were flown to Ajax Bay. alties, mainly those with flash burns to the face and hands. With final preparations in hand for packing up -and mov ing around to Port Stanley, the following statistics were It was a painful task to tell those men with skin hanging in assembled: tatters from their fingers that their injuries were not severe enough to merit immediate treatment. Number of sick/injured seen 1050 approx.

At Ajax Bay we retained the 70 worst cases, and the majori- Number of battle casualties 658 ty of these were looked after through the night by medically Number of operative procedures under unskilled Royal Marines. They did a wonderful job and general anaesthetic: UGANDA took 140 customers the following day, in many un- sightly helicopter loads which they accepted without demur. a) Ajax, Fitzroy, Teal 320 b) Ajax Bay 211 The next problem came with 16 Field Ambulance, who had lost their second-in command as well as most of their kit. Only three men subsequently died of their wounds, and no Eight resupply boxes were sent forward initially from our British serviceman died in the Ajax Bay medical facility.