Friday, November 15, 2002

For Thursday 14th November At Banjul we bid farewell to our crew who had been in the Islands with us for the past week. They had provided magnificent service during the flight down, we were not the easiest set of passengers they had flown! They attended the service of Remembrance with us and learned a great deal about what the vets had accomplished. Kerry in particular was a favourite as we developed a system of teasing her during the pre-flight safety announcements. When she had to show us where the emergency exits were located, the whole passenger cabin mimicked the movements. So by the fourth time of doing it she knew what was coming and we would wind her up about that. Boy, could she blush. We were subject to a patience-sapping delay at Banjul when a flat tyre was discovered on the plane, only to find the airport had no nitrogen and no compressor. The options were to use the non-inflated spare tyre the aircraft carried, or to wait for an inflated spare to be flown out later in the day. After a while a local garage was contacted and they brought a compressor in, but it proved not to be up to the job, they needed the tyre inflating to 190 psi. Some international airport! The day was saved when the crew of an Illushin passenger jet came across to help. Without being able to speak a word of English, and with no help at all from the inept and clueless airport staff, they managed to get our tyre pumped up. There were fifteen minutes to spare as our crew were approaching the point where flying hours limitations would have meant they could not operate our flight. The delay was very hard to endure under the circumstances. I spoke to Morgan O'Connell about the mood of veterans and the difficulties of coming back to reality. He did think there would be a sense of euphoria that would diminish, but the experience that everyone had undergone and the friendships renewed or made anew should stand everyone in good stead. It occurred to me that this setback might actually prove beneficial in bringing the vets back to earth with a bump, but in the company of their mates and not alone. At this point it is perhaps worth mentioning those people who have contributed to the success of the pilgrimage. Rick Jolly and Denzil Connick have personally contributed enormously, and their drive and enthusiasm has made this happen in the first place. But we should also acknowledge the active participation of Rosalie Dunn, Debbie Ford, and John Romo, all under the leadership of Major General Malcolm Hunt, Chairman of the Pilgrimage Committee. I would also add to this list Nigel Hawks whose contribution the vets are shortly to discover when they see the vast number of high quality photographs he took during the pilgrimage. By high quality I mean that many of those photos are simply of an award-winning standard and will form a valuable record for posterity. The media who came with us have been very supportive and sensitive too, and Anna Pukas particularly welcome for her part in the support we received from the Daily Express. And of course grateful thanks to my hostess, Arlette Betts who was absolutely perfect. Her catering was of the highest standard, fit for a Prince in fact, as was proven on Sunday, of course. Gradually the aisles filled up as people stretched their legs and exchanged views. One view, expressed with great sadness, was regret that the Royal Navy did not participate more. HMS Leeds Castle was briefly seen at the Memorial services, but the captain didn't hang about afterwards and there was no armed honour guard. In times past these would have been routine. Rick Jolly came on the tannoy for a final address. He spoke of the need to decompress after a "return to that state of happiness and relaxedness that you have not enjoyed for twenty years." He mentioned that the aircraft was carrying five tons of baggage compared with three and a half tons on the way down. There may have been a sizable chunk of Mount Longdon and other features flying north with us, hopefully destined for the Stone From Home cairn being assembled at the Falklands memorial Chapel in Pangbourne. He also reminded us that many of us had served our entire military careers preparing to fight a war against the Soviet Union, and how ironic it was therefore that a Russian crew should get us out of a fix. He assured us that their reward was plentiful and liquid. George Howarth, MP for Aldershot, spoke next on behalf of the non-combatants to thank the veterans for the privilege of joining them. The message he would be taking back to Parliament was that if the nation expects heroism of the kind displayed by the vets, the nation should properly recompense and take care of those who were wounded in body and spirit. Gerry Sutcliff MP, a member of SAMA who should have been with us as well, was unable to as he was being held hostage at Buckingham Palace. It is a little-known constitutional oddity that some Members of Parliament must remain at Buckingham Palace as surety against the Monarch's safe return from visiting Parliament for the official State Opening. Denzil Connick told us how he remembered flying into Brize Norton as a stretcher case twenty years ago. He tried desperately to see his family, but they were held back while the walking wounded met their relatives, and finally he was able to meet his in private out of sight of the cameras. He remembers feeling then a deep sense of pride at making it back tinged with sadness at leaving so many behind. The Pilgrimage had helped him, as had his previous visits and each time he goes back, he told us, it keeps getting better. David Devenney, now a priest, wanted to put the Pilgrimage into context and cited a reference in the Bible to facing giants. The veterans of 1982 had done just that, in terms of numerical superiority and the distance over which they had to travel to engage the enemy, but they had done it and should thank God for that. As we approached Gatwick, Paddy Burton again pumped up the bagpipes and gave us Amazing Grace. He played again to lead us off the aircraft and through Customs and Immigration. All around there were hugs and farewells being expressed and promises to stay in touch and meet again. The last tune I heard from Paddy was "Auld Lang Syne." 6:43:51 PM     For Wednesday 13th November Up at FIDF at 7:30 with my baggage, the place is teeming with people - pilgrims and many locals to see us off. We get into the usual speeches and presentations. Lots of good humour and touching moments. The local leadership team are called forward to receive our thanks for a job exceedingly well done: Gary Clement, Terry Peck, Jimmy Moffat, Bernie Eccles, Dave Morris, Philip Miller, Les Biggs, Gerald Cheek, and Frazier Wallace. Rick Jolly then read out a poem written by Chris Duggan during the pilgrimage: "We came back to your Islands Gone over twenty years [^] To remember those hard days That caused many tears.. "We came back to your Islands And are now known as Vets With many hard memories But no sad regrets.. "We came back to your Islands You were impeccable hosts You gave us the strength To help bury our ghosts.. "We came back to your Islands But as our group departs The Falklands will always Hold a place in our hearts.." Next on stage were Teraaka Middleton and Tiphanie May from the Community School. The school had staged a variety show and raised £400 for SAMA which they had a cheque to present. Rick then presented them with rucksacks, SAMA have bought one for every pupil. They usefully incorporate a pocket for a mobile phone which raised a laugh, there being no mobile phone service on the Islands. Dave Brown then presented another of the limited edition prints of the Parachute Regiment plaque to FIDF, and another display case featuring cap badges from every unit that sailed on the Norland to the Falklands Museum. Gary Clement presented a fountain pen and a Churchill cigar to Terry Peck. Rick then formally presented the silver South Atlantic Medal medallions to the Governor who received them on behalf of the Falkland Islanders. Drawing parallels again with Malta and quoting the SAMA motto, "From the Sea [^] Freedom", Rick said they represent "what we as veterans think about you and our love for you." The Governor received them and promised they would be displayed in a public place. He then presented Rick with an 'original copy' of the declaration of Freedom of the Falkland Islands to the British Armed Forces. He also said that despite much practise he still cannot do a good Jim Davidson impression. On to the busses. A lot of difficult farewells but the atmosphere was eased on our bus with a top-notch stand-up routine from Laurie Bland who on behalf of the 601st Regiment of the Argentine Army (he said) welcomed us on board for the Runners-Up party. As we pulled away, Islanders we passed waved farewell, and policemen stopping the traffic for us saluted. A final, and very nice touch, was the convoy drove through Stanley, along Ross Road and past the cathedral and, for a final time, past the 1982 Memorial. At Mount Pleasant Airport we all posed for a group photo before boarding the plane. Another nice touch was to find more Falkland Islanders at the departure gate waving flags and giving us another fine send off. During the flight, Jacko came on to the tannoy to tell us two pieces of news. One, he and others had been considering SAMA's next big project and had come up with Project Corporate. This was a proposal to establish a house in the Falkland Islands that could be used by up to two SAMA families at a time for visits. The proposal would need formal approval at the next AGM, but in the interim, Falkland Island councillors had been consulted and indeed Norma Edwards had immediately donated a house to SAMA for the purpose. So the project now is to renovate the house and bring it up to standards suitable for disabled people. A remarkable development by any means. The other matter concerned the shooting down of a Skyhawk during the war. This was claimed by two Navy ships, but it was always contended that a Marine, Marty Walkingshaw, had shot it down with his GPMG machine gun. To investigate the matter further, Jacko and others went to the site and a local farmer took them to the wreckage. Inspecting it showed there were no 40mm cannon holes as would be the case if it had been shot down by the Navy, however there were countless 7.62mm holes [^] the calibre used in a GPMG of course. The evidence is conclusive that Marty alone shot the aircraft down and the official record should reflect that remarkable feat of arms. I have to add a personal comment here. Jacko, in my view is absolutely amazing. I'm full of admiration for the work he does as SAMA's Welfare Officer and his reports at AGMs are punchy and hilarious as he regales us with his battles against officialdom. Keep up the good work, Jacko. We had a brief, uneventful, stop at Rio to refuel, many of us hit the souvenir shops, I don't know if I'll ever pass this way again. Take of was fun as we bounced down the very bumpy runway, but eventually we lifted off and we had an uneventful flight on to Banjul. The atmosphere in the cabin seemed quieter than the flight down, perhaps people are tired, but perhaps they are full of thought. 6:42:55 PM     For Tuesday 12th November This morning is overcast, cold and miserable. Not a very cheering prospect for a trip up in a VC10 this morning, and we check the flight is still on before we head for Mount Pleasant Airport. In the event, it was a brilliant experience. The RAF regularly practise air-to-air refuelling and we have been invited aboard. We take off and do a low fly-past of Goose Green, and then head for the sunnier areas of the Falkland Islands, it's not all covered in cloud. We do a low fly-past of Stanley, we fly along A4 alley, so-called because that was the route the Argentine fighter bombers took to attack the fleet in San Carlos water. It is quite amazing to see the extent of it and follow it in the air. There is a rock ridge that runs for miles that the aircraft could hide behind for the approach. Squadron Leader Richard Muse was our host for this trip, the RAF did us proud today. The afternoon was spent visiting the shops and the Jetty Centre, built to welcome cruise ship visitors to the Falkland Islands and show them some of the sights and attractions. Tourism is now a major economic activity in the Falkland Islands, you can find out more about it on their web site, www.tourism.org.fk. All across Stanley were pilgrims doing last-minute shopping. At Government House this evening I stood in the conservatory and watched a couple of PARAs walking up the path dressed in jacket and tie for the Governor's reception. How very different I though, to events of twenty years ago on these same lawns. I chatted with many of those attending, and there was much talk about how people have changed during the days we had been here. Dave Brown, who is SAMA North representative told me he found a tape of Beethoven's Emperor piano concerto on Goose Green after the battle. He had listened to it many times since, and today he took it back and listened to it again. While he was doing that, Paddy came over a hill playing "Flowers of the Forest" on the bagpipes. Dave said every time he had heard that tune, he always cried, but not this time. He has found inner peace. I chatted to some Scots Guards. They had earlier presented a cheque for £120 to 1st Stanley Cub Scouts to buy a tin of brasso, a cleaning cloth and some sports equipment. The Guards had gone up to Tumbledown when they first arrived in order to clean it up and lay a wreath. They were pleased to see a small white cross placed there, but amazed to discover later that the cubs go up there every June 13th to clean the monument and remember the fallen. Their cub leader explains what happened and then they have a minute's silence at 11am. So the Guards held a bugling competition, anyone failing to play a simple tune had to pay a £5 fine. Those taking part included nor just Scots Guards, but Welsh Guards, Navy and some locals too. Later there were formal presentations, which seems to be a feature of this trip. Dave Brown presented a hand painted plaque to the Governor. This featured the unit crests of 2 and 3 PARA, the Victoria Cross, and it was signed by Frieda McKay and Sara Jones. Dick Jones presented him with a bottle of Airborne Whisky, 1992 vintage, allegedly the last one remaining. Back to the digs for a barbecue and to pack my bags. I seem to have far more than I brought with me when I was expecting to go back with less, having brought plenty of gifts. It is very hard to believe that this is the last evening. 6:41:48 PM     For Monday 11th November There is another opportunity for me to visit Ajax Bay today, a small party is going the back way as it were, over the mountains and down the northern side of East Falkland to San Carlos where another Kelper will be standing by with a boat to take us across the bay. I ride with Steven Aldridge, who was one year old at the time of the war, and the other land rover is driven by his Dad, Ken, and carries Terry and Tony Melia, and Adrian Tudway. Adrian had a bigger adventure than the rest of us to get here [^] he missed the flight down. But being a resourceful ex-Royal Marine he hot-footed it to Brize Norton and got a seat as a stand-by. There are numerous other groups heading off in different directions, according to the priorities of the pilgrims. Many still have objectives, either to lay wreaths or to re-visit battlefield sites. A large group is going to Longdon and many of them will walk back down into Stanley. FIGAS, the Falkland Islands Aviation Service have laid on a full day of free flights for pilgrims to give everyone an opportunity of seeing some of the outlying islands. These are necessarily short trips as they are over-subscribed and FIGAS are doing their best to get everyone up. We leave Stanley on the main road to Mount Pleasant Airport, but soon turn off and pass Goat Ridge. We are deep in historic battlefield territory, Longdon, Two Sisters, Tumbledown, and Harriett are all around us. Along the roadside is the wreckage of several Argentine helicopters, among them a Chinook, which we stop briefly to inspect. Further on, the views are again stunning as we enter a giant bowl of flat land surrounded by higher ground extending before us for dozens of miles. How daunting it must have been for the troops to emerge at the far end and gaze forlornly at the miles of tough ground they will have to trample across on foot in order to reach their objectives. Teal Inlet was a major staging post along the way, set in a very picturesque hollow in the hills, nestling beside the water. It might have been an ideal location-shoot for the Lord of the Rings had they not already decided on New Zealand. We stop to admire the view and notice figures by a cross close to the water's edge. So we go to join them and find a memorial to those killed in the closing battles of the war, and who were temporarily interred here. It is another party of pilgrims placing a wreath, and we pay our respects too. The SAMA Pilgrimage is impressively thorough. We continue on our way, it is hard to appreciate just how big the Falkland Islands are without seeing them for yourself, and there is such a small population outside Stanley now. Eventually we leave the gravel track and climb the hills. The boggy peat ground makes progress slow and difficult at times, I can easily imagine Marines and Paras sinking knee-deep in hidden pools of dank water. Once wet, they could not dry their feet for weeks afterwards. Finally, we reach the crest and again we have a view over the whole San Carlos area. Ajax Bay is important to me, it is a long held ambition to visit and I never thought I would see it for real. Ajax Bay is as important in the story of the Falklands war as Tumbledown or Two Sisters or any of the battles. It is the scene where countless lives, both British and Argentine, were saved having been brought back from the battlefields often desperately wounded and near to death. They are not countless numbers really as Rick Jolly, the doctor in charge, kept meticulous records. This is the field hospital that came to be known as the Red and Green Life Machine and, because out of necessity it was located alongside a massive ammo dump, the Geneva Convention did not permit the painting of red crosses on it. Shortly after we arrive at the old jetty, a rigid raider comes round the headland and Paul Anderson drops off another party and picks us up. Five minutes later we arrive at what remains of the jetty at Ajax Bay and are greeted by Gerald and Doreen Dickson who give us a torchlight tour inside. In truth, there is not much to see, there is the hole in the wall where the parachute retarded bomb entered during an air raid. Because it wasn't practicable to evacuate the hospital to defuse it, it was left in-situ with Rick sleeping next to it to reassure his apprehensive staff. It is satisfying to see the place however. Adrian goes off and finds the trench he lived in for a couple of weeks before 45 Commando finally moved forward. He and I then head off back to Stanley while Tony and Terry head for Goose Green. Along the way we stop and have a close-up look at a particularly large and viscious looking stone run. From close-up it is even more difficult to imagine crossing these laden with equipment, or even in the lead-up to an assault on one of the mounts, I have difficulty just stepping on to one to take pictures. That evening I take my hostess out for a meal at Malvina House, in appreciation for accommodating me, and because she deserves a break for catering for Prince Andrew last night. Stanley is really buzzing this evening, and we spend a lot of time in the bar chatting with everyone. 6:40:42 PM

Sunday, November 10, 2002

For Sunday 10th November Remembrance Sunday dawns sunny but with a blustery, cold wind. There is a service in Stanley cathedral and afterwards the vets march to the Cenotaph to the East of Stanley. This is a large concrete cross with a huge bronze sword embedded in it, and stands in front of the Stanley cemetery. Behind the cemetery is the 1982 Memorial Wood where there is a tree planted in memory of each individual who fell in the Falklands War. Again, the SAMA contingent has been arranged by unit, and again there is some serious dissent about this. I hope whoever is responsible for this learns the error of his ways. The Duke of York and dignitaries arrive and proceedings get under way. Here, the custom is to read the names of the fallen and what is striking as this is done is how many lives the Falkland Islands gave in two world wars considering what a small population they were. Nobody has ever doubted their patriotism or willingness to stand up and be counted when it mattered. Nobody except the Whitehall mandarins perhaps. Following the service, the parade then marched off to the Memorial Wood where everyone was given a small wooden cross with a poppy affixed and a number inscribed. We had to find the appropriate tree and plant the cross, something which became a bit chaotic at times. But once found, it was very moving to be able to place your wooden cross where it belonged and reflect on the life it represented. My cross was for John Stroud, a steward on HMS Glamorgan, killed in the closing days of the war. You can read about him on his page in the SAMA Garden of Remembrance, www.sama82.org.uk Then I met Pancha again and he took me to his friend Budhaparsad Limbu's Memorial tree and posed proudly beside it while I took a photo. They were contemporaries, both Lance Corporals, having trained and started out on their military careers together, and Pancha is now a Captain. You can read about Budhaparsad on his page in the Garden of Remembrance too. There was a post-parade reception at the FI Defence Force HQ and once everyone had got a drink and settled down, the speeches began. Ordinarily a cause for groans, but like so many occasions on this pilgrimage, there is never anything ordinary about anything we do. Denzil Connick started off by telling us about Captain Tam Noble, who fought at Longdon as a Corporal in 3 PARA and was now just completing an eight month tour of duty on the Islands. During that time he and his detachment had undertaken a number of fund-raising exploits and today he was handing over cheques from two of them. By use of a rowing machine in the gym they had circumnavigated both main islands and raised £2016.43. For undertaking a battle march from Mount Pleasant Airport to Stanley, which they did in five hours, they raised £715.95. Rick Jolly then took the floor and reminded everybody why they were here and why they came here twenty years ago. He spoke of the Queen's Golden Jubilee and how he is carrying two gold medallions, struck by the Royal Mint, of the South Atlantic Medal which will be presented to Her Majesty on our return. He then spoke of the bravery of the Falkland Islanders and their under-reported resistance to occupation, drawing a parallel with the Island of Malta in the Second World War. They were collectively, and uniquely, awarded the George Cross. We, SAMA, had a solid silver replica of the South Atlantic Medal, also struck by the Royal Mint also with Her Majesty's permission, and we, SAMA were to present this medal to the people of the Falkland Islands when we depart on Wednesday. He then presented a display piece to the Commanding Officer of the Falkland Islands Defence Force, Major Peter Biggs. This was a panel with four small paintings of scenes from the war, with an arrangement of cap badges between them, one badge from every unit that participated in the campaign. Wandering around I came across Graham Penn who had framed a map of the Falklands in a large white board frame and had spent the last two years collecting signatures on it. I left the reception to continue my culinary exploration of Stanley's catering establishments. Today I took lunch at Shorty's Diner, so called because they serve food and the chef is not very tall. The food was good, and again I marvelled at how far Stanley had come since 1982. The great worry, expressed by many before all this development had taken place was that it would ruin the Kelper's unique way of life. But from what I have heard from many in recent days, that fear has proved unfounded. This evening I gatecrashed a reception by Falklands Conservation at which the guest of honour was the Duke of York. This body, a charity concerned with the ecology of the Falkland Islands, demonstrates one aspect of how this transition can be managed. Laws for the protection of the wildlife and the environment in and around the Falkland Islands is based on sound scientific advice, and a policy of putting principle before profit. That commonsense approach is typical of the Kelper. 9:32:38 PM     For Saturday 9th November There are three major war memorials here in the Falkland Islands, the Cenotaph which serves the same role as the one in Whitehall in remembering the dead of all wars, the 1914/18 Memorial which commemorates the dead of the First World War specifically, and the 1982 Liberation Monument. The Remembrance Sunday parade and service will take place before the Cenotaph tomorrow, so today we held our own Remembrance parade in front of the Liberation Monument. The Monument is very impressive, a semi-circle set into a road side bank in front of the Secretariat, there are sculptured plates with battle scenes, and the names of the fallen. The obelisk at the centre is engraved with the names of every unit and every ship that took part. We formed up in threes along the road, facing the Monument, and the public assembled on the bank besides and behind it. Someone organised us into units, Navy, Marine, Para, other Army units, and so on. I thought that was a pity since one of the remarkable features of SAMA, evident on normal Remembrance Sunday parades, is how everyone mixes together. The SAMA contingent on those occasions is unusual amongst all the contingents in being a medley of coloured berets. In SAMA everyone respects and admires the contributions of the other arms, and while they enjoy typical inter-service banter, they are all brothers-in-arms together. The Duke of York, a SAMA member by right, joined us with the Governor and the Commander British Forces Falkland Islands, and the service got under way. Anchored in the inner harbour behind us was HMS Leeds Castle. The prayers and hymns were brief, and so came the wreath-laying. This was the hardest part, this was the actual act of Remembrance and for some it was more than they could bear and someone turned away and left the ranks to be on his own. The hardest part for me was to watch the widows and mothers lay their wreaths. How do they ever square up their enormous sacrifice? I looked down the line and marvelled that these two hundred men had come together to hire their own aeroplane at a cost of a quarter of a million pounds to travel half way round the world to be here. It is worth recording at this point that the service charities have been very supportive in giving grants to anyone who found paying the costs difficult. Plus, some of the pilgrims anonymously paid extra to reduce the cost for someone else. So, one way or another, here was this motley collection of men and women, of every rank, of every arm, here to pay tribute and remember their mates or their next of kin, twenty years on. It must surely be the finest act of Remembrance since the war. Thank you Rick and Denzil for making it happen. After the service, the Duke of York chatted with some of those present. He was introduced to our Standard Bearer and asked if he thought the trip might help him lay any ghosts to rest. "It already has," he replied, "last night, for the first time in twenty years I was able to sleep through the night." Only long after the service was over did we start to drift away. The Duke eschewed his transport and walked the streets of Stanley to his next engagement, some retired to the bars, some to the shops, others back to their digs to relax for the first time since we arrived on Thursday. During the afternoon there were further visits laid on to any sites the pilgrims wished to go to, the Falkland Islanders ever generous with their time and support to take people around. In the evening was a reception at the FIDF hall with free beer and a finger buffet. The hall was jam-packed with a sizeable proportion of the Stanley population in attendance. It was a great treat to meet more Kelpers, as they are known, and find out more about their thoughts and feelings of it all. From their perspective, they find it a great privilege to host the pilgrims and they are deeply grateful for their liberation. Comparison between the healthy state of the Falklands economy and the dire straits of the Argentine economy is only one aspect. The other is that had Argentina won, few of the Islanders would be alive today. It should be remembered that the Junta was a murderous regime, with a track record of butchering its own people if they were a nuisance. The Islanders are also proud of their way of life, civilised and crime free, again in stark contrast with Argentina and even, it has to be said, London. The evening was crowned by someone going round with a handful of wooden cocktail sticks and plunging one into the heads of the unsuspecting. Fortunately the Duke of York had left by this stage, and luckily I escaped being zapped too, but having a serious conversation with a tall, bald, matelot with a piece of wood sticking out of his head was a surreal experience. He had to leave it in because if he took it out he knew he'd get another one stuck in. 1:18:20 PM

Saturday, November 9, 2002

For Friday 8th November. Today, the serious business starts: visits to battlefield sites and cemeteries. We all assembled at the Falkland Islands Defence Force drill hall for a briefing, and then a fleet of eighty land rovers and other four-wheel drive vehicles, driven by volunteer Islanders sets out for Goose Green. I found myself in the company of Bill Dawson and Pancha Rai who were both in the Gurkha Regiment, Pancha was a Lance Corporal at the time, and Bill a Major. In fact Bill is something of a celebrity, it is he who was filmed emerging from his Tac HQ tent to announce "Gentlemen, there are reports of white flags flying over Stanley," and then chuckling, added, "bloody marvellous," a clip that is included in most television accounts of the War. It is quite a spectacle as the convoy winds its way along the rough road, stretching to the horizon with the mountains on the right and the South Atlantic ocean on the left. With mounting excitement Bill and Pancha point out the features they once fought over, naming them and reminding themselves which units did what and where. The sun is out, the open vista is magnificent and spellbinding, Bill and Pancha have never seen the Falklands like this before. In fact, few of the veterans will have, they spent all their time here twenty years ago crouching behind rocks and generally keeping their heads down. Nobody would have wandered around in the open, or stood on the crest of a hill to admire the view. Few in the Navy ever saw the Islands at all. For the first time now, everyone can appreciate the beauty of the Falklands. We drive by Bluff Cove and Fitzroy settlements and decide not to visit at this point, feeling that the Welsh Guards and the other contingents like the Medical Corps should have some privacy while they visit to remember their many dead. We make the same decision not to intrude on 2 PARA when later we pass by the Goose Green cemetery. But we decide we ought to visit the Argentine cemetery there and pay our respects, and so we drive up. As we drive round a hill on the approach to the Argentine cemetery, we are confronted with an amazing sight. About twenty Land Rovers are parked up and dozens of vets are walking slowly amongst the Argentine graves, paying their respects. I meet "Jacko" Jackson on his way out as we are going in, and he is close to tears. He told me had just placed an Argentine helmet on the grave of its owner, Eusebio A. Aguilar. It was picked up as a trophy from the battlefield twenty years ago but when it was found that the name inscribed inside matched that on one of the Argentine graves in the cemetery, Jacko was asked to place it where it belonged. A short while later, "Paddy" Burton, in 40 Commando during the war, played a salute on his bagpipes, 'Oft in the Stilly Night', the regimental march of the Irish Regiment and a favourite of the late Queen Mother. And so to Goose Green. The new road gives a commanding view of the landscape and at strategic points there are clusters of land rovers where the occupants have got out for a better view on foot. There is one group in the distance obviously making its way along the route they would have taken twenty years ago, in darkness and under fire. We can see to the right the upper ground where the Argentine defences were dug in, pouring that fire upon them. We can see another cluster there around the spot where Colonel H Jones was shot, a cairn now marking the spot. We decide not to intrude, and move on. Bill and Pancha point out other features as we drive along, they know the area well, the Gurkhas moved into Goose Green when 2 PARA moved out. As we surmount another crest we suddenly see the settlement below us. It is surprisingly large, a village comprised of wooden buildings painted in uniform white walls with green tin roofs. Already there is a cluster of land rovers around the hall, and we find somewhere to park up too. This is the hall in which the entire population of the settlement was held in confinement from 1st May until their liberation by 2 PARA on the 29th May. It seems incredible that more than 100 people could fit inside such a small building, still less live in it for a month. While they were imprisoned, their captors ransacked and trashed their homes. It is small wonder the residents today are so pleased to see everyone as they serve up tea and refreshments. I watch two small children playing at one end of the hall. As they chatter away it strikes me that this is what the war was all about [^] these children are chattering in English, not Spanish. There is a bar leading off from the main hall and the walls are festooned with pictures and letters, pride of place going to a letter from Margaret Thatcher to the villagers thanking them for their hospitality on her visit in 1983. Joe Erskine is there next to a photo of HMS Hecla, talking about the Survey Ships Association. These were the ships that were used to ferry the wounded from the hospital ship Uganda to Montevideo for onward flights back to England. An interesting and little known facet is that there were no nurses on board, all the nursing was provided by the ships crew. Everyone who sailed on Hecla, Hydra or Herald as an evacuee is entitled to honourary membership of the Association, something Joe is very keen to spread the word about. Bill and Pancha have been off exploring the settlement, revisiting where various elements of their company were located. Bill comes back with some news. The first doctor to arrive in Goose Green with 2 PARA treated a sick baby boy. That baby boy is now a strapping youth who as it happens has just broken his leg. That doctor is on the Pilgrimage and as it happens is now an orthopaedic surgeon. So he will now be operating on the lad the day after tomorrow. Too soon we have to leave. There is a Service of Remembrance at San Carlos cemetery at 1pm and we have an hour's drive ahead of us. The route is along a single lane gravel track with cattle grids and farm gates at intervals. As it is the custom to leave gates as you find them, and for the lead vehicle in a group to open a gate and wait for the rest to pass through before closing it again, we amuse ourselves discussing ploys to avoid being the lead vehicle. There is also much comment about the terrain over which everyone yomped or tabbed. It is hard enough simply to walk about on this ground, still less to do so under great pressure of time and burdened with over 100 pounds of equipment. 2 PARA, and their support Arms, had to carry not just the mortars but the mortar shells and a lot of other ammunition as well, and at any moment they might have been caught in the open by a Pucara. Then another magical moment. We climb a hill and find as we reach the summit dozens of land rovers parked up, and everyone outside gazing below at San Carlos Water laid out below them. Everyone is spellbound. There is San Carlos settlement, on the other side of the hill is Port San Carlos, there is Fanning Head, there is Ajax Bay. We stay there for far too long but nobody wants to leave, the service will have to wait. This is a Big Moment on the Pilgrimage. Eventually we do start to move off, but just then someone finds a Blowpipe missile container and returns to great hoots of joy and amazement. It is later deposited with the San Carlos Museum. San Carlos cemetery is circular in shape, like the sheep pens that are such a feature in the countryside. At one end, the stone wall is built up to over six feet high and has plaques embedded in it with the names of all those who lost their lives during the war. There is time for everyone to mull around the graves, paying their respects to those of their comrades whose bodies were not repatriated to the UK. The cemetery looks out over San Carlos Water and during the minute's silence the sound of the sea crashing on the shore provided a powerful and evocative background. Between the cemetery and San Carlos settlement is a memorial to "Mac" McAndrews, and there was Paddy Burton with his bagpipes again, lamenting this time for his good friend. He stayed there for half an hour or more, in the bitterly cold wind now blasting off the bay, only sheltering occasionally behind a nearby land rover. Who could ask for more, than to be remembered with love and devotion by such a good friend? This is what binds the Pilgrims, they are all here to remember friends and comrades and Paddy is much in demand to attend their own wreath laying ceremonies at monuments and memorials around the Islands to lend the dignity of his bagpipes. Back at the settlement, the locals have provided a feast. Boiled rice and bread rolls are covered with an astonishing selection of dishes, eight I counted, such as spicy chicken or chile con carne, while the beer tent had some of the biggest cans of beer I'd seen. The San Carlos Museum is small, but packed with many items of interest from the war in one half, and artefacts from the settlement's sheep farming past in the other. There was to be a trip across the bay for some people to visit Ajax Bay and others to go on out into the sound to lay wreaths for those killed on ships defending the landings. Unfortunately, we were now so far behind schedule that the landing craft had sat on the beach for too long and couldn't get off. By the time it was freed, the water was now too choppy for it to be safe to sail. This caused considerable anguish to those with wreaths to lay, and some became understandably very angry. From this point, everyone was free to make their own way back to Stanley, in their own time, as there were no more scheduled events. Those who had visited Fitzroy but not Goose Green on the way up, now headed for Goose Green. We were amongst the last to leave San Carlos and we headed for Fitzroy and Bluff Cove. There are five memorials there, three together by a small cove, and one each at either side of the cove. There is a good track leading to a parking area, and then a gravel path interlinking the memorials. Here are remembered the Welsh Guards, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary including the Chinese crewmen, and the signallers, medics and others who died on that tragic day when Sir Galahad and Sir Tristram were bombed. We visited each in turn and paid our respects. On the journey back to Stanley we again pointed out the features and reminded ourselves who had fought on which, and how astounding their achievements were. How was it possible that the Argentines could not have held on to these seemingly impenetrable fortresses having had ten weeks to prepare? The victory at Goose Green was a major contributor to the determination to succeed, the sheer professionalism of the soldiers and sailors was the major contributor to keeping the casualty rate down. We drove back into Stanley at about 7pm. Twenty years ago the town was a complete shambles; wreckage, abandoned military paraphernalia; smoke and fire; tired, hungry and bedraggled soldiers of both sides. The only ones who were clean and smartly dressed were the Argentine officers. That evening I dined out with John Fowler, the Director of Tourism at the ritziest new restaurant in town, the Brasserie. Stanley is not only cleaned-up, it is booming and tourism is a major economic activity. It has been the determination of the Islanders to seize the opportunity that liberation provided them to build a better life. That is the best possible monument to those who gave their lives to win that freedom back. 9:00:10 PM     For Thursday 7th November. Today was an opportunity to wind down after the long flight. We had refuelled at Banjul in the Gambia and Rio in Brazil and touched down at Mount Pleasant Airport at 4:30am local time. After clearing customs formalities, which raised some caustic comments from the vets who had restored British rule to the Islands - "we didn't have to do this last time" - we were taken to the Officers Mess for breakfast. A nice touch was to be personally greeted at the foot of the steps from the aircraft by the Commander of British Forces Falkland Islands. Another nice surprise awaited us on the road to Stanley where someone had erected a huge sign on a hill side saying "Welcome back". We went to Falkland Islands Defence Force HQ where we were reunited with our baggage and were picked up by our hosts for the duration. On the way, my host spontaneously decided to give me a tour round Stanley so I could see the changes over the past twenty years, but, it seemed, every other host had spontaneously had the same idea so everywhere in Stanley you would see another landrover with another set of eyes peering out being shown Stanley as it is now. And what it is now is a real eye opener. I remember vividly the images of Argentine amphibious vehicles along Ross Road (it runs along the harbour front) and then walking there myself after they had been expelled. Ross Road and the other inner town areas are just the same pot-holed concrete roads and gaily painted tin roofs on the houses, but, and this is a big but, the town boundaries have expanded dramatically. There is a great deal of building going on, and plenty of signs of prosperity. Later in the afternoon I went into town and wandered round, along with many of the pilgrims. One sour note was the Upland Goose Hotel which, as I walked past, had just turfed-out some of my mates having refused to serve them drinks. That was a pretty poor show, I thought. 1:03:32 AM

Thursday, November 7, 2002

For Wednesday 6th November. What a send off!! Gate 50 at Gatwick has never seen anything like it. Two hundred and twenty of us crammed into the lounge, with a tight cordon of admirers and well-wishers clustered round Baroness Thatcher. Dressed in a dazzling blue suit, she and we enjoyed every moment as she worked her way along the lounge to give her personal thanks to everyone on the Pilgrimage. Jim Davidson, stalwart supporter of SAMA was on hand too, as were Sukey Cameron, Falkland Islands Government Representative, Sir Rex Hunt, Governor in 1982, and General Julian Thompson, all to see us off and wish us well. Accompanied by the skirl of bagpipes, we eventually boarded the aircraft and were faced by the realities of excessive hand baggage and inadequate overhead storage. Normal baggage rules had been waived, but then this was not a normal flight. Once we were more or less settled, Baroness Thatcher unexpectedly boarded the aircraft along with Jim Davidson to give us a final "fare well" on the cabin tannoy. She told us emphatically that she wanted to hear everything about the trip on our return. Warming to her theme she decided we should have a party when we got back. Jim, bless him, tried to disuade her, conscious of the strain this would be on her health. Maggie, bless her, was having none of it. "No, we will organise it, you and I" she told him in no uncertain tone. Soon we departed, being pushed back a mere ten minutes late, an amazing achievement under the cricumstances. Once we were at cruising height, Rick Jolly, who had done so much to make this Pilgrimage possible came onto the tannoy to give an emotional address which he concluded by reading a letter received from HRH the Prince of Wales, as follows: "The Falklands War will no doubt be remembered as one of the greatest triumphs over adversity that Her Majesty's Forces ever achieved, and the battles fought and won stand comparison with any throughout this country's illustrious history. "But the South Atlantic Campaign is also more than an historic national victory. For the servicemen and women who fought to retake the islands, it marked your defining moment when you answered the call to uphold the freedoms and beliefs that we all hold so dear to our hearts. In doing so, you exemplified the very highest standards - of determination when faced with setback; resolve to overcome overwhelming odds; personal courage in the face of battle and, importantly, compassion in the moment of victory. "Although the victory was won twenty years ago, for many the personal battles which resulted from the experience remain. Equally, this pilgrimage, organised by S.A.M.A. and to which I am hugely proud to lend my support, will be the first time many of you have returned to the Islands since the fateful days of 1982. In the company of both old friends and new comrades-in-arms, all of you will be revisiting those scenes of harsh action and sad loss. I pray that it will provide an opportunity to reminisce and reflect and, for some, finally to find a degree of solace in the aftermath of traumatic experiences. "I visited the Falklands in 1999 and know at first hand of the enormous gratitude of the Islanders and their enduring pride in Her Majesty's Forces. I am therefore certain you will receive a warm and hearty reception and discover for yourselves just how grateful they are for your courage and devotion to Freedom's cause. "I wish you God Speed and send you my heartfelt best wishes. "Charles." 8:56:13 PM

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