25th of May 1982

[Wafu]

Sat this morning with a coffee looking over Falmouth bay thinking that even after finding a good portion of my stash waterlogged in the garage, boxes, instructions and decals ruined I can't help feel lucky to be home while others didn't return from the Falklands.

Today all those years ago now, HMS Coventry and the MV Atlantic Conveyor both took hits that sealed them in British Naval history.

RIP the men who never saw past this day in 82.

[Spookytooth]

[Jockster]

I watched 'Sea of fire' a couple of nights ago and couldn't help wondering about you, Swordfish, Ex-FAAWAFU and a few others on here. I was thirteen at the time and joined the ATC hoping to go to the south Atlantic. Within a few weeks of watching every news clip transmitted I was thankful I was too young!

[Darby]

Sailed past the last resting place of the Coventry in 2013. It was one of those rare days down there when there was little wind and the sea was virtually flat. I think even Mother Nature was showing her respect that day as well.

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

The Coventry sinking was the only time when I genuinely wondered whether we might lose. It wasn't so much her loss, but the fact that in 5 days we'd lost Coventry, Ardent, Antelope & Atlantic Conveyor, with serious damage to Argonaut, Broadsword and others, plus of course Glasgow (on her way home) & Shiny Sheff (sunk before we even left Ascension). Those of us sitting in San Carlos began to wonder how much longer we could keep eating up escorts; we were not to know that 25 May was the beginning of the end - Glamorgan & Bluff Cove disaster still to come, of course, but they were both too late to really change anything.

I was on watch on Fearless' flight deck, keeping up the constant shuttle of refuelling Wessex 5s & Sea King 4s. We got word that Coventry was under attack to the North of us... and what felt like only about 10 minutes later every cab we could spare was barrelling up there as fast as they could, because she was already upside down. I'd watched Antelope explode from Fearless' bridge, and later we saw some pretty hideous things when some of the Galahad burns came to our deck for treatment... but Coventry was the one I remember most clearly.

RIP

Edited June 3, 2015 by Ex-FAAWAFU

[Wafu]

For me this is not the place I'll put my inner thoughts and sights but it is good, I've found out many years later, to open up about certain aspects of 82.

I find it hard to tell my wife and kids what I saw during and after, as you rightly say ExWoo, we had our dark times but things I tend to remember is the 'Black' Forces humour that permeates through the Sqdn, Ship, Reg or unit.

I too sat in San Carlos wondering how the hell 'we' (the small ships) could take this pounding and wondering why they never went for the civvie ships, cruise ships, ro-ro ferries etc sat unloading tons of kit and men. The ship I went down on the MV Norland sat astride plume of spay from bombs hitting the water more than once that I saw.

God save the GPMG, 7.62, Sea Harrier and British Forces 'can do' attitude.

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

I have a photo at home that shows Norland with some pretty adjacent bomb spray!

As for why they didn't go for the transports, I remember asking that at the time. Mike Clapp (the Commodore) had been a Buccaneer Observer (Squadron CO, in fact), and he had an RAF Bucc back seater on his staff (a lovely bloke called Tony White, alas killed a few years later in a peacetime crash once back with the Crabs), so I asked them the same question. They both said that you had to bear in mind that the Argy pilots had to come in at very low level to avoid early detection, so once they got to Falkland Sound - let alone San Carlos - they'd have a tiny, tiny amount of time to choose a target. Kind of "Over the hill... Adrenalin running off the scale... I am being shot at... There's a grey thing in front of me... That'll do... Bombs away... Get the f*ck out of here...". And since the escorts were deliberately placed so that the transports were NOT the first target that came in sight, it was the escorts that took the hammering. Doing their job, in fact, however painfully. Even so, we had a bomb land between the bow and our anchor cable, you had a couple of very near misses, two of the LSLs gained a pair of UXBs apiece, so it's not as though the transports were left completely alone.

Only the Argentine Navy pilots were trained in anti-ship strike, and it's not a simple business (it was hard enough getting a Skua firing solution in a Lynx at 120 knots with no-one firing back, let alone for real at 3 or 4 times that speed).

The Coventry raid wasn't like that. The pilots had several miles of open water to line things up and pick targets; the whole idea was to give the ships' radars a clear view, so they had to be further out. For a while it worked, but when things went wrong the bombers could barely miss. Alas, they didn't.

You are right about the humour, though. I recall sitting in the "Wendy House" (Fearless' flight deck shelter) during the early air raids, with one of the 846 Grubbers reading out this Dear John letter he'd received - it basically said he was a heartless sod for standing her up in early April and going off to war was a pathetic excuse. It was so ridiculous that we were all howling with laughter even through the raids themselves. After all, what were we going to do; go outside on deck and chuck a chain lashing at them?

Edited June 3, 2015 by Ex-FAAWAFU

[bootneck]

I was on Canberra, until we moved ashore to Port San Carlos, and I managed to take a few photo's plus some during one of the many air raids.

I note that a question has been asked why they didn't go for the civvy and transport ships. The answer is that they did; in fact the only ships to be hit in Bomb Alley were the LSL's. Lancelot and Galahad both got UXB's but these were defused and removed. All the other ships were hit outside San Carlos Water (Bomb Alley) although both Antelope and Antrim came in to the calmer waters of San Carlos Water to have their UXB's defused. As we all know, the attempt on Antelope's was unsuccessful with tragic result.

Mike

HMS Ardent - our escort to the TEZ

Approaching San Carlos water with HMS Fearless - good theme for a diorama?

HMS Antrim enters San Carlos Water with UXB below her flight deck, evidently very close to her Seaslug magazine.

Bomb Alley (San Carlos Water)

Bombs hit the water between us and Norland

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

The UXB in Antrim wasn't just "close to" the Sea Slug magazine; it actually went through it, bounced off a few frames and ended up in the Senior Rates' heads.

Difficult to be certain from your photo, but I think that might be Intrepid in the background rather than Fearless. The only real visible difference during the war was that we had two big SCOT aerials halfway up the mainmast, and Decrepid didn't (she was hoiked out of reserve double quick to sail South). Since Canberra, Norland and both LPDs went in very close together, it could easily be either in your pic.

I went back down there in 2011, with 7 other members of Fearless' 1982 wardroom including John McGregor, who was Commander E (the Boss mechanical engineer, for you non-matelot types) in 1982. We were all kind of busy in our own departments during the war, so on this trip we learned huge amounts about what the rest of the ship got up to. In John's case, he and 3 volunteer shipwrights ended up staying in San Carlos when we went off to pick up 5 Brigade a few days after the landings. They were employed to cut away loads of metal from Lancelot to allow the bomb to be hoisted out and over the side. The Disposal guy was a lunatic (aren't they all?) Mine Clearance Diver who was really worried about not changing the angle of this thing in case the fuse went off and blew them all to bits, so they packed a Gemini inflatable boat with the only thing they could find (the ship having been evacuated) to act as padding, namely huge catering boxes of Corn Flakes.

They duly got the bomb out and lowered it into the boat onto its bed of cereal boxes. Clearance Diver bloke then rows the boat as far away from the ship as he could; the plan is to deflate the boat and let the bomb sink gently as he swims clear. So he stabs the boat with his diving knife. It deflates partially, but wraps itself around this damn bomb and sullenly floats, given buoyancy by the Corn Flake packets. So John, having spent over 24 hours v-e-r-y carefully and slowly not even breathing too hard on this bomb, looks across to see this diver in the water shaking the half-deflated boat violently and stabbing it with his knife in order to try to persuade it to sink...

Which it eventually did, leaving a neat circle of thousands of Corn Flakes floating peacefully on the surface of San Carlos Water.

You will never look at a packet of Kellogg's finest the same again, will you?

[bootneck]

You may be right about it being Intrepid, my only (flaky) recollection was that Fearless was supposed to overtake and go in ahead of us, with Intrepid to bring up the rear. It's not easy to confirm whether that is Fearless passing us; or us passing Intrepid to go in ahead of her.

Mike

[nick32]

Guys, if there was an Insightful rating rather than a Like rating i would be out of them today after reading this thread.

i was 2 yrs old at the time so i have no memories of it, but reading your personal accounts is extremely interesting, insightful and humbling. I can't imagine what it was like to be there.

Thanks,

Nick

[ShipbuilderMN]

San Carlos, 1982, shortly after the battle. The field hospital, Ajax Bay.

Bob

[ShipbuilderMN]

This shot still sends a shiver up my spine. The temporary graveyard at San Carlos where the sun only seemed to shine on the flag. A cold, miserable and windy day. Standing beneath the flag is one of our stewardesses, we spent most of the day as guests of the Scott's Guards in the refrigeration plant, and despite the less than ideal conditions, were made most welcome.

Bob

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

The same spot just over 29 years later:

San Carlos Water as you gentlemen probably do not remember it (taken from the Sussex Mountains, looking North up the loch - Fanning Head and the gap through which we all came visible in the distance). It is now a peaceful and beautiful place.

And the memorial to F4, the Fearless landing craft that was sunk in Choiseul Sound a few minutes after Sir Galahad & Sir Tristram, taking 6 of my shipmates (2 RN & 4 Marines) with it. The Fearless team that went down in 2011 had this built, to replace the original that was starting to fall apart.

Edited June 3, 2015 by Ex-FAAWAFU

[Richard E]

A very moving thread gentlemen, thank you for sharing your memories.

[ShipbuilderMN]

This is it in 1982, and as you say, it looks a totally different place!

Bob

[bootneck]

My favourite moment..................

It's all over!

Inside the Governor's Residence; Menendez' Operations Room shortly after he moved out.

Mike

[bentwaters81tfw]

The UXB in Antrim wasn't just "close to" the Sea Slug magazine; it actually went through it, bounced off a few frames and ended up in the Senior Rates' heads.

My neighbour was on Antrim. ASW rating. Never said he had a bomb aboard.

Brother in Law was on Baltic Ferry. Sent us some slides back whilst he was still down there.

[ShipbuilderMN]

Great photos, Mike, which one are you?

Bentwaters. Here is Baltic Ferry at anchor Stanley Harbour.

Bob

[Wafu]

Great photos, Mike, which one are you?

Bentwaters. Here is Baltic Ferry at anchor Stanley Harbour.

Bob

I wish I was at home so I could scan my pics onto the thread. I have one of the Baltic Ferry, St Edmond and the Rangertiera (not sur that's the right spelling, she was a big green and white type ferry with a rear stern door) in Stanley sound when we took up Wireless ridge (Navy Point)

I'd love a copy of the Norland photo Bootneck if that's possible?

You guys aware of this???

http://www.sama82.org.uk/shop/tabid/68/categoryid/9/productid/20/default.aspx

[bootneck]

I wish I was at home so I could scan my pics onto the thread. I have one of the Baltic Ferry, St Edmond and the Rangertiera (not sur that's the right spelling, she was a big green and white type ferry with a rear stern door) in Stanley sound when we took up Wireless ridge (Navy Point)

I'd love a copy of the Norland photo Bootneck if that's possible?

You guys aware of this???

http://www.sama82.org.uk/shop/tabid/68/categoryid/9/productid/20/default.aspx

Bob, I am the brute on the left as you look at the top photo. That's me sitting at the back, immediately beside the guy standing, in the Governor's residence photo.

Wafu, Most people who served down there are members of SAMA82, or at least they should be. One of the benefits is that they can revisit the island for a fraction of normal costs (last time I went it was about £70!)

I'll send you the photo of Norland In fact I tried to do a montage of Bomb Alley (below) but, as my camera was only a pocket Instamatic, the views were all distant and grainy. Also, most of my photos were land based, for obvious reasons.

Mike

in this montage below you can see the line of attack and bomb-run by the disturbed water, between us and Norland, and the smoke-residue to the left of Norland

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

You guys aware of this???http://www.sama82.org.uk/shop/tabid/68/categoryid/9/productid/20/default.aspx

Indeed; I am a Member. If you ever want to go back as a Civvy, SAMA are essential; they run an excellent hostel in Stanley (very comfortable indeed), and organised guides and Land Rovers etc. for when we wanted to visit other parts of the islands.

We were hugely helped by the fact that the guy who was in the bunk below me in 82 had got as far as Commodore by 2011, and was the Big Boss Man of the whole garrison at Mount Pleasant - this obviously made arranging things in advance easier. But even with that enormous advantage, SAMA were invaluable. Who else could, at 24-hours' notice, jack up a battlefield tour of Two Sisters and Mount Harriet from an ex-Bootneck who'd fought there?

2011 was my 3rd trip back post-82; I did two 5-monthers down there as Flight Commander of Broadsword in 89 & 91 - unbeatable flying, and even now I reckon I could navigate around the place with no map. So when 2011 came along I thought I'd have laid all my ghosts, but I was wrong; I found the whole experience incredibly moving, even uplifting. You have a very different perspective as a 50-year-old, as opposed to being 21 (in 82) or 30-odd (Broadsword trips).

Part of it is that the battlefields are totally untouched. Harriet is still strewn with spent bullets and discarded Argy gear, for instance. San Carlos, apart from the cemetery, is exactly the same as it was in May/June 82; it looks completely identical. While we were there one of the wives (mine couldn't come) grabbed my arm and said "It's that bloody hill". She had seen one particular piece of footage of an A4 screaming over the hill and attacking the anchorage dozens of times, and the hill has a very recognisable pattern of scree on it. Even she, who'd never set foot in the place before, was taken straight back.

If you ever get the chance (& as a SAMA member you can fly down via Brize & Ascension; it cost me something like £200 return, which is pretty good for 2 16-hour flights!), I strongly urge you to go back. It was one of the most memorable weeks of my life, and I have every intention of doing it again, this time with my Mrs. You think it might dig up all sorts of stuff that you'd rather stayed buried, but I found instead that it finally allowed me to come to terms with it, and to pay proper respects to the fallen young men of both sides, whether I knew them or not. Nick Taylor's grave at Goose Green, for instance, with the mangled nose wheel of his Sea Harrier propped up by the sheep fence behind it.

And if/when you get a bit 1982’d out, the wildlife and some of the scenery is astonishing.

[ShipbuilderMN]

Thanks Mike, wondered which one you were.

Here are three of the ships mentioned. Rangatira arrived about the same time as us and remained there for over a year. We (St. Helena) were there for 13 months apart from the time spent escorting HMS Brecon & HMS Ledbury back to Rosyth after the initial mine disposal and wreck location.

Top to bottom, Norland, Rangatira and St. Edmund.

Bob

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

Still looks weird seeing a big standard Sealink ferry sailing down San Carlos Water! Those STUFT boys (& girls) did an awesome job

[Roof Rat]

Hello all

Only just picked this thread up, it’s bought back some memories back both good and bad.

I was part of the RN detachment on board Atlantic Causeway (sister ship to the Conveyer)

I was the FDO (POAH). According to my notebook we sailed from Guz 14 May and embarked Sea Kings from 825 and Wessex 5’s from 847. On the 25 May we were just outside the exclusion zone when the buzz went around about the Conveyer being hit by an exocet, boy did that sharpen the mind.

We arrived in San Carlos Water 27 May, disembarking a/c and stores over the next 5 or 6 days. On the 8 June we were part of the casualty handling chain, landing-on casevac’s from Sir Galahad and Sir Tristram (the poor, poor buggers) after they were clobbered by the Arges. I disembarked the Causeway on the 16 June at Port William to go to Stanley to be part of the team handling flights in and out of the temporary airfield. From my time on Causeway we handled just over 4000 flight deck movements (landing/take-off).

RR