2010 Paulatim Magazine - RAAMC Association

Carlos in preparation for a march on Port Stanley, the Falkland Islands
capital. During this period San Carlos came under constant air attack
from Argentine aircraft. However, due to the danger of Argentine air
attack the ships were diverted into a small cove at Fitzroy. This move
was made in broad daylight and was to have tragic results. Due to
severe leadership errors disembarkation of troops from Sir Galahad was
delayed resulting in both ships coming under a devastating air attack.
Sir Galahad before the air attack.
The Sir Tristram was seriously damaged in the attack and the Sir
Galahad was destroyed resulting in the death of 49 soldiers, most of
who were from the Mortar Pl located in the hold along with the Fd Amb
equipment. 179 men were wounded, with 135 of these suffering severe
burns. This was the worst loss sustained by the British Task Force during
the war.
The Galahad was hit by at least six rockets and bombs with devastating
effect. At the time of the attack I had just finished writing a letter home
to my family below deck in the accommodation. The post box was
located in the ships canteen two decks up so I decided to post it after
visiting the toilet. As I got to the door of the toilet I decided for some
unknown reason that I would post the letter first and then go to the
toilet and as I turned away from the toilet the first rocket hit the toilets
killing everyone inside. The force of the explosion threw me up one
flight of stairs resulting in me sustaining minor injuries from burns to
the front of my head and shrapnel in my rear end.
Everything turned black; the air was filled with thick black smoke and
the sounds of men screaming which was closely followed by the smell of
Evacuation of the Sir Galahad, which can be seen in the back ground.
burnt flesh. I struggled through the darkness and found my way on
deck. The deck was littered with burnt and shattered bodies. For some
reason I thought we had been torpedoed due to the fact that I could see
rings in the water, I later found out that these rings on the water were
caused by the helicopters than had rushed to aid the evacuation from
the ship.
With the aid of some of the other medics who found their way on to the
deck we began to treat wounded and helped get them off the ship.
I can remember the attack on the Galahad, treating casualties on deck
and on land but even to this day I can not remember how I got off the
ship.
Once ashore I assisted with the treatment of the wounded, which
seemed to be never ending. A makeshift treatment facility was set up in
an old school house and this is where the most serious casualties were
taken for treatment until they could be evacuated to the hospital ship
SS Uganda. Most of the casualties that we dealt with were suffering
from horrendous burns where their skin had literally melted. We had to
beg, steal or borrow what medical equipment we could as most of the
Field Ambulance equipment had been lost on the Galahad. In the space
of a couple of hours we had treated nearly 200 casualties.
Along with the burns many casualties from the Galahad had also lost
limbs. I remember unloading a casualty from one of the helicopters and
grabbed his legs to transfer him to a stretcher. As I looked down at him
I saw I was only holding the lower part of his body his torso was still on
the helicopter. I remember thinking I hope he was dead before I
grabbed him. At one stage my mind became all numb and I felt like I
was just moving lumps of burnt meat. The smell of burnt flesh is not
one you can easily forget and even today after 28 years if I smell burnt
meat I see images of these burnt soldiers.
It was while treating the injured from the Galahad that I learnt that
members of the Fd Amb had also been killed in the air attack. These
turned out to be Scouse, Kenny and our 2IC Major Roger Nutbeam.
It was several hours before all the casualties had been treated and
evacuated and we had time to reflect on what had just taken place.
When I heard that my best mate Scouse was one of the missing
believed killed I felt a rush of remorse come over me. He was my best
mate and he should not have been with the Welsh Guards, he normally
worked in the DS but was put in the Section at Ascension to replace me.
The remorse became overwhelming and placing a full magazine on to
my SMG, I went round the back of the sheep pens; put the barrel in my
mouth cocked the weapon and pulled the trigger. I had not realised that
during the evacuation form the Galahad my SMG had been immersed
in sea water resulting in a stoppage. I recocked the weapon a second
time but the same thing happened. In frustration I threw the weapon at
the wall and began to cry.
Later that night all those who had received injuries on the Galahad
were evacuated from Fitzroy to one of the ships anchored in San Carlos
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