The veteran Issue 6

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The British Army Task Force: The Blues and Royals Royal Regiment of Artillery The Corps of Royal Engineers Royal Corps of Signals 2nd Battalion Scots Guards 1st Battalion Welsh Guards 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment 1/7th Duke of Edinburgh’s Own Gurkha Rifles Special Air Service Regiment Army Air Corps Royal Army Chaplain’s Department Royal Corps of Transport Army Medical Services Royal Army Ordnance Corps Corps of Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers Corps of Royal Military Police Army Catering Corps Women’s Royal Army Corps After PT we completed skills training comprising of weapon training, Command Post Exercises (CPXs) for the signallers amongst us included myself which included learning Morse Code, the thought of completing Fire Missions in Morse Code was not a pleasant one, thankfully although the training continued during the 4 week sailing down south, we never had to put our new Morse Code skills into use as the new CLANSMAN radios and normal voice communications worked well, additional training included, survival, recognition, prisoner handling, First Aid. Post skills training we had more skill at arms training, weapon training, this also included small arms firing of the ship and also General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) firing, Carl Gustaf 84 training. One of the other not so pleasant tasks was to send our last letter home and place it with our personal belongings, Jack (Rear) as No 2 on the 84mm Carl Gustaf as part of our pre conflict preparation we had to leave all personal belongings behind with our kit that was not required for the conflict, photographs, letters, rings, the letter was the hardest as you can imagine having only married six months prior to sending a letter to Mary starting with if you are reading this letter I’m sorry but I will not be coming home. Corunna Bty on board the MV Norland The majority of us thought that the Argentine Forces would withdraw, but as history now tells this was not the case. The task force headed for Ascension Island, a British territory in the mid-Atlantic 3,700 nautical miles (4,300 mi) from the UK and 3,300 nautical miles (3,800 mi) from the Falkland Islands. So, from Portsmouth to Falkland Islands 8,100 nautical miles, four weeks sailing time with a quick stop for replenishments at Ascension Islands. 24
As we moved closer to the Falkland Islands it became obvious from our training routine that diplomatic talks were not going to work, and the Conflict against Argentine forces was inevitable. The Task Force arrived at Ascension Island, soon after dawn on the 7 May. During the short stop at Ascension the Battery flew half the Guns ashore and back again from the Europic Ferry onto the airfield together with Gun Detachments from the Norland. At the same time the Battalion practised embarking in landing craft through the side door of the Norland. The voyage south from Ascension became busier the further south we went with the fleet increasing in size as groups of vessels joined us. MV Norland San Carlos Water On the 17 May detailed Orders were given for the landings on the Falkland Islands. The Orders confirmed that the Brigade would land at SAN CARLOS, final preparations were put in hand. Air attacks from the Argentine Air Force were expected, so we were at Defence Stations, in full fighting order ready to deploy. Thankfully the weather conditions, gales and poor visibility prevented the Argentines from mounting any air attacks. The landings on the Falklands took place during the night of 21 May 1982, following diversionary operations including raids by Special Forces. Under the cover of darkness, we sailed into San Carlos Water on the northwest coast of East Falkland. The poor weather conditions from the previous day had passed. As we sailed into the exclusion zone, the sea was calm and the sky clear with an incredibly bright array of stars. The night was lit up by our warships shelling Argentine positions and the noise was very impressive and re-assuring. We awaited our helicopter insertion, holding and Recce troops first, followed by the remainder with the Guns and the Command Vehicles leaving the St Edmund at the same time as the troops from the MV Norland. The Guns had an eventful fly-in to an excellent Gun Position beside Head of the Bay House at the southern end of San Carlos water. Mirage enemy aircraft appeared at about this time and the helicopter fly-off went awry as a result. However by mid-afternoon the Chinook helicopter with 3/4 guns were ton Landrover and Trailer established. thankfully the landings were unopposed, and 29 (Corunna) Field Battery were established at their first Gun Position in support of 2 Para ready for the first Fire Mission, priority was for the outload of 105 Lt Gun Ammunition and by the end of day one our Gun Position was fully equipped with enough ammunition (2,000 105mm rounds) for the start of the conflict. Chinook with 105 Lt Gun underslung 25
Page 1 and 2: March 2022 - May 2022 Issue 6 The V
Page 3 and 4: Hamish McConnachie Alicante Branch
Page 5 and 6: Military awards, medals and decorat
Page 7 and 8: On the 40th anniversary of the Falk
Page 9 and 10: Less than six months before the con
Page 11 and 12: A daylight attack on Mount William
Page 13 and 14: Branch Chairman John Pratt gave a s
Page 15 and 16: 'We Served' Ed Morris Alicante Bran
Page 17 and 18: In the autumn of 1983 she took part
Page 19 and 20: Congratulations to Ed & Sue Great G
Page 21 and 22: New Branch Community Support Member
Page 23: Britain therefore looked to the Tas
Page 27 and 28: Few vehicles could traverse the gro
Page 29 and 30: Branch Meetings As part of our Bran
Page 31 and 32: Our June meeting was held at the Bl
Page 33 and 34: Military awards and decorations of
Page 35 and 36: Forgive and Forget A British office
Page 37 and 38: Poets Corner 2 Para, June 82..... o

The veteran Issue 6

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