How I fired the first shots of the Falklands War and crippled an Argentine submarine
Share by EmailA great article in Daily Mail;
This diary was written during the Falklands Crisis on assorted scraps of paper and in an old Government-issue exercise book. I remember I wanted to leave an account of my unvarnished thoughts as they occurred, before the mice of hindsight and discretion got to work.
Stored away carelessly almost as soon as the conflict ended, the diary was thought to have been lost in the wake of the break-up of my first marriage. But when I retired in 2008, I opened my old naval steel trunk – and the individual pages tumbled out.
I was 28 when I started writing, a lieutenant in the Royal Navy and the Flight Observer in the destroyer HMS Antrim. It was my job to navigate the ship’s helicopter, known formally as 406, but Humphrey to us, and control its radar, sonar and weapons.
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the article was a very interesting read, though i may wait until a cheaper paperback is available! in terms of current hoo-haa regarding the falklands, may i present;
“How I fired the first shots of the Second Falklands War and crippled Sean Penn …”
cripes!
Down South by Chris Parry is a terrific book, a first class account with a sparkling narrative and full of real insights into the conflict, untainted by hindsight. One of the best books on the Falklands War I have ever read – with some great anecdotes and unvarnished comments on familiar events.
Welcome to TD James
Boss,
Another great historical piece, that I’ve had the time finally to read (the link) properly. The fact that these are some of the real gems of the site, considering all the rest that goes on round here, still says a lot about TD’s quality.
James Robertson,
Welcome indeed. Parry is class all the way down. He managed to piss off swathes of the right sort of enemies (that old saw about being known, as one gets older, by the quality of one’s enemies) else he might be one his way to 1SL these days. Which is exactly why he ought to be on his way to 1SL instead of consigned to the private sector …. A very good book indeed, and a man who can write his own words (not ghosted) this well, with both wit and care, generally thinks pretty well too. Big losss to the service, big gain for public military intellectuals.
Jackstaff – well said. I agree with you about Chris Parry – he should be the next First Sea Lord! Trouble was that he was an excellent war-fighting naval officer and could do the MOD stuff as well. He was the only Flag Officer to take on the Army over their attempts to take over the world during Iraq and Afghanistan and he got no support from his own Service. That’s why the mediocrities got rid of him – tall poppy syndrome.