Falkland Islands,
Malvinas War Guestbook
Photography Index.
Islas Malvinas, la guerra de Malvinas Fotografía Indice Libro de Visitas.
Neil Wilkinson from the HMS Intrepid, the
1982 Falkland Islands - Malvinas War and how he shot down the pilot who sunk the HMS
Coventry. Overview of the War.
This is a very unique exhibit with
exclusive pictures and stories from Neil Wilkinson the man who shot down the
Argentinean Pilot who sunk the HMS Coventry. This exhibit actually has a
photo of the 40mm Cannon Shell Cartridge that shot down the A-4 Skyhawk
that Lt. Mariano Velasco from Argentina. Put your name in the
guestbook and tell us your story of the Falklands War. Islas Malvinas, la
guerra de Malvinas.
Neil Wilkinson desde el HMS Intrepid, las Islas Malvinas 1982 -
Guerra de Malvinas y cómo se derribó el piloto que hundió el HMS Coventry. Vista
general de la guerra.
Esta es una exposición muy especial con sus fotografías y las historias de Neil
Wilkinson, el hombre que disparó por el piloto argentino que hundió el HMS
Coventry. Esta exposición tiene en realidad una foto de la Shell 40mm Cannon
cartucho que derribó la A-4 Skyhawk que el teniente Mariano Velasco de la
Argentina. Ponga su nombre en el libro de visitas y contarnos su historia de la
Guerra de las Malvinas. Islas Malvinas, la guerra de Malvinas.
This is the Home Page for
the Falkland Islands War Photo Tour Exhibit
Now, there is a movie being made about
Neil Wilkinson called Enemy Contact
1-29-2010 Here's the latest
news. We have now been approached by one of the top award winning
producers from Hollywood to make a movie about Neil's story. We knew about
this possibility when the producer contacted me last November and many times in
the following months. The producer and I have already spent five hours on
the phone and have had many email contacts. The movie is in progress and
we are moving along much faster on this project than I have ever expected.
The producer was a very nice person to talk to and he gave me the feeling that I
was talking to an old friend. Here is a preliminary movie poster for the
project.
C. Jeff Dyrek, Webmaster.
Ahora, hay una película que se
hizo sobre Neil Wilkinson llamado Enemy Contacto
1/29/2010 He aquí las últimas noticias. Hemos sido contactado por uno de los
productores que han ganado el máximo premio de Hollywood para hacer una película
sobre la historia de Neil. Sabíamos de esta posibilidad cuando el productor en
contacto conmigo en noviembre pasado y muchas veces en los meses siguientes. El
productor y ya he pasado cinco horas en el teléfono y he tenido muchos contactos
de correo electrónico. La película está en progreso y nos estamos moviendo a lo
largo de mucho más rápido en este proyecto que yo esperaba. El productor era una
persona muy agradable con quien hablar y me dio la sensación de que estaba
hablando con un viejo amigo. Aquí hay un póster de la película preliminar para
el proyecto.
C. Jeff Dyrek, Webmaster.
The Documentary that Never
Happened
1-15-2010 News update. We were
going to make a documentary about Neil's trip to see Mariano last November.
I didn't put this message on the page because I wasn't sure how Neil felt about
letting everyone know about his ordeal. In the process of getting his
tickets to fly to Argentina, Neil had to get vaccinations for the trip. He
received his vaccinations and the producer of the documentary had almost
everyone's tickets purchased for the trip when everything changed with a twist.
A few days after receiving the vaccination, Neil started having problems with
his bladder. When he had to go to the restroom, he couldn't, so he started
to drive to the doctors office. He jumped in his car and backed it out of
the driveway and almost wrecking it because he couldn't pick up his leg high
enough to touch the brake.
This was a real eye opener.
It turned out that the Hepatitis-A part of the vaccination attacked the protein
coating of his nerves in Neil's lower spinal column allowing the nerves to short
out, for lack of other words. Neil lost all functions below his belly
button and the condition may have been permanent. Thanks to his good
doctors and the English Health system, they properly diagnosed the problem and
Neil is now able to walk and function, but he mentions that even little things
are still a big effort.
At this time, the documentary company
has not scheduled a new date for it's making, so we are all still hoping and
praying that, both, Neil gets well, and the documentary will still be made.
C. Jeff Dyrek
El
documental que nunca ocurrieron
1/15/2010 actualización de noticias. Íbamos a hacer un documental sobre el viaje
de Neil a ver a Mariano en noviembre pasado. Yo no puse este mensaje en la
página porque no estaba seguro de cómo Neil sentido de permitir que todo el
mundo sepa sobre su terrible experiencia. En el proceso de obtener sus boletos
para volar a Argentina, Neil tuvo que conseguir las vacunas para el viaje.
Recibió su vacunación y el productor del documental había de casi todos los
boletos comprados para el viaje cuando todo cambió con una torcedura. Unos días
después de recibir la vacunación, Neil comenzó a tener problemas con su vejiga.
Cuando tenía que ir al baño, no podía, así que empezó a conducir a la oficina de
los médicos. Saltó de su auto y el respaldo fuera de la calzada y casi
destruirlas porque no podía levantar la pierna lo suficientemente alta como para
tocar el freno.
Este fue abierto los ojos. Resultó que la Hepatitis-A parte de la vacunación
atacó la capa de proteína de sus nervios en la columna vertebral inferior de
Neil permitiendo que los nervios a cabo a corto, a falta de otras palabras. Neil
perdido todas las funciones por debajo de su ombligo y la condición de haber
sido permanente. Gracias a sus buenos médicos y el sistema de Inglés de la Salud,
se diagnostica correctamente el problema y Neil es ahora capaz de caminar y la
función, pero se menciona que las cosas aún siguen siendo poco un gran esfuerzo.
En este momento, la empresa documental no ha programado una nueva fecha para la
que está haciendo, así que todavía estamos esperando y rezando para que, tanto,
Neil se recupera, y el documental aún será. C. Jeff Dyrek
12-2-2009 This is a message forwarded to myself
from Rear Admiral
PGV Dingemans (Rtd) and the 1st Sea Lord.
It transpires that it took the
Skyhawks 18 seconds to fly from end to end of San Carlos, that
said, Intrepid was anchored at her
usual place in the
middle of the sound, which meant that in order to react.
load and fire the 40mm Wilky had only 9 seconds.
Even the 1st Sea Lord is
impressed by the speedy reaction which has gone down in the
History books as an act that potentially saved the lives of many
men. BZ- From Rear Admiral Peter
Dingemans (Rtd) and the Naval Secretary Office. Neil.
12/2/2009 Este es un mensaje transmitido a
mí mismo del Almirante PGV Dingemans (retirado) y el Señor del Mar 1. Resulta
que tomó la Skyhawks 18 segundos para volar de un extremo a otro de San Carlos,
que dijo, Intrepid estaba anclado en su lugar habitual en el medio del sonido,
lo que significa que, para reaccionar. cargar y disparar el 40mm Wilky sólo 9
segundos. Incluso el Señor 1 ª del Mar está impresionado por la rápida reacción
que ha bajado en los libros de historia como un acto que podría salvar la vida
de muchos hombres. BZ-del contralmirante Peter Dingemans (retirado) y la Oficina
del Secretario de Marina. Neil.
While here at home it has given me food for thought and I got thinking
about how events in my life and everyone else's happen, if I hadn't have
fallen out with my girlfriend back in the 70`s I would never have joined
the navy, then I wouldn't be where I am now and so on.. What we don't realize is that our youthful years are
the benchmark for how we are going to cope with adult life and what we
become and do with our life's. Neil
While here at home it
has given me food for thought and I got thinking about how events in my life
and everyone else's happen, if I hadn't have fallen out with my girlfriend
back in the 70`s I would never have joined the navy, then I wouldn't be
where I am now and so on.. What we don't realize is that our youthful years
are the benchmark for how we are going to cope with adult life and what we
become and do with our life's. Neil
Mientras que aquí, en casa me ha
dado que pensar y me pensando en cómo los acontecimientos en mi vida y todos
los demás sucede, si yo no hubiese caído en desgracia con mi novia en los 70
`s que nunca se habría unido a la Marina , entonces yo no estaría donde
estoy ahora, etc .. Lo que no se dan cuenta es que nuestros años de juventud
son una referencia para saber cómo vamos a hacer frente a la vida adulta y
lo que ser y hacer con nuestra vida. Neil
Mientras que aquí, en casa me ha dado que pensar y me pensando en cómo los
acontecimientos en mi vida y todos los demás sucede, si yo no hubiese caído
en desgracia con mi novia en los 70 `s que nunca se habría unido a la Marina
, entonces yo no estaría donde estoy ahora, etc .. Lo que no se dan cuenta
es que nuestros años de juventud son una referencia para saber cómo vamos a
hacer frente a la vida adulta y lo que ser y hacer con nuestra vida. Neil
An Invitation
If you were a Veteran of the Falklands - Malvinas War, from either
England or Argentina, I would like to hear your story and see your
pictures. Please send them to the Webmaster. Thank you very much.
Una invitación
Si usted fuera un veterano de las Malvinas - Guerra de Malvinas, de
Inglaterra o Argentina, me gustaría escuchar su historia y ver sus
fotos. Por favor, envíe al Webmaster. Muchas gracias.
Falkland Islands War A-4
Skyhawk Search Expedition.
All prices are subject to change
without notice, click on item for the latest price.
About the Expedition Plans.
A message to the readers. This is a story of how a British Sailor, Neil
Wilkinson, shot down Mariano Valasco, the Argentinean Pilot who sunk the
HMS Coventry. The plane is shown below and the cannon shell is also shown
here too. The Falkland Island War was in 1982 and now in 2009 we are
planning an expedition to the Falkland Islands to find this crashed airplane.
We also want to get a photo of Neil and Marino standing together more than twenty
years later. Signing our guestbook would be a great support. Also,
you were in the Falkland Islands War, on either side, please write the webmaster
a letter at the bottom of this page. This will be a great help for
recognition of all of the veterans on both sides. Thank you very much.
C. Jeff Dyrek, Webmaster.
From the Webmaster:
Here are some thoughts
about the Expedition Goals
1. To visit the Falkland Islands
2. To meet with Neil Wilkinson and Mariano Valasco at
the same time
3. To make a written and photo documentary of the
expedition
4. To find a Video Documentary maker would want to
join this group
5. To have the entire group, including the pilot,
Marino Valasco, to find the airplane in the Falkland Islands.
6. To recover the crashed airplane and place its
remains in the museum in Port Stanley.
7. To show the effects of PTSD and how the war
affected both British and Argentinean Soldiers.
8. To show the world that there can be friendship
between former enemies and that it's not people that are enemies, a message of
good will.
9. To document this event for the purpose of bringing
the reality of war and the after effects of war to the general population of the
world.
10. To have a good time.
I am searching for Ideas, Members, Photos,
Stories, Help and Funding for this expedition.
If anyone has any additions or comments for
this list, please write the Webmaster at the bottom of the page.
If anyone would like to join our
expedition, let me know.
If anyone has any ideas whatsoever, please
let me know.
If anyone would like to have their story
told or add any photos or videos, you will be very welcome.
I think one of the most heart breaking sights
for me, was sitting in my gun watching HMS Antelope explode!
That then brought it all home to us and it was a very tearful
moment, watching one of your own ships explode, when hours earlier
it had sailed past us.
We lost many ships and many good men, but so
did they too. War is not just about two or three nations going on a
battle field and killing each other, people seem to forget the
aftermath and the people who have lost loved ones, the younger
generation (although taught it in schools) don't fully appreciate
what the armed forces of the world achieve.
Mined Beach from the Falkland War, Near Port
Stanley, Falkland Islands, South America
HMS Intrepid
HMS
Intrepid
Photo from Neil Wilkinson
The HMS Intrepid was classified as a LPD (Landing
Platform Dock)
The Intrepid was around 12,500 tons when fully loaded with troops and tanks.
On the night of 19th May 1982, this was to be
a very sad evening indeed onboard HMS Intrepid. That night I was
on watch on the bridge, it wasn't a particularly nice night
weather wise, but it never was in the South Atlantic, the waves
were massive and the ships ploughed into the swell. The Intrepid
was sailing southwards and we were cross decking troops from the
Hermes. It is thought that while crossdecking a Seeking
helicopter from Hermes hit an Albatross, causing the helo to
ditch into the dark waters of the South Atlantic. All attempts
were made to try and recover/rescue any survivors from the helo,
sadly we lost 18 SAS men that night, 22 men in total, 9
survivors were miraculously pulled out of the icy water. I
remember I was stood on the bridge wing, we had spot lights
trained on the water searching for anything. It was indeed a
very sad night.
HMS
Intrepid
Photo from Neil Wilkinson
My Bofors gun onboard HMS Intrepid.
HMS
Intrepid
A 40/60mm Bofors from Intrepid, I think
it is the Port Bofors,
I was on the starboard side, but they were very similar in
appearance. Neil.
The next picture is of a Seacat missile being fired
from Intrepid,
I'm not sure when it was fired though.
The main bunch of pictures were all taken by the ships photographer
HMS Intrepid Video
The aircraft that flew past us in the Falklands were very fast
and most of the time it was difficult to get a shot off at them but
also there were a lot of shipping around and at the height they were
flying at if you opened fire it would be possible to blow a big hole
in a ship. I mainly opened fire when they were passing down the side
of the ship or in the distance. When I did a tour of the Falklands
again in 1985 we had an exercise where we had a simulate attack from
Phantoms, they were very very fast and a very nice aircraft indeed.
It was good that they were ours.
HMS Intrepid Memorial Video Part 1
HMS Intrepid Memorial Video Part 2
Painting of the HMS Intrepid in battle in the Falklands War
Please find attached a picture I
have lifted off our site, donated by "Pusser Hill", it is of a
painting done by one of our Officers in '82, of HMS INTREPID under
attack. The picture depicts day 4, and our friend Neil's gun is
firing at the aircraft on the starboard bridge wing. We are seeking
who can supply a copy or copies of this and such artwork, hope we
can get hold of one.
Also, are there any Veterans
with Pearl Harbor
veterans, or Navy veterans involved in air battles with ships that
would like to share their stories? If so please send them to
the Webmaster.
Argentina Soldiers in a POW Camp
Photo from Neil Wilkinson
Neil Wilkinson's
Battle Story of the Falkland Islands War.
Hi Jeff,
During my journey down to the Falklands I
originally was part of the three man guns crew but not the aimer, I
usually took the loaders number or supply mans job. We had a
lot of time to practice on our way down and as we went south the
weather got warmer.
The drills included a lot of practice against the
clock, which meant things like barrel changes had to be done within
a set time, miss-fires had to be dealt with super quick because
there would be very little time to stop and think. So as we
sailed down to the Falklands we also had live firings against 50
gallon oil drums. We all took turns to see who could get close
or even hit the things bobbing up and down in the water. I was
last to go, I took aim and opened fire on the barrels, I got the
aimers job after that shoot.
Everybody on the ship did the same every day on
the journey down there, drilled, cleaned weapons and basically fine
tuned themselves for what was coming our way. We obviously had
no idea what to expect, when it is an exercise there are a lot of
restrictions and regulations to go by, when in a war situation, a
lot of the regulations go out of the window, but you still have to
remain professional.
When we closed up for Action Stations through the
night it was really cold and very dark, there wasn't a lot to see.
Because we were out on the bridge wing of Intrepid we couldn't hear
what was being said, so I had an agreement with the Radio Operators
that they would hold up pieces of paper at the bridge windows which
would alert me to any incoming aircraft.
As it got lighter and we could see the land it was
really strange, there was no gun fire or helicopters attacking us,
we had a clear run into the anchorage. The only thing we could
hear was the anchor chain being slipped, then it was a case of try
and get everyone and everything off the ship before the attacks
came.
The ship ballasted down and the four landing craft
inside slipped out, full of paratroopers and equipment, it was
getting lighter now and we could make out more of the land, I only
had a 90 degree arc of vision, on one side there was the bridge and
on the other side was my gun barrel.
The gun itself worked by an electrical scooter,
when the two levers were slid down the scooter the motor would
start, the gun moved by either turning left or right of up and down
for elevation and depression, the trigger was on the scooter.
We were told that aircraft were in the area and to
keep our eyes peeled, it wasn't long before the attacks started,
because of the number of ships in San Carlos and the height in which
the Argentine aircraft came in to attack meant it was sometimes
difficult to get a shot off at them.
The Frigates and Destroyers took a hammering from
the aircraft, but it wasn't all one sided. I really thought
and wondered if I could and would pull the trigger! When in
training there is not the same sense of fear or urgency to survive,
when it is for real, you open fire! Time is irrelevant, family
and friends do not enter into your mind, the adrenalin is pumping
through you, you don't want to be next.
I opened fire as many times as I could, mainly
when the aircraft were passing after an attack, they would come in
at some ridiculously low height and I have to take my hat to them
they were very brave and courageous.
On the 23rd May a group of six Mirage bombers came
around the corner and I opened fire on them, I could see my tracer
either going in front of the aircraft or just behind. As all
the aircraft were trying to escape, one of my shells hit the back
end of a Mirage, I saw bits fly off it as it sped past, approx about
a mile away from us.
That was a very scary moment, because as I
opened fire on these aircraft, a large explosion occurred just off
the starboard bow. The water cascaded high into the sky and I
said to my loader "George what was that?" He replied in his
Geordie accent "I don't know". I said "Don't tell me they can
fire sideways now?"
We found out afterwards that our sister ship
Fearless had fired a Seacat Missile from way down in San Carlos and
had lost control of it. The missile went between our ships
masts and plopped in the sea just off our starboard bow, that was a
very near miss!
My Captain credited me with the Mirage.
As the hours went by, it was wave after wave of
aircraft, as soon as they had dropped there bombs they had to get
out of there fast, the after burners went on, but that used up
valuable fuel which would be needed to get them home.
We were brought food and chocolate bars to eat,
most of the time the food was brought to us and it would be thrown
on the floor because an air attack would start.
After thirty one and half hours sat in my gun, we
were allowed to relax slightly, but it is an awful time. What
you have just witnessed is locked away in your memory vault and the
adrenalin rush you were on is now subsiding, it is a massive come
down. I needed to sleep, I couldn't careless about food or a
shower, sleep was required. I found a locker and opened it,
went in and decided I would write to my family first, this was to be
a sort of last will and testament. The writing was so small it
was hard to say it was me that had written it.
After writing the letter I sat and reran the
events of what had happened, it was all too much to take in, two
years previous I had being sailing around the Med and West Indies,
now I was in a theatre of war! I sat there and broke down in
tears, I am sure many men did the same and still do today. The
days seemed to have a familiar pattern, air attacks through the day
and then at night we would take the SAS out on special ops.
The next morning we would be back in San Carlos at
anchor, ready for the next wave of attacks, which were coming.
On the 27th May, it was a really strange day,
nothing much had happened until late afternoon. I never went
far from the gun and I was sat on a box of ammunition doing a word
search in a magazine, when the shout came up to "Stand Too" which
meant we were under attack. The ship was facing down towards
the south of San Carlos and the barrel of the gun facing forward
with the ship. My loader and supply number were talking to the
other guns crew around the port side, I threw the magazine up in the
air and dashed to my gun, but before I could open fire I had to do
the loader job and flick a couple of switches, basically safety
measures that had being put in place.
Then I started the motor on the gun, by this time
I could see two A4 Skyhawks, there may have being more, but I only
saw two. I opened fire on these two aircraft, I managed to get
six rounds off, the reason why only six is? I didn't have any
other crew on or near the gun when I opened fire, so I couldn't load
anymore shells into the gun and six was all I had.
One of the A4`s was trailing smoke behind it, a
couple of the guys on the lookout position gave me the thumbs up,
which said to me, I had hit it. I wasn't sure though, I knew I
was very close to hitting it.
My Commander a couple of days before the attack
presented me with a T-Shirt for hitting the Mirage. Looking
back at that presentation over many years, I struggled with the idea
that I could go to war, kill somebody and all it was worth was a
T-Shirt!
When the aircraft had disappeared, we had to hang
around for quite some time because you never knew if there were more
aircraft around or if the ones that had just attacked were going to
turn back round and come again.
When the war was over and we got back to England,
I met the Defense Secretary John Knott and I was presented to him by
my Captain. John Knott asked me if I had hit any aircraft and
I replied "Yes, a Mirage". Just as I said that my Captain
jumped in and said, "No, you actually hit two aircraft", I asked him
which one and he confirmed to me it was the Skyhawk on the 27th May.
For many years I didn't even think about the
pilots or there families, we did a job just as they had done.
Until 2007! My wife had said to me that the History channel
were running a special week of programs about the Falklands, but I
don't usually watch anything to do with the war, I suppose I'd seen
enough. But I was curious and with it being a Thursday, I
thought it would be something about the surrender or the Marines/Paras.
So I put the television on and a story was unfolding of an A4
Skyhawk pilot that had being shot down on the 27th May!
Now remembering that on that day, only one attack
came in and only one aircraft got shot down. I knew this was
my aircraft, I watched the program, by this time the tears of
emotion were great, for all these years I had thought the pilot had
perished and here he was alive, the footage was old, but still he
was alive.
It was unbearable, I had to find this man, I did
not know if he was alive still or had died of natural causes.
It took me 8 months to track down the pilot who's name is Mariano
Valasco, we have made contact and are building a firm friendship.
The history books state that my aircraft was
downed by different sources. The Fearless took ultimate credit
for the downing of his aircraft, I now know that not to be correct!
I believe that Mariano Valasco was hit by myself and possibly from
somebody on the ground. As Intrepid was Fearless' sister ship
it was put into the records as her, some records state
Intrepid/Fearless.
Stories like this, the meeting of two people from
a conflict are rare, the possibility of meeting Valasco one day and
shaking his hand will happen and I am glad to share this story with
you.
C-207, Fuerza Aerea Argentina,
Falklands/Malvinas War, 1982
Made by Hobby Master, this 1/72 scale die cast model
wonderfully replicates the A4 Skyhawk, C-207, flown by 1st Lt. Mariano
"Cobra" Velasco of the Argentine Air Force when he dropped three 1,000-lb.
bombs to sink the HMS Coventry during the Falklands/Malvinas War in 1982. It
features outstanding details such as engraved panel lines; a detailed
cockpit with an opening bubble canopy; removable stores including a bomb,
missiles and fuel tanks; an aerial refueling probe and a tail hook; optional
position landing gear with real rubber tires; a display stand and more.
Measures 6¾" long with a 4½" wingspan and arrives ready to display. #0098065
Price: $32.95
The following letter is
from the man who shot this airplane down.
If you look farther down the page you will see
the airplane crashed on the Falkland Islands as
it looks in 2009. This is a tremendous
story with letters from both Neil Wilkinson, the
man who shot this plane down and from Mariano
Valasco, the pilot of this plane who sunk the
HMS Coventry just two days earlier.
12-1-2008
Hi Jeff,
I have found out
some very interesting information
today!
I will tell you
first about the pilot then tell you
what I have found out at the end.
Mariano Valasco
flew A4 Skyhawks with Grupo 5
Argentine Air force.
He was probably a
pilot before I even joined the Royal
Navy.
Four years before
I joined the navy a friend of mine
from my home town of Leeds, West
Yorkshire, joined the navy as an
officer, he became the Gunnery
Officer onboard HMS Coventry.
Before the
Falklands started I was given my
next sea draft, it was going to be
HMS Sheffield, Sheffield was sunk by
an Exocet, I stayed on my original
ship Intrepid.
When the Falklands
broke out and we sailed there on the
23rd May that year I hit a Mirage
fighter and he crashed.
On the 27th May
Mariano Valasco attacked and I
managed to get 6 rounds off at the
two planes that were incoming,
although another ship eventually got
recognition for the hit, it was
given to me by my captain as he was
on the bridge and saw everything.
Mariano Valasco,
on the 25th May sunk the Coventry!
My best buddy
survived, but suffered as we all do.
Now the good bit.
When I hit Valasco
he went over the hill with a lot of
smoke trailing from the rear of his
aircraft, the history books state he
was flying C207, but he was actually
flying C215, how do I know?
Well the other day
I was trawling through a lot of
stuff about A4 Skyhawks and came
across a site that had C207 in a
museum.
1-26-2008
Hi Jeff, Many thanks for replying so quickly to my email. The offer of the story is great and I am in
contact with one of my friends as we speak about
doing a story for you with some pictures
included. You certainly seem to have a
broad variation of stories on your site?
Since finding out last year that Mariano Valasco
had survived the A-4 Skyhawk has suddenly become
a more fascinating aircraft to me, I have
researched quite a lot about the aircraft and
think they are a remarkable aircraft.
I will now just tell you a brief timescale of
events of things that occurred in the Falklands,
if you don't mind?
The shell is 40/60mm Bofors, that
was my gun.
The
engraving on the shell reads:
Fired in Anger
23rd May 1982
HMS INTREPID
AB(M)Wilkinson.N
D178349K
This shell was
fired against a group of Mirages, the shell that
hit Valasco was fired a few days Later.
I was on the starboard
battery, I have to admit it made a heck of a
bang when fired, I do believe that I could be
the last person in the Royal Navy to hit an
aircraft with a conventional weapon, that could
be one for the Guinness Book of records?
The gun I fired was a
single barreled Bofors gun 40mm, it is called
40/60mm purely because the shell casing is 60mm
and the shell 40mm, it may be called something
different by other navies.
On the 21st
May we went into San Carlos and off loaded 3
para brigade who had travelled on our ship.
Shortly after daylight broke the air attacks
started. No amount of training can prepare
you for this, it's for real. On the
23rd of May I opened fire on a group of Mirage's
(6) and I blew the tail off one of them.
Most days were the same, attacks, rest, attacks.
On the 27th of May, nothing much happened all
day, until late that afternoon. Valasco
and his wingman had sneaked through and was now
lining up for there attack, I was resting on a
box of ammunition. The alarm sounded and I
leapt into my gun and as they screamed into San
Carlos, I managed to fire 6 rounds off at them.
I then saw a lot of smoke coming out from behind
his aircraft, he then went over the hill.
It wasn't until we got back to the UK that my
Captain confirmed to me that I had actually hit
the Skyhawk, up until then I wasn't 100%
certain.
In the history
books HMS Fearless took credit for knocking
Valasco out of the sky, but I now know
different! My life after the
Falklands took a dive and I suffered from PTSD
and a lot of mental stresses due to the
conflict. Last year with it being the 25th
anniversary I put on a program and found that
the pilot in the documentary was in fact the
very same pilot I thought I had killed and I
decided to track him down. After 8 months
of trying I hit the jackpot and we are now in
contact with each other, the feeling of guilt
was lifted, he has confirmed to me that fearless
could not have shot him down as previously
recorded.
These stories
I had heard happen from ex World War 2 vets, but
I never thought it would happen to me.
Once again
many thanks and I look forward to your replies.
Regards Neil
11-24-2008 This
is the first letter that Neil Wilkinson sent to the
Webmaster at YellowAirplane.com, Jeff Dyrek.
Dear Sir,
I have just being on your website and
found a model that is of interest to me.
It is C207 Mariano Valasco`s A4 that
flew in the Falklands.
I am very pleased to see that he was one of the most
successful Argentinean Skyhawk pilots. But on the
27th May 1982 his run came to an end although he did
survive. I am in contact with Valasco on a regular
basis, we have a lot in common, he flew his plane on
many dangerous missions against us. I am hoping
to eventually meet him some day in
Argentina and shake his hand, I am really glad he
survived, after all it was me who shot him down.
Here I am sending you my translation of the paragraph
about the May 27th. 1982 war facts that is now found online in the
official Fuerza Aerea Argentina website.Hope this can help you. And please excuse some
translation mistakes.
regards,
Mariano Arribillaga
May 27, 1982:
3 A-4B Skyhawk, flight indicative “Truco”, armed with
parachute-retarded bombs.
Pilots: 1st. Lt. Mariano Velazco
(C-215), Lt. Carlos Osses (C-228), Lt. Fernando Robledo (didn't
take off given technical inconvenients).
Flight took off from
Rio Gallegos AB at 1530 hrs.
They flew into Falklands Sound (San Carlos Sound) 1
minute after “Poker” Flight, also south-north direction, and
confirmed the sighting of 4 ships. They received intense
anti-aircraft artillery fire. They dropped their eight bombs over
Ajax Bay cooling plant.
The
Flight turned left, chased by missiles.
Number 1 (1st. Lt. Velazco) got hit by a 40mm. Bofors
shell from HMS Fearless and HMS Intrepid, in the left plane root.
Having crossed Falklands Sound
west-bound, and over
West Falkland (Gran Malvina), Number 2 (Lt. Osses) saw fire
in Number 1 left plane, very close to the oxygen tank; he informed
this immediately. Number 1 answered that he had a red light (alarm)
on the hydraulics indicator, reason why he exchanged speed for
height and informed he was ejecting in position 51º 29' S / 59º 32' W; it was about 1700 hours.
1st. Lt Mariano
Velazco fell between Port Fox and
Port Howard.
After recovering from the ejection, he
walked two days and two nights until he got into an uninhabited
house where he found canned food. On the following day two kelpers
on horseback passed near the house, he called them and offered to
buy them a horse, they refused but they told him they would call
Port Stanley. In the afternoon a
Land Rover
showed up, driven by a kelper and with an Argentinean Army officer
on the other seat, who brought Velazco to Port Howard.
Lt. Osses came back alone to the continent, with his
aircraft damaged by light gun fire. He landed at Rio Gallegos AB at
1800 hours.
Hi Jeff, I think a kelper is
somebody that farms seaweed! sounds ridiculous but I
think it's true or it is another name for a fisherman.
Neil.
Here's a
little more clarification on the term "Kelpers"
There are huge Kelp beds in this area. Kelp is
harvested and then sold commercially worldwide for use
in many products from sushi to toothpaste.
Click on Images for Close-Up View.
Ejecting
in position 51º 29' S / 59º 32' W;
Hi Jeff,
I have the rough lat and long of where
the Intrepid was on the 27th
May 1982. 51.32S - 59.04W it is near to where we were,
if you look at the bay he came in from about the SE end and when you
pinpoint the Intrepid he flew over the hill towards the west.
A letter from Neil Wilkinson. 12-13-2008
I feel it may help more veterans who do read literature and maybe
don't believe in ways round things. So if my story can
help anyone who is in difficulty, then I am more than happy to do
it. As you say though there have being so many veterans taken
their own lives, the Government is now doing something about it, but
it is a slow process in the UK.
I think the men and women of our countries have a very hard
job in who they are fighting and any casualties or fatalities are
deeply sad news. It is when they return home that the
lack of care is not there for them, and speaking from my experiences
they do not treat you with any respect or dignity.
I had to talk to a veteran a few months ago and he was messed
up, but by the end of our chat although he was no better off, he
felt better that he had somebody to talk to and by the end of it all
I knew everything he had done in the Falklands, because I was
willing to listen and we had a common connection.
1/48 Scale Model Reproduction of Mariano
Valasco's
A-4 Skyhawk C-215 by Adam Coleman.
Adam actually visited the crash site of this airplane and
took paint chip samples to ensure that the model that
he built was painted exactly like the real airplane.
He even looked at the scratch marks that were made
prior to the crash and added them to the model for realism.
This is the impact crater created by Mariano's
aircraft. The nose cone of the A-4 Skyhawk is visible in the
center of the crater. Photo by Adam Coleman.
Landing Gear of Mariano's A-4 Jet Fighter
Aircraft after the plane crash. Photo by Adam Coleman about
2004.
Sinking of the HMS Coventry during the Malvinas War
showing Mariano Valasco This was the Pilot that Neil Wilkinson Shot Down
Neil Wilkinson's
Recollections of Communications between himself and Mariano Valasco
Mariano has had a brief outline of events on that
day, but when he does reply to me it's in Argentinean and not
English so I have to get it translated.
So far he has told me that he did not think that he
could have being hit by HMS Fearless because of her position in San
Carlos, which does hold an element of truth. The HMS Fearless
was down at the bottom end of San Carlos whereas HMS Intrepid was
further up towards the entrance.
He told me he was doing roughly 200knots and
had to climb to around 1000 ft. before ejecting. He said that he
felt the plane jolting as it was hit, at first under the left wing
area, which would discount the HMS Fearless as she was on the right
of the plane. Also it could discount the HMS Intrepid
initially because it could have being ground fire that hit him.
Or it could have being my shell exploding underneath the aircraft!
Although the HMS Intrepid was to the right of
the planes, we were on a better angle, so as you looked at the
aircraft I would be looking at an angle from the nose to 20%, so I
could see the left side as well, but he was flying about to evade
being hit, so it is also possible that my shell exploded first!
The next thing I saw was a lot of smoke coming
out of the plane, at first I thought it was after burners, then
after a short while we were told it had crashed somewhere.
Once the aircraft went over the hills or low lying land we were
unable to see them or tell which direction they had gone.
The most nerve racking thing was knowing they
were coming and then suddenly from nowhere there would be aircraft
all over the place. Bombs and rockets were flying about and
you could then hear the sounds of our guns and AA fire, the noise
was tremendous.
GPMG`s and larger AA guns firing, then
Anti-Aircraft Missiles being launched, 20mm Cannon's firing, then
there would be an explosion as an aircraft took a direct hit.
As I said before, I have an utmost admiration
for those brave pilots, they flew there aircraft to the limits and
paid the ultimate sacrifice.
I think one of the most heart breaking sights
for me, was sitting in my gun watching HMS Antelope explode!
That then brought it all home to us and it was a very tearful
moment, watching one of your own ships explode, when hours earlier
it had sailed past us.
We lost many ships and many good men, but so
did they too. War is not just about two or three nations going on a
battle field and killing each other, people seem to forget the
aftermath and the people who have lost loved ones, the younger
generation (although taught it in schools) don't fully appreciate
what the armed forces of the world achieve.
1-21-2009
The initial credit and in some books say
Fearless plugged Mariano, some say both ships hit him, but I'm
not sure Fearless did actually hit him.
But according to Quinny a junior seaman on
Fearless got the praise for it by his captain, then I got praise
for it off mine! But when I look back, I have to admit I
was exceptionally close to hitting him and I did think I had ,
but then the doubts creep in and I dismissed it, until we got
back and my captain said I had hit it in front of the Defense
secretary. So I don't think he would have said anything if
I hadn't hit it!
AV-8B Harriers Landing for Refueling
Photo from Neil Wilkinson
Victor Tankers used for Air to Air
Refueling Missions The Handley Page Victor Tankers could carry 91,000 lbs of fuel which is
equivalent to 41 Metric Tons. The taker was withdrawn from service in
October of 1993
Royal Marines on Mt. Harriet
9-20-2009
Hi Jeff
A very informative web site. I am glad I ran across it.
I thought I would add my piece to the events May 27th
1982. My unit, 59 Independent Commando Squadron RE was
dug in around the San Carlos area. I was sharing a
trench with my mate, Goosy Ghandi. It was starting to
get late and it was my turn to fill the water bottles to
make a brew and some soup for the long night that was
coming. I was 10 or 15 metres out to the front of the
trench by a small stream filling the water bottles when
I had this urge to look up. To my surprise I saw some
small dots in the sky that I took for Argentine
aircraft. Not wanting to be caught out in the open I
took the shortest and longest run of my life to get back
to the trench. As I closed in on the trench I could
swear I saw the pilots of the Skyhawks as they were so
close, but it was probably in my imagination. I looked
up as I leaped feet first into the trench and I could
see the bombs with small parachutes slowly descent
towards me. I was screwed and knew it. ‘Ce La Guerre’.
As the bombs exploded around me, the trench collapsed on
Goosy and me and I was buried alive, Goosy did not fare
as well as he was killed. The world and the war went
silent, I thought not of death or god at this point, but
of my mother. I had the distinct feeling I was back in
her womb and I was safe. I have no idea how long I lay
there buried in the ground. I guess it was only minutes
as I did not suffocate. I could hear scratching noises
and eventually voices of the rest of my troop trying to
dig us out. They managed to get my head out of the
ground, but my body was still trapped. I could hear
someone shout, 'here they come again' at which point a
steel helmet was placed on my head as every one
retreated back to the relative safety of their own
trenches. They did manage to get me out and I was
eventually evacuated by Chinook to HMS Fearless, and
that is another horror story for another time. Anyway, I
still do not know which of the planes attacked my
position, but it certainly was one of the sorties from
Gruppo 5. On that day, if I could have gotten hold of
the Argentinean pilots I would have slot their throats,
but time and maturity has washed those thoughts away.
Goosey was buried in the
Falklands and his body was repatriated back to
the UK several months later. I attended his funeral in
London.
it was a sad day and was very difficult for his family.
I visited Buenos Aries several years ago and paid my
respects to the fallen at the Malvinas memorial. I spoke
with the honour guard, they were young soldiers like we
were back them. It was a pleasant time and I spent some
time and a meal with them around the back of the
memorial in the guard room. I wonder what other untold
stories are out there regarding that day, cheers
7-6-2008
Hi Jeff,
Back in the Falklands and in every war your training and
expertise takes you to another level. Although you
are an individual, you have a massive team around you,
from medics to chefs, gunners to signal men. My
job onboard intrepid was to protect that team. I
lost sight of this fact and was reminded of it some
years ago by an ex SAS member, thanks to him I started
on my road to understanding me.
Thanks.
Regards
Neil
The A4 is C207, Mariano Valasco's plane! the picture
is courtesy of Mariano
Arribillaga
and the aircraft is in the Museo Nacional do Aeronautica,
Moron, Buenos
Aires, Argentina.
Photos taken Later aboard the HMS Brazen
The
Final Resting Place for the Aircraft Carrier
HMS Intrepid 2008
The
veterans who attended the book launch, please note the exhibits in
the background. Neil Wilkinson our starboard gunner in the conflict
is 2nd from the right. I (Mike
Quinn - that's me- is on the 4th from the right at the
back).
Pictured
in Fareham Creek the next morning where we gathered to see our old
ship Intrepid, many of us for the first time in 25 years. The
veterans are from the left, Steve Dickinson, Rab Carrigan, Russell
Morgan, George Heron, Neil Wilkinson and Mike Quinn.
The Intrepid's final destination
in Liverpool, in September 2008, where she is being dismantled for
recycling, and is contracted by the owners Leavesley International.
The Leavesley company were very kind in allowing up 40 of our
veterans to gather for a final goodbye to HMS Intrepid, our former
home 25 years earlier. We had a fantastic day exploring our old ship
whilst the memories came flooding back.
The Leavesley company were very
kind in allowing up 40 of our veterans to gather for a final goodbye
to HMS Intrepid, our former home 25 years earlier. We had a
fantastic day exploring our old ship whilst the memories came
flooding back.
About Neil Wilkinson
Born in 1959 and lived in
Leeds, West Yorkshire,
England. I didn't have the happiest of childhoods, my mum
divorced in the late sixties and got involved with another man, he
was ok to start with, then things started taking a turn for the
worse, my elder brother and myself took the full brunt of it and we
got regular beatings, what for we didn't know.
It got even worse for my mum when the guy actually
hospitalized her, he then went for me for the very last time, he
made the mistake of giving me time to pick up a carving knife and as
he made his move so did I, i didn't stab him and just warned him
that if he came any closer what would happen to him, he knew I meant
it.
I suppose I joined the Royal Navy to escape
from this sort of thing, I wasn't getting on with the foreman at
work and he treated me like a dog, whistling me and give me mundane
jobs.
I eventually left home in 1979 and signed up, I
was loving it, I was in training learning my radar course when my
father died and I was automatically taken off the course, then
because there wasn't another course starting for some time I was
left with 3 options, Steward, Gunnery or leave the navy and
re-enlist at some other date.
There was no way I could go back, so I opted
for the
Gunnery school in Plymouth.
I loved every minute of the course and
eventually got my first ship, it was waiting for me in Plymouth
sound, HMS Intrepid, she was what is classed as an LPD (landing
platform dock) and it was a daunting experience for me as the
biggest ship I had ever seen was just in pictures.
We sailed that night, we went straight to
Norway with a
full embarkation of Royal Marines, the trips abroad were endless and
after we had being to the
West Indies and
Med I was coming to the end of my time onboard Intrepid.
I had options, either go to a shore
establishment or get another ship, I fancied the thought of getting
another ship and travelling some more, my next draft came through
and it was to be HMS Sheffield, a type 42 destroyer.
All this changed though in early 1982 when
Argentina
decided they would invade British soil, although when they did at
first we had not got a clue where the Falklands were!
It became apparent that I would be needed to
stay onboard Intrepid and a lot of men came back to Intrepid who had
previously left her because the ship was going into a standby role.
So my draft to Sheffield was cancelled and I
set sail with the ship, fully loaded with ammunition, stores etc and
all got ready in two weeks.
We joined the rest of the task force, having
being one of the last to be made ready, our ship was a vital piece
in the machinery, we were to land 3 para in San Carlos.
The night before we landed the para's I was
coming out of my mess and stood in front of me was a guy who 2 years
previous had being a barman in my local bar pulling me pints of beer
and was now in the para's, we had a good chat before he went off and
got all his ammunition ready for the landings the next morning.
We closed up at action stations through the
night, it was bitterly cold and dark, entering into San Carlos was
so strange, there was no gun fire from the enemy, just the sound of
ships dropping anchors!
As daylight broke the silence was short-lived,
we were then subjected to a constant wave of aircraft ducking and
diving into the bay and then in a flash gone, the pilots were very
brave and courageous.
After sitting in my gun for over 31 hours we
were eventually allowed to rest, I found a quiet spot and decided to
write a letter home to my mum, telling her ho
w much I loved her and
that I didn't think I would be coming home, at least not alive!
Then before I went to sleep I prayed and cried
myself to sleep, the next few days were similar.
When it was all over and I got home, my mum
knew there was something wrong, she told me I wasn't the same person
that went away, which is quiet understandable.
I left the Royal Navy in 1989. As the
years rolled on I was having some major problems, my marriage was on
the rocks and I was loosing it gradually, no money although I always
worked.
I was eventually diagnosed with having PTSD,
for people who have never had this or heard of it, it is one of the
most horrendous things that could happen, it changes a person and
you have to live with it forever. I relive the Falklands every day
of my life, but I learnt how to control my problem, not by doctors
or shrinks, by finding out how it all works, learning techniques and
making myself aware when the problems are going to hit me, how to
cope with it all and it works for me.
The Royal Navy like every branch in the armed
forces taught me discipline and how to live, i can honestly say it
was the best ten years of my life and I would join again if I had my
time again.
I am now remarried and I have two children,
plus two children from my previous marriage, my two boys are grown
up are like brothers to me.
My life has recently become very interesting
lately after discovering that one of the pilots I was credited with
shooting down in the Falklands had survived, after 8 months of
trying to locate the pilot I eventually found him in February 2008,
we are in contact through the internet and I hope that one day we
could meet.
Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Regards
Neil
A Letter from Mike Quinn (HMS Intrepid)
1-7-2008
Dear Jeff,
I must congratulate you on your superb website.
I am a former shipmate of
Neil Wilkinson who has been contributing to your site,
regarding his experiences on our ship, HMS Intrepid during the 1982
Falklands war with
Argentina.
Please find attached some photo's from our
website, Photo no1 was taken in Aug' 2008 at
Eastleigh
Museum Hampshire, for veterans to reunite, and attend a book launch,
of a photographic book on the Falklands ships remaining in Fareham
Creek, Portsmouth,
whilst awaiting their final destination, the "scrap yard".
The book is called
"Ghosts of the Falklands"
published by Hampshire County Council. It was put together by Tom de
Witt and
Trevor Evans. The Photo's are of veteran ships
Intrepid/Fearless/Glasgow and Cardiff.
I would like to add further information for you
and your readers.
I must say, that the HMS Intrepid veterans came
together when veterans attended the Falklands 25 Remembrance Parade
in London in
2007. As a result, the website
WWW.hmsintrepid.com was formed. We now have over 320 members, and the new veterans
association is flourishing. We have had several meets, including in
November a remembrance parade in our
commanding officers
home town of Cowfold in Sussex. On that day we met our former C/O
for the first time since we served on the Intrepid. His name is Rear
Admiral (Ret'd) Peter Dingemans DSO.
I would like to add, that your site is very
supportive of veterans from all conflicts. Our own experiences must
mirror those of many of your readers. Many of us have gone on and
had happy lives, with their ups and downs, and some of us have not
been so fortunate since serving our country.
It's natural to compare notes with your
comrades on a reunion, as you would if it was an old workplace or
school reunion. It was a most positive experience for us all, and
for some of us their was a little anxiety in meeting up and going
over old ground. However, what became apparent, straight away was
the close bond and mutual respect we had for each other, often
unspoken, and often demonstrated, depending on the persona of each
individual.
The individual who struck me most, was Neil
Wilkinson. Why?, because he was not loudest, he wasn't the largest
and not the first person you would notice in a crowd.
Neil has been there and "got the t-shirt", Neil
has a unique place in modern
Naval History, Neil shot down 2 Argentine planes during his
Action Station in "Bomb
Alley", San
Carlos water, where we discharged and supported troops ashore
and supporting other Naval units.
Neil shot down these modern jets, in a Naval
situation, with an old fashioned 40/60 Boffor gun. I might add, that
this gun, which fired shells packed and stored in the
second world war,
was working, where more modern missile systems either afloat or
ashore were not always so reliable.
Not only did he shoot these planes down, but in
doing so protected with his comrades up to 500 members of the ships
company at any given time, and also any ad hoc embarked forces at
the time.
In 2007/8, Neil was out of work, he applied for
jobs, maybe a 100 jobs, often without reply, he has suffered PTSD,
indeed, at out first reunion he was out of work, but, its a measure
of this man, he did not mention this fact in the reunion.
On finding this out, his story struck a chord
with me, I knew his story, our story on HMS Intrepid must be told,
because there is something in Neil's story that is extra ordinary.
I decided, that I would write a PLAY, in
tribute to guy's like Neil, it will be our story onboard a warship
in a modern conflict. I have no experience, my day job is a
Fork-Lift driver in a warehouse, but someone has got to do it. It's
been over 25 years now!.
Thanks again for this site and good luck to you
and your readers.
Mike Quinn (Ex HMS Intrepid).
A Letter
from Jeff Dyrek to Neil Wilkinson
1-12-2009
Dear
Neil,
Thank you again for all of your help and enthusiasm
on this project. It's interesting how a single letter can get so many
people involved. I am having brain storms again.
You mentioned that people may be offended. Look at
Simon Weston, he is glad to put his hand forward for the help on this
project. Look at Mariano's letter, he has graciously invited the very man
who shot him down, and your family to come and visit him. What a greater
gesture of friendship and forgiveness can a man give. This is what I am
thinking about the entire project. It's not to document you shooting
Mariano down, or the fact that he sunk the HMS Coventry, it is to show that
people are people and we must respect people and disrespect hate. You
didn't shoot him down because you hated him and he didn't sink the Coventry
because he hated them. But his letter and your attitude, both, show that
hate was never a factor, you guys didn't even know each other, how could you
hate each other. With the world pushing harder into a third world war, we
need to fight that push by showing that it's not hate that drives humanity,
instead it is our love for our brothers, no matter where they should live
that opens our hands to friendship and help.
The greatest threat to all of humanity is hate. This
project is a veterans military operation to show that it's friendship,
charity and friendship that we need to embrace.
Thanks again and have a nice day,
Your friend,
Jeff.
In Commemoration
of the
Battle of the Falkland Islands
Fought on the 9th Day of December 1914
In which the British Squadron
Invincible, InFlexible, Carnarvon,
Kent, Cornwall, Glasgow, Bristol
Canopus & Nacedonia
Under the command of Vice-Admiral
Sir F. C. Doveton Sturdee
K.C.B.C.V.O.C.Y.G.
Destroyed the German Squadron
Under Vice Admiral Graf Von Sper
from Capture by the Enemy
En la
Argentina, el número de suicidios entre los veteranos de guerra de
Malvinas es mayor que el número de víctimas de la guerra en sí
War is bad, and that about sums up the message of
Blessed by Fire (a.k.a. Illuminated by Fire), a
well-meaning but thinly written drama that boasts some dynamic
scenes of battlefront futility. To be fair, director Tristan Bauer's
emotionally potent drama did win the Best Narrative Feature award at
the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival, and it has the distinction of being
the first Argentinean film to openly address the physical and
psychological devastation that resulted from the brief 1982 war
against British forces in the British-colonized Falkland Islands (or
Malvinas, as they're known in Argentina). The legacy of that
woefully imbalanced war is tragic beyond comprehension: In
Argentina, the number of suicides among Malvinas war veterans is
higher than the number of casualties from the war itself, and that
sad statistic crucially informs Bauer's story (based on a novel by
Engardo Esteban and Gustavo Romero Borri) about a present-day
journalist named Esteban (Gaston Pauls) who served in the Malvinas
war with Vargas (Pablo Ribba), who's now comatose and hospitalized
after attempting suicide with a drug-overdose cocktail. The film
flashes back-and-forth from the present to their experiences leading
up to and including the decisive battle on Mount Longdon (re-created
in a harrowing 20-minute sequence), and while Blessed by Fire
is certainly no Saving Private Ryan, its chaotic battle
scenes are impressively intense and painstakingly realistic, and
Bauer is equally effective in showing the miserably cold battlefield
conditions prior to the eruption of violence. As Esteban's memory
takes him back to the horrors of battle, his friend's present-day
suicide attempt resonates throughout the film, which is surely more
powerful for Argentinean viewers than for anyone else. We learn very
little about the central character, however, and Paul's performance
is too passively blank to draw us deeply into his emotional turmoil.
Still, this is one of the few films to deal with what has
essentially become a forgotten war, and Bauer's noble reminder
offers reassuring proof that Argentina's sacrifices will not be
forgotten. --Jeff Shannon
Product Description
Acclaimed director Tristán Bauer presents the harrowing story of a
band of Argentinean soldiers sent to fight an un-winnable war and
left to bear the brutal scars of the past. After learning of a
friend’s attempted suicide, a journalist goes back to relive his
experiences in the Falklands.
2 Documentaries Global Technologies and Tactics 1 - Falklands War
2 - Lebanon Falklands War: Seamlessly documented on land and sea by
frontline British News footage, the Argentinean junta invaded the
UK-controlled islands. Thousands of Argentine troops descended on
the island, and easily overtook the small detachment of British
troops that were stationed there. The UN Security council call for
the withdrawal of the Argentinean troops and fostered futile
negotiations, as British troops advanced by sea en masse. British
planes viciously attacked Port Stanley from the air, shooting down
Argentinean aircraft. A British submarine sank an Argentine cruiser,
killing close to 400 crewmen. More blood was shed as the advancing
British troops reached their destination of Port Stanley to
dismantle the Argentinean forces. Argentina surrendered the land,
after nearly 1,000 casualties and a bloody battle over the remote
island. Lebanon: British News cameras impressively documented the
frontline clash in 1975, when the Palestinian Liberation
Organization began infiltrating Israeli borders with attacks that
brought Israeli reprisals. Israeli strikes and raids were unable to
control the growth of the PLO army. In June 1982, a terrorist group
attempted to assassinate an Israeli ambassador. Israeli Defense
Forces attacked Lebanon again, moving in to the country in an effort
to drive out the terrorists. The PLO responded with a massive
artillery and mortar attack on the Israeli population of the
Galilee. The operation's initial success led officials to broaden
the objective to expel the PLO from Lebanon and induce leaders to
sign a peace treaty. Most of the terrorist groups in Lebanon have
not yet been disarmed, contributing to ongoing antagonism over
border control.
The 1982 Falklands War witnessed the largest deployment of
British Army Special Forces since WWII--the Special Air Service, the
Special Boat Squadron, and the Royal Marines Mountain and Arctic
Warfare Cadre conducted several spectacular raids during the war.
One of the most successful, the attack by the D Squadron SAS against
an Argentinean airfield on Pebble Island, proved the SAS motto--Who
Dares Wins. But the war cost heavily on both sides--255 British and
over 1,000 Argentineans died.
While I was stationed at NAS Lemoore,
in Lemoore California, my friend Dan and I took a break and
walked around to the side of the hanger to watch flight ops at
night. It was almost instantly that we saw an A-4 Skyhawk
coming in with its wheels up and at a higher approach angle than we
expected. The plane hit the ground and there was a huge flash
of light. We didn't actually see the plane hit because it hit
the ground behind the hanger of VA-127 which was across from our
hanger at VA-125. However, we did see the flash coming from
behind the hanger. I can't actually remember what we did after
this, but we must have ran across the street because I remember
seeing the airplane on the ground and the pilot was opening the
canopy.
These A-4 Skyhawks were real good at doing belly
landings because of the low wing and the wing tanks that you can see
in the picture above. The tanks were ground down, in half, and
the flash must have come from the residual fuel in them. The
next day we watched the plane being hauled past our hanger with a
cherry picker truck. It looked like that there was zero damage
to the plane and it also looked like it was just a toy hanging from
that huge crane.
This plane is a super accurate replica of Mariano Valasco's A-4
Skyhawk. In 1982 Mariano Valasco, from Argentina, used this
plane to sink the HMS Coventry in the Falkland Islands War. A
couple days later Neil Wilkinson, from England, aboard the HMS
Intrepid, shot this plane down.
Years later, Adam Coleman flew to the Falkland Islands to find
this plane and copy it exactly. Adam took detailed photos of
every part of the crashed airplane and even took paint chip samples
to replicate the original colors so that they exactly matched the
real airplane. This model building exhibit shows both his
model and also the real plane crashed on West Falkland Island.
It was a fantastic job all the way around.
