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.
I dropped that Argentinean girl a message last night
and asked her all about the seminar, I get approx half an hour to talk about
peace and my aim is to get a strong message across, what she likes about my
meeting with Mariano is that we both met without any politician or agreement in
place, it was a natural process and this speaks volumes within the community of
peace, so we could be on our way to becoming a peace envoy!
From the Webmaster: Neil isn't finished with
this project, in fact the project is only started. Now that the
documentary was made about the meeting of Mariano and Neil, the peace process is
working through a series of seminars. When Neil went to Argentina to
meet Mariano Velasco, he went there to make inner peace with himself and to make
friends with Mariano, the man that he shot down during the Falklands War and
make peace between the both of them and both of their countries.
What's next? The
Movie called Enemy Contact.
A Special Letter for Commodore Pablo Carballo's
birthday on Dec. 11th.
Alejandro Chinchilla Janitocruz
Many in some talks can not understand certain things ... when leaving the
Falklands, the faces are transformed and more than one place the cassette (or
mp3 file now), everything we've heard over the years. .., the same as always, do
not fight, we could not stick together, we had fear, etc, etc, etc ... but it
took me 28 years to learn that these very poor phrases taken from a history book
fourth are not true ...; Alterio say "whore worth being alive "..., I would say"
the bitch who have fought like lions "...., and so, a handful of Argentines
played it all for all of us and so we had to think the Argentines that those
men, those Argentines are our heroes?, the whore that I am proud of the men
think of those brave days in April 1982, now I can not get the head does not
feel proud of those men who were teenagers and men were more men that
intersection and the first battle hardened.
Today is the birthday of Comodoro Pablo Marcos Rafael Carballo, is a hero, no
way around it, today we are nearly 1140 members who feel the same, we feel that
this man gave everything, but damn!, I've been thinking More than once it can
pass through the head of a man who has a 9 to 1 ratio of dying before a NATO
frigate, and I go, I go because I can not see much value ... or so much love?, I
think that's the word LOVE. Love of country, which he sheltered us from the
first cry, heaven Love, Love to each of the Argentines to put our grain of sand
so that it not be forgotten, love to families, to the persons and land that is
unwavering and indispensable ARGENTINO. If love is the word for such courage, as
he has put into play Mr. Commodore.
In honor of him, and with much respect we have created a permanent memorial
corner ... so that we could live from childhood that glorious moment of our
weapons can remember and keep alive in every birthday, every 2 April, every May
1 in every 10 of August ... in every day that passes until our Islands are once
again part of our beautiful and great country.
For all group members for each full-blooded Argentine and the younger, just that
they will lift the flag of sovereignty over those islands, we wish a very happy
birthday to our dearest Commodore Pablo Carballo, a large man, a great patriot,
a great father, a friend of iron and an example of Argentina ..., what else I
can say THANK ?..., Don Pablo, Thanks for that delivery, that value and those
guts to defend what is ours .
Health and Happy Birthday to our Dear Commodore!
From the Webmaster: This is exactly what Neal
Wilkinson told me. He said that he was not a hero from England, but he was
just a crewmember and everyone shared in the efforts and their battles. C.
Jeff Dyrek
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
Neil Wilkinson hits the headlines in the TESCO
Newspaper. Tesco is the company where Neil works.
The text in the article reads. A
Falklands war veteran is about to embark on a remarkable journey and
be reunited with an Argentinean pilot he thought he had shot down
and killed during the conflict.
Neil Wilkinson, a dotcom picker at our Roundhay
store in Leeds, spent 25 years tormented by the belief that he had
caused the death of a solo Argentinean pilot Mariano Velasco.
And he only discovered that Mariano was
actually still alive in 2007 when he spotted him on the History
Channel speaking on a TV programme to mark the 25th anniversary of
the conflict.
he knew immediately that it was the man he had
shot down as a 22-year-old Royal Navy seaman as there had only been
one attack by the British forces that day - 27 May 1982.
When Neil saw Mariano, now 60, on the programme
he was still on crutches having damaged his knee ligaments either
when he ejected or landed on the ground.
Neil said: "I just feel so happy really. I was
thrilled to find out he was still alive and am so pleased to have
been able to track him down. I have been onto websites and
seen pictures of him with his daughters and grandchildren and it is
a lovely feeling. It is dreadful to think that all of these
years I thought I had killed him - but he was alive all the time and
I didn't kill him at all."
Back in May of 1982 Neil was serving on board
the assault ship HMS Intrepid and was posted on the anti-aircraft
guns onboard the ship.
Responsible
Neil, now 49, said: "During the conflict I was
responsible for the shooting down of two Argentine aircraft one on
23 May and one on 27 May 1982. It was the 27 May incident that
is particularly unique - the last time I saw the aircraft it was
trailing smoke behind it and it crashed. Obviously it was a
bit of a shock when I saw the pilot on TV all those years later -
but I decided to try and trace him. After eight months of
trying to find the pilot and many false leads I found him", said
Neil, who joined Tesco in November 2008.
Neil is now finalizing his plans for the
reunion which will take place this autumn at the exact spot where
the aircraft crashed - and the pair will shake hands for the very
first time.
Neil even got to meet the Queen in 1986 - four
years after the Falklands conflict ended. By then he had left
HMS Intrepid and was serving on HMS Brazen alongside a helicopter
pilot by the name of Prince Andrew.
Said Neil: "We made the trip to London and
whilst we were there Prince Andrew invited the Queen on board.
I cant really remember what she said to me. I think she just
asked me how I was and if I enjoyed the Royal Navy, which I did at
the time." Neil eventually left the navy a few years later in 1989.
From the Webmaster: First
of all look at the big smile on the Queen. She was obviously
pleased by her conversation with Neil.
Now, after you have read the
above article, you can see that killing a man, even an enemy soldier
was very hard on Neil. This whole expedition to meet Mariano
has all started from that feeling that Neil had for many years.
His life has really picked up since he found out that Mariano was
alive and that Mariano said that we were just doing our job.
As you read throughout this exhibit, you will find that after Neil
finally contacted Mariano, Mariano invited Neil and his family to
come to Argentina to visit.
Now the Expedition is
officially on. As the webmaster and working with this
expedition from its conception, I have had over a thousand emails on
this subject. We have had people from eight countries who have
helped us with this expedition and webpage exhibit. I have had
many hours talking to Neil on the phone and have, in the course of
the expedition project, have met three other British Sailors and two
Argentinean Pilots. It's really a delight to me for all of
these dreams of working with Neil's project to come true. It's
been a lot of work for both Neil and me before any company was
interested in doing a documentary on this Falklands event, but now
it's real.
I will be leaving for the
Falklands a week before Neil and the TV crew arrive. On this
project Neil is considered the Expedition Leader and I am the
Expedition Motivator. There is one very important rule to make
anything come true. First you must believe that it is real and
then you must work hard and never quit. For any project of
this magnitude, it takes about a year of work before it will happen,
this time it took eleven months.
C. Jeff Dyrek, Webmaster.
Here's the Webmasters response to a letter from
Neil Wilkinson about stresses from and about meeting people who were
former enemies.
I can understand about the feeling of backlash about Mariano being on the
Islands. This is what I want to avoid. The people of England didn't fight
the people of Argentina, it was the governments. But, just like in WW2,
there was hate instilled in the people from the conflicts then too.
Somehow, I would like to see only positive things come out of this and each
country honor each others soldiers for their hard work.
Just before I went to the Philippines, there was a Japanese soldier who
still lived in a cave right on the Subic Bay Naval Base. He thought that
the war was still on and put up a huge fight when they found him. The
United States took him onto the base, showed him around, and then flew him
back to Japan with full honors from the U.S. It was a great thing.
In WW1 there was a huge battle, and on Christmas, against orders, both sides
stopped the war and had dinner together.
When I was in Siberia, I was in my room getting my equipment ready for the
next day's trip to the pole. I was wearing my Kitty Hawk Hat with all of
it's medals on it. I forgot that I had the hat on and walked into the
hallway. There were three Russian Soldiers there, one with an AK-47.
Instantly, every eye hit my hat. I thought that I was in trouble. When I
walked up to them, they all wanted to shake my hand.
In Viet Nam, my brother did the same thing that I always did, and that was
to get away from the Americans. The nationals treated foreigners very nice
that way. He was eating in a restaurant and three Viet Cong soldiers
entered the restaurant all with AK-47's. They instantly looked at each
other and my brother said he looked at his gun and realized as soon as he
reached for it he would be dead. So instead, he yelled out in Vietnamese,
come and eat with me. So that's exactly what they did. After the meal, the
Viet Cong soldiers said, "You are an OK Joe, but this is our restaurant and
you can go this time, but if we catch you here again, we will kill you."
I have these stories over and over from many veterans that have written to
me. This is why I was thinking of the series, "When Enemies Become
Friends." If we give the other people a chance, we find that they are
people too. They have the same ideas and the same desires and enjoy the
same things. If Mariano and Pablo came to the Falklands, and we gave them a
huge meal and had everyone meet, it could be a good thing if we set it up to
be that way. This is why the Falkland Islands Government said that they do
not want to reenact the war. And I don't want to either. Forget the war
and think of the future. Can you imagine the tourism between both countries
if we can break down these barriers. There is a reason that you and I have
met, Neil. It wasn't just to re-hash the old war stories, but talk of ways
that we can make the future better for everyone. The hardest part is
the very first step and since we all live on the same planet, we need to
think of our relationships in this way. With this project, we can take
our first steps.
Thank you very much,
Jeff.
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 More Info 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 Velasco, 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 Velascoat
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 Velasco, 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.
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.
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.
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
Velasco, 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 Velasco 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 Velasco 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 Velasco,
on the 25th May sunk the Coventry!
My best buddy
survived, but suffered as we all do.
Now the good bit.
When I hit Velasco 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 A-4 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 Velasco 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 Velasco 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. Velasco 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
Velasco 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 Velasco`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 Velasco 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 Velasco
(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. Velasco) 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
Velasco 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 Velasco 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
Velasco'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.
Neil Wilkinson's
Recollections of Communications between himself and Mariano Velasco
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
Photo from Neil Wilkinson
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 Velasco'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 Velasco's A-4
Skyhawk. In 1982 Mariano Velasco, 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.
