My worries of possibly fighting in Falklands proved to be right
Huge respect for forces that did go to South Atlantic
MY time as a reserve soldier in the Royal Engineers came back to remind me of my panic when I thought I was going to be called back to serve in a future conflict.
At the time when I signed on, I had assumed there was hardly likely to be any call for my services, but then Margaret Thatcher decided to fall out with Argentina.
It was a television programme recalling what happened some 40 years ago when Argentina fancied taking over in the Falkland Islands.
At the time, it just seemed like a bit of television news that would be here today and gone tomorrow, but I misjudged Mrs Thatcher’s intent to create some history for herself.
My panic started to rise when I realised in 1984 that I was still young enough to be recalled to the Royal Engineers as a still active emergency reservist. That role had started way back in 1963 when the opportunity to earn a magnificent sum of £150 a year as a reservist would be free of tax and the railways were required to give me two weeks a year time off work to attend training.
My office at the time had a captain from 150 Railway Squadron, Royal Engineers, as a keen recruiter assuring me that some Army training would be both fun and
financially helpful to a student and there was no risk of being called up. So I signed up and duly reported in May 1964 to Longmoor Camp where the squadron was based.
My first task was to be kitted out with a full set of soldiering clobber.
Given this was 1964 and only about four years after the end of compulsory National Service, the
uniform issued was simply that left over from the National Service squaddies. The clothes were uncomfortable to wear even if they fitted, the PE kit was an embarrassment and the boots were the old hob nailed variety.
The corporal in charge said I would only get the modern kit if I was called up for service.
Clearly this should have sounded the alarm because as the fleet set sail for the Falklands, I was petrified.
I first checked if I should expect the dreaded telegram and was told I might if the battle in the Falklands went on for any length of time.
So I had to get on with my life on the railway and hopefully not be expected to join the conflict. I was lucky that the dispute was not that long. I was therefore able to calmly watch the regular forces who took part in the Falklands conflict returning back to the UK to be received as heroes. I watched that and decided perhaps I could have enjoyed that bit without having to shed any claret. Then I saw the programme showing what really happened in the Falklands war.
I had forgotten that we lost a number of our servicemen. Everyone knows of Lt Col H Jones VC who got killed in action, and I now discovered, there were a lot of others. Also I had not heard of any of the soldiers who were interviewed.
Most had suffered injuries that changed their lives dramatically. Many also developed PTSD.
This was the story we did not hear when the fleet returned with the Falklands back in our hands.
These were the elements I was scared of and it turned out I was wise to be. I was in a Railway Squadron and the Falklands thankfully did not have a railway so did not need my skills… but I now have absolute respect for the regular forces and a few reservists who took part. I will always respect what those soldiers did in our name.
So many gave their lives and maybe saved mine.