I had to get back on board to be with her
WEEKS spent on board SS Canberra during the Falklands War were intense for Captain John Graham of the Royal Army Medical Corps.
He led a section of 12 medics treating injured British and Argentinian soldiers – and also met the love of his life.
Days before the ocean liner left Southampton, Helen Hawkett was deployed from the Merchant Navy as the ship’s accountant.
John says: “At mealtimes, the choice was joining the Paras or Navy medics who I didn’t know, or to sit beside Helen and her female colleague. The answer was obvious.
“As we sailed to Ascension Island, the assumption was the politicians would sort everything out. So life on board was pretty convivial.
“We hung out and had drinks and parties together. And I knew very early on that Helen was someone I wanted to spend more time with.
STARVED
“But when peace negotiations failed and the war began, the atmosphere took on a very different flavour.”
The Canberra landed on the Falklands twice and took back casualties from land attacks.
Injured soldiers arrived by helicopter to the flight deck.
If they needed resuscitation, they were treated by the naval medical party, but if they had minor injuries they went to John and his team.
As the war raged, John was transferred to another ship, MV Norland, to look after Argentinian prisoners of war.
He says: “The Argentinians had had some first aid but very little.
“There were roughly one thousand on board and each time we took on PoWs I had to examine their wounds.
“They were only little boys really. They’d been starved for so long that we had to be very careful how we fed them.” When the Norland went back to Stanley Harbour at the end of the war, John was told he had to stay on board. It was crushing news.
He says: “I got on the ship-to-ship radio to Canberra and they sent a lifeboat to take me back.
“The official reason was because I wanted to be with my men.
“But the real reason was I hoped to be back with Helen.
“I thought she was the type of girl I would like to marry.
“She has a great sense of humour. She was straightforward, got things done, was pleasant to deal with and got on well with everybody. She seemed to be a great fit with me.
“But Helen had no idea I had any intentions and I made no assumptions about Helen liking me.
“Such things on board could be dangerous so you tended to keep things non-specific.
“When Canberra arrived back in the UK, we didn’t really say goodbye and went our separate ways.”
Helen and John were both awarded the South Atlantic Medal with Rosette. And 18 months later, Helen’s Canberra colleague suggested a reunion.
Helen and John’s relationship moved quickly after that. Within months John proposed on the phone – then called straight back to check she had said yes. Shortly after, in June 1984, they got married.
Helen gave up work as an accountant after the arrival of
their daughter Alice 37 years ago.
MEMORIES
Three years later the couple, who live in Northern Ireland, had another daughter Sarah, now 34.
John’s career included investigating Gulf War Syndrome and being a medical commander in the Second Gulf War.
But when Helen needed drastic neurosurgery after a brain abscess 12 years ago, John retired to be by her side while she made an excellent recovery.
On Tuesday, John, 68, and 70-year-old Helen will be at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire for the Royal British Legion event to mark the 40th anniversary of the end of the war.
Helen says: “Serving in the Falklands and meeting John changed my life.
“This weekend our friend from the Canberra is coming to stay with us and we’ll spend a lot of time sharing our very special memories.”