Andrew Marr

Andrew Marr and his series about Britain made this interesting report about Thatcher and the Falklands

Falklands - Veterans

I know I have been quiet recently with my blog entries but it's not because I have nothing to say, just not a lot of focus on saying it.

Digging around on YouTube I found some interesting videos telling the veterans story from the Argentine side.





And something from the British side, though this is more generic and includes events from Northern Ireland

Interview by Alastair Mitchell of Left Flank

While doing a bit of research for an upcoming talk I am going to give at work I came across this rather interesting interview of Alistair Mitchell describing the initial contact by Left Flank with the Argentine defenders.

Day out at the academy

In a repeat of last years event the Swedish Military Academy at Karlsberg invited me back for their annual Falklands event.

This year had a very similiar feel to last years with a paper exercise based around an EU task force being sent to intervene after the islands had been invaded. Of course they renamed everything and turned the map upside down to try and throw the cadets off from coming up with solutions that mirrored 1982 and it was interesting to hear some of the presentations.

However I must admit that considering how little training they have had they did a pretty good job. Very well presented and they had thought of most factors.

The highlight of the day for me though was attending the lecture by Mike Cole.

Mike was Company Commander for Zulu Company 45 Commando and it was his men who stormed the right hand peek of Two Sisters (codename "Summers Day") or as its more afffectionately known by the locals as "Right Tit". if you don't already know 2 Sisters is a dual peek mountain hence the reference to female anatomy. His description of the build up and eventual assault was very interesting and so different to that experienced by the Scots Guards.

Also at the presentation was Rachel Aspagard who despite her Swedish name was actually English. Her father moved to the Falklands in 1979 and bought the farm at Bluff Cove along with 2 other Irishman, believe it or not, to escape the troubles in Northern Ireland and get away from it all. Rachel at the time was training as a nurse and was working at the hospital in Stanley. She was there during the whole invasion and watched Tumbledown from Stanley. She told us that the shockwaves from all the artillery firing cracked the walls of the hospital and you could put a finger into the gaps that formed. Her step mother was Doctor Alison Bleaney who helped broker the Argentine surrender.

A fascinating day only slightly spoilt by the fact I didnt get a chance to present anything to the cadets. I prepared a presentation which I ran through with Major Jonas Blomquist (Chief Tactics instructor) afterwards and he agreed that I should come back in the near future and present the story of the Scots Guards to everyone.

I am very much looking forward to doing that.

Colin Coull

So there I was last night watching a chick flick with my wife, something called "Love Actually" starring about every British actor there is.

And who should I see but SGT Colin Coull :)

Way to go Colin

Added an MP3 player

I managed to track down a recording of the "Crags Of Tumbledown Mountain" recorded by the Pipes and Drums of the 2nd Battalion Scots Guards in 1984.

Pipe Major Jimmy Riddle wrote this tune on the night of the assault and he later played standing high on the crags overlooking Stanley.

A copy can be downloaded here

Remembrance Weekend

From 2008 Remembrance Stockholm

It was a different weekend.

I haven't been religious since I was a teenager when I was encouraged to attend both regular Sunday school and the occasional church service.

This time last year I was in Stanley Cathedral and for the first time went to a parade. I didn't really relate to the pastor, or his rather confused and rambling sermon, but I did appreciate standing there remembering the fallen.

This year I find myself in Stockholm and decided to do something a little different.

So on the Friday we attended the annual general meeting of the Ex Servicemen's Association which consisted of drinks and nibbles with the British Ambassador and his wife at their official residence followed by a sitdown meal over at the embassy.

It was my first time to meet a number of ex Servicemen of all ages and both sexes ranging from an ex Norwegian resistance fighter who escaped to England and flew Spitfires to a recently retired RMP fresh back from Iraq.

It was a good crowd and both Susie and I enjoyed ourselves. To our immense surprise we won 3rd prize in the raffle and took home a case of Spitfire beer.

Sunday saw us again back at the embassy residence saying hello to the ambassador, though not before attending the parade.

The Anglican church was beautiful and looked every part an English village church. Flags hung from the rafters, flowers adorned the pews, and everyone turned out in their Sunday best. Susie and I sat at the back next to the central aisle as I had a couple of wreaths that I wanted to lay. It had all been arranged and at the appropriate time I stepped forward and along with the British and American military attaches presented them to the pastor.

The one thing I got wrong was my wording on the cards. I had always thought that Remembrance Sunday is about remembering all the deceased from all wars. It wasn't until I was at the church and actually listened to the words for the first time I realised that in fact it's only for WWI and WWII. My wreaths were all wrong, or so I thought for about 30 seconds.

Today was for the 8 guys we left around Tumbledown and for the other 258 members of the Task Force.

So if I have offended anybody I sincerely apologise but from now on I will stand proud and remember not just those who fell in the two world wars but especially those who are a little closer to me.

From 2008 Remembrance Stockholm