DONT EXPECT ME TO BE NORMAL

Problems with comments on Facebook

Somebody posted some interesting photos of the Falklands from 82 on our Regimental Face book group. He made a comment about the terrible conditions those poor Argentinian lads had to live in. He was with our sister battery that took over from us after the War. I made a jokey comment saying “It wasn't too cushy for us lads either,” Someone else jumped in and escalated everything by casting doubts on how many aircraft we hit, saying maybe we should have taken photographs to prove our kills. Nowhere was anything said disrespectful towards our sister battery, I have no doubt that if hostilities has continued that they would have continued the air defence of the Falklands with utmost professionalism. I think this proves how things said on Face book can be taken the wrong way. If that soldier was recounting his time in the Falklands in a bar with me, and I said the same thing, with a smile on my face, we would have laughed and got the next round and continued the crack. I am used to other Regiments and know it all civilians attacking our Record in the War, but when it comes from someone in the same Regiment it is harder to take. While I am on a rant I might as well continue. Someone put a photograph on the 12 Regt group of my Rapier showing Mickey Quinn, who is no longer with us, on the anniversary of the attack on the Galahad. You can tell how many people had seen the image it was over 80. only one person commented. Now if someone puts a photograph of a big breakfast, there are dozens of comments. I was extremely saddened by this. I know some people in the Regiment don’t like me, but that is no excuse for not respecting one of our own. That is the difference between a Royal Artillery Battery like ours compared to say a Facebook group of the Parachute Regiment, where a photo of a fallen Para would rightly so have received hundreds of comments. The truth is the camaraderie and brotherhood is far stronger in the Para’s the Marines and other infantry Regiments. (Above is the photo of Mickey Quinn R.I.P. )Well that’s how I see things anyway. That gentleman concludes my thoughts for today.

Dedication to Mickey Quinn.

I wanted to make a tribute to a comrade and fellow soldier that served with me on my Rapier missile system in the Falklands War called Mickey Quinn, I asked a friend who is very good at this type of work    Spud Jock Milne   and he made the fabulous tribute to Mickey who was sadly taken early from us all by his PTSD, thank you Spud and Mickey if your looking down from that big Gun Park in the sky , I hope you like it, “We Will Remember you “

AMAZON KEYBOARD WARRIORS

I totally understand that once you write a book you open yourself up to criticism, but I do have the right to defend myself and correct some of the inaccuracies of review such as the review from a Mr  Graeme Winning  . Anyone that has served as a Rapier missile operator will know that his comments regarding checking our equipment whilst it was stowed onboard ship in transit to the Falklands are completely ignorant to the workings of Air defence.  All our Rapiers including or vehicles are chained to the floor of the flat-bottomed LSL (Landing ship Logistic) everything is dissembled ready to be airlifted by helicopter. Without going into the technicalities of the system, even when the kit is on terra ferma it takes about 20mins to half an hour to  do T&As and become operational. The kit has to be completely level. To suggest we should have tested our kit onboard ship is ludicrous. Also to blame the problems we had with our Rapier on my 19 year old shoulders is a little unfair. My rank in the Falklands War was a Gunner, the lowest rank in the Royal Artillery, above me in the chain of command was THREE NCOs (A sergeant, a bombardier, and a lance bombardier. Only when the kit is operational on the ground in the Falklands you can then discover any faults. Rapier is a very temperamental piece of equipment and considering at times onboard ship we had to lay on our bunks and not walk anywhere due to storm force seas, like the Bay Of Biscay , it a wonder even more damage was sustained going South. Mr Winning seems to like to portray me as an `average` soldier and `unprofessional`. I did twelve months basic training in Junior Leaders. I was extremely fit and never failed any courses. I won the Junior Lightweight boxing Championship title. In Germany I had a crazy time on the piss, but so did many others. I never failed a BFT (Basic Fitness Test) never failed my APWT (Annual Personal Weapons Test) I was a member of the Regimental Boxing team, the Regimental cross Country team, I put a lot of hard work training on my time off and was one of the fittest soldiers in the Regiment, but yes I was into Punk Rock it was the early 80s and I was a young man. I volunteered for service in Northern Ireland, where I had a great tour and was commended by the commanding officer. Things Mr Winning didn't focus on and tried to portray me in a negative light. Going back to the Falklands War, you can count on one hand the soldiers that have shot down enemy aircraft with Rapier, I did it twice with hits on an A4 Skyhawk and a Mirage. Our kit had systems fault whilst at San Carlos, my sergeant reported this to our Senior Officers, but we were still tasked to go to Bluff Cove on the Galahad. If anyone is at fault here it certainly is not myself or any of my detachment. Yes or Kit then went on to fail at the worst possible moment at Bluff Cove, but we did shoot down three enemy aircraft and will have no doubt saved British lives. Not a day passes without me thinking about the horrors of the Galahad, but we did our best. To say we didn't care about our kit is an insult to all of us especially Mickey Quinn R.I.P. I am no angel but I have never been in prison and I have never committed a burglary. We will remember those lost in the Falklands.

Tony McNally 32 Alpha.

 

Tony Brought down two enemy panes

I was looking through some of my old photographs the other day when I came across this copy from my local newspaper covering my time in the Falklands War. During our time at San Carlos with my call sign 32 Alpha I shot down an A4 Skyhawk and a Mirage with Rapier missiles. T battery went on to shoot down 14 emery aircraft during the brief but bloody War. You can read about the Air Defence War in my book Watching Men Burn 

TRIBUTE ART WORK TO THE SHOOTING DOWN OF TWO ARGENTINE SKYHAWKS WITH ONE RAPIER MISSILE.

Just to let people know the background to this painting by James Tracy Crook  This was the aftermath of a Rapier missile engagement during the Falklands War by Gunner McGiffen  of T battery  12 Regt RA who shot down two Argentine Skyhawks with one missile, the explosion and debris from the initial hit brought down the second jet, you can see the two distinct smoke trails in the sky. The painting will be auctioned at the 12 Regt RA reunion in Blackpool next weekend. Myself and the Regiment would like to thank James for this great tribute art work.

MY RAPIER MISSILE DETACHMENT 32 ALPHA T BATTERY IN THE FALKLANDS WAR

This is another photograph I have found on face book of my Rapier missile detachment in the Falklands War on the left of the photo is Gunner Mickey Quinn (R.I.P) sat in the tracker seat is sergeant Bob Pearson, I believe the location is Fitzroy the scene of the worst British loss of like of the War when the troop ships Sir Galahad and Sir Tristram were bombed by Argentine aircraft. 32 Alpha was credited with Three confirmed kills, Two Skyhawks and One Mirage.

The decision was now taken to use the LSL's to continue 5th Infantry's move forward. "Sir Tristram" reached Fitzroy on Monday 7th to start unloading ammo, and in San Carlos Water, "Sir Galahad" took on board the rest of the 1st Welsh from "Fearless" before sailing around Lafonia to arrive on Tuesday morning (8th). By now, only one LCU and a Mexeflote were left to complete offloading "Sir Tristram", and although by early afternoon, Rapier SAM's and 16 Field Ambulance had gone ashore from "Sir Galahad", plans to move the Guards to Bluff Cove to join the rest of the battalion had come to nothing. Worse still, the LSL's had been reported by enemy observers, and around 2.00 pm, five Skyhawk's of Grupo 5 and five Daggers of Grupo 6 were coming in over the Falklands.
First to be attacked by the Daggers, but in Falkland Sound was frigate "Plymouth" on her way to bombard an Argentine position on West Falkland. Hit by cannon fire and four UXB's, one of which detonated a depth charge, she was only slightly damaged. Shortly after, the Skyhawks reached Fitzroy. Three of them put two or more bombs into the crowded "SIR GALAHAD", and the other two hit "Sir Tristram" with two UXB's killing two crewmen. The ships caught fire and were soon abandoned, but by then the results for "Sir Galahad" were catastrophic with a total of 48 killed - five RFA crewmen, 32 Welsh Guards and eleven other Army personnel, with many more badly burned and wounded. "Sir Tristram" was later returned to the UK for repairs, but the burnt-out "Sir Galahad" was scuttled at sea as a war grave on the 25th June.

As the FAA's last major effort continued, four Grupo 4 Skyhawks attacked troops in the Fitzroy area later that afternoon, and minutes after, four Skyhawks of Grupo 5 arrived over Choiseul Sound to catch LCU F4 (belonging to "Fearless") sailing from Goose Green to Fitzroy with 5th Infantry HQ vehicles. Hit by one bomb, which killed the coxswain, Colour Sgt Johnston (post QGM) and five of the crew, she shortly sank. Two No.800 Sea Harriers over head on CAP immediately dived to the attack and brought down three of the Skyhawks with Sidewinders 

H TROOP T BATTERY 12 REGT RA FALKLANDS WAR 1982

One of the good things about Facebook is finding an interesting photo. I found this photo, its my old troop H troop straight after the Falklands War ended, to be honest I cannot remember having it taken. You can just see my head on the back row on the left of our Lieutenant Mr Waddle. I am in contact with a small majority of some of these ex soldiers, some have sadly passed away. If only we had the ability to take photographs then like we can now.

A SWISS ARMY RAPIER S.A.M.

MIL TATT

Tracked Rapier, HT/ Peter Harrison.

RAPIER MISSILE FIRING

RAPIER MISSILE LAUNCHER IN NORWAY

HT/ Jon Mel Melroy.

RAPIER MISSILE IN FLIGHT

Artist /  James Tracey

Rapier Forty years of service and still going strong.

Forty years of service and still going strong, the Rapier ground-to-air missile system is the mainstay of the air defence umbrella of any Royal Air Force deployed operating base.Pictured: LBdr Robert Nyirenda (right) of 32 Bty, 16 Regt Royal Artillery oversees the reloading of a Rapier Air Defence System on Ex Capable Eagle on 10th Oct 2013.




Credit: Crown Copyright /  Ex Capable Eagle/ Ministry of Defence.

58 BATTERY 12 REGT RA FALKLANDS

RAPIER MISSILE FIRING FALKLAND ISLANDS

22 Air Defence Regiment Royal Artillery

RAPIER MISSILE SUNSET

RAPIER MISSILE SITE FALKLANDS

HT/Peter Ogden

As you can see above this site has had plenty of time spent on it giving it overhead cover and concealment, during the 1982 War Rapier sites didn't have the time to provide this cover as they had to be operational straight away. Some detachments were directly attacked by Argentine aircraft and were hit with cannon fire, but were not knocked out and continued to function, with a few holes here and there. 

RAPIER MISSILE OPTICAL TRACKER

Above you see an operator looking through the tracker to search for targets as I did in the 1982 War where our detachment shot down three enemy aircraft.

RAPIER MISSILE SITE FALKLANDS

As my detachment did in 1982 during the War, this soldier is armed with the 84mm Carl Gustav anti tank weapon. We lovingly referred  to it as the Charlie G.