MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Falklands War Veterans to 'lay the ghosts'.
Former Paratrooper James Bush has waited 20 long years to rid himself of a recurring nightmare - the death of his best friend, fellow soldier Steve Illingsworth during the Falklands War. He finally now has the opportunity to clear his mind once and for all, and will undertake his long-awaited mission in a most unusual manner.
James Bush returns to the Falklands today along with 200 other veterans of the War which claimed the lives of 250 British Servicemen. During the course of the 6 days visit he will quietly grab a sleeping bag and tent and with no fuss, climb Port Sussex mountain which divides San Carlos and Darwin. The former soldier, now a serving police officer, aims to spend the night alone on the mountain where his best buddy was killed by Argentine aircraft fire. They were together, defending the bridge-head below, at the time! He wants no television pictures taken, no photographs and no-one with him. He has been persuaded to take with him a small tape-recorder and speak into it, should he feel the need to talk to someone during the long and lonely night.
Another 'man with a mission' is Captain Bob Darby who served with 3 Parachute Regiment in the Falklands War. After 12 British helicopters were lost on board the 'Atlantic Conveyer' which was bombed by Argentine Sky Hawk aircraft, the only way to get to Stanley was by walking across the 80 miles of terrible terrain, in the middle of winter. 3 Para had the small matter of dislodging 500 defending Argentines on Mt. Longdon, before achieving their objective. After three days on non-stop yomping Captain Darby and his fellow soldiers reached a one-house farm called Estancia, where they were required to dig-in for 10 days, waiting for the order to advance to Mt. Longdon. Now 20 years on, Bob Darby's burning ambition is to find the slit trench at Estancia which he dug and then lived in for those 10 cold days and nights, frequently coming under air attack.
Almost one hundred owners of 4 x 4 vehicles in the Falklands have taken time off work to voluntarily drive the visiting 200 plus war veterans to the locations of their choice. Places which became house-hold names 20 years ago will be re-visited. The small settlements of San Carlos, Goose Green, Darwin, Fitzroy, Bluff Cove and mountains like Longdon, Harriet, Tumbledown and Two Sisters are all scheduled stops during the next six days. The Falklands Governor, Donald Lamont and his wife Lynda, will host all the veterans at two separate parties at Government House. The 2000 Islanders have raised more than £30,000 to assist with the various costs which will be encountered, not least the £235,000 required to charter an aircraft for the 18 hours flight from Gatwick Airport to the Falklands. The aircraft will re-fuel in both Africa and Brazil en-route to the Islands.
The South Atlantic Medal Association (SAMA) is supervising the historic return by the war veterans. SAMA Secretary Denzil Connick, who lost a leg and badly injured the other, during the battle for Mt. Longdon, spoke of the 'fantastic support and enthusiasm of the Islanders. They are opening their homes to host us all, providing transport, driving their own vehicles, and giving their time, some of them taking time off work to look after the veterans full-time'.
All the veterans will attend the special 'Remembrance Sunday' service at the Cross of Sacrifice, while on Monday they will observe the two minutes silence at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
The Duke of York, himself a veteran of the Falklands War, will arrive in the Islands on Friday, following visits to Uruguay and Chile. He is acting as a 'roving Ambassador' for the British Foreign Office, promoting United Kingdom overseas trade. Plans for Prince Andrew to visit Argentina were dropped after many veterans expressed their displeasure at the proposed move. He will lay wreaths at the Liberation Memorial in Stanley, at the British War Cemetery at Blue Beach, San Carlos, and privately at the Argentine War Cemetery at Darwin. His decision to lay a wreath at the site where 235 Argentines are buried is being described as his, 'gesture of remembrance and reconciliation'.
Falklands' children will also play a part in welcoming the veterans. A special ceremony will take place at the 1982 Stanley Memorial Wood, where each tree is dedicated to the memory of a British serviceman who died in the war, and whose name is commemorated on a plaque. On Sunday a child will stand at each tree holding a wooden poppy cross, which they will plant in front of each tree, with the veterans looking on, recalling their lost comrades.
Denzil Connick said, 'This is a living memorial with the trees, and all these children will never forget this day. It will keep alive in their young minds the sacrifices which were made for them as well as others, even though they were not then born'.
Patrick Watts ? (MP) Stanley
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