MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Prince Andrew's Falklands fears and remembrance

In advance of his nostalgic visit to the Falklands for the veterans' 20th anniversary pilgrimage and Remembrance Day, the Duke of York has spoken of his dangerous experiences and fears as a Royal Navy helicopter pilot in the Falklands War and also of the importance of reconciliation and of honouring the dead from both sides, Argentine as well as British.

He reveals how his helicopter came close to being shot down by a British shell and recalls his panic that they were going to be hit; and how on another mission his helicopter acted as decoy to protect his ship, the aircraft carrier HMS Invincible, from the Exocet missile which sank HMS Sheffield. He says that returning to the Falklands two decades after the war will be a poignant and emotional experience for him.

Reconciliation and respect ? for British and Argentine

"I believe it is very important for me to pay my respects to all those who died in the campaign", he says." I don't mean only the British servicemen who lost their lives, but Argentine servicemen and Falkland Islands civilians as well? "Reconciliation is very important to me, and I am determined to continue this by demonstrating my respect for all those who fell in that campaign. I lost friends and colleagues in the war and I know what it must be like for the great many Argentines who have shared the same experience. "That is why I'll be visiting the Argentine cemetery on the Islands. War is a bloody thing and not to be taken lightly ?.After 20 years it is time to remember. Not to celebrate, glorify or rejoice, but to remember the sacrifice of so many who lost their lives not only during the Falklands campaign but in other campaigns fought so that we can live our lives in freedom with democracy. In this significant year, the Falklands will be at the forefront of my mind. I know it will continue to be remembered in future anniversary years, but in a different way. And yes, there will be a tear or two shed as this conflict was a reality for me. I was a small cog in a huge machine that recovered the Islands for the Crown.

Sacrifice ? and remembrance

"Many made their sacrifice. I will remember them". Prince Andrew, the Queen's second son, recalls his 1082 experiences in a personal article in the London newspaper, "Daily Mail", with the heading "I will Remember". The article is illustrated with a picture of a very young-looking Prince Andrew in uniform, showing his "wings" with his name embroidered underneath "Prince Andrew". He explains that "as someone who played a small part in the Falkland Task Force, this conflict will always hold particular significance for me. As this special anniversary approaches, it is time to reflect on my experiences and pay my respects to all those who lost their lives". He recalls he was then 22 "in the prime of my life and eager to fulfil my future potential. I had only just completed my flying training six months before ? and still had much to learn".

"Nervous and scared"

He joined the Royal Navy "to fly helicopters and enjoy a career in what was then thought to be comparative safety?There was nothing much happening that meant pilots like me would be placed in a position where life and limb were at risk. "The invasion of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia was a very rude awakening for me as it was for most servicemen and women. Knowing that our lives were now in danger concentrated the mind on why we had joined the services? I can honestly say that I was very nervous about the endeavour we were about to undertake? It became more and more certain that we were going to take part in a war that would involve live shooting and real casualties. .. By the time we approached the Falklands, we were as well prepared as anyone could have been for what might happen. But that is not to say that I wasn't scared, but it is difficult to remember that fear now". In World War Two, war at sea was said to be 90 per cent routine and 10 per cent fear. "By the time the Falklands came along, naval warfare and technology had moved on to such an extent that our time there was 99 per cent routine with just 1 per cent of sheer terror. As a naval officer I knew we were unlikely to see our enemy at sea and that their air power would be our greatest threat. The speed of their aircraft and missiles, the Exocet in particular, was a potent and devastating thought. "No sooner would you have detected an enemy aircraft than it would have delivered its deadly cargo and be heading home to safety. It was not long before I was to experience what this felt like in reality.

Nearly hit by British shell

"My most frightening moment came during the attack on the support vessel Atlantic Conveyor. It was getting towards dusk and I was in the air when the call came, informing us of incoming aircraft. We were given the order to climb, in order to vacate the lower air space for missile engagements. "We had reached our specified height, and during the attack one of our ships fired a chaff shell, which explodes in a shower of metallic fragments designed to act as a decoy to the target-seeking systems of the incoming missiles. "By chance the shell was fired in our general direction and, for a moment, it was on a direct path towards use. This was it. We were going to be hit. There was a moment of panic and I had the adrenaline rush of a lifetime in about five seconds. "Thankfully the shell passed in front of the helicopter. I still don't know how far it was away; close enough ? We all began to breathe normally again and were then directed to help with the rescue of men from the stricken ship beneath us? We were lucky ... and the best way to defuse stress was to talk about it. "There are other sharp memories from the many missions in which I took part. I flew 113 hours during May alone". Flying near Stanley Airport he remembers seeing the smoke from the Vulcan bomber raid.

Royal decoy for Argentine Exocet missile

"On another mission we had to act as decoy to attract fire away from the fleet. During the attack that eventually crippled HMS Sheffield, we were scrambled from deck to provide a decoy for the incoming Exocet should it have chosen my home ship, HMS Invincible, rather than Sheffield, as its eventual target". They were too late to be of use to either ship but "it was still a formative moment for me and the fulfilment of everything I had trained for. There was no relief that we had not been targeted when we discovered what had happened to Sheffield and the men and women aboard?. "The whole experience of the war changed me in many ways. Apart from anything else, it was one hell of a way to grow up. One matured very quickly well in that environment and in some respects it would be fair to say that I went out a boy and returned a man".

Learning from history

By the time he came home he had become more focused ? the rough edges had been hewn off by the experiences of war. He learned to look at life in a different way. "I now know how vulnerable we are as human beings, how we must learn lessons from history, and how history can often lead us to see wisdom. "I also have a greater awareness of the hidden and unintended consequences of war, and how these affect not only individuals, but nations. The Falklands Conflict was no exception. "I have never held anything against our former enemy. We both suffered a great deal, and it was always my hope that we could be reconciled as quickly as possible. I was fortunate to have been able to encourage this process in small ways, such as paying my respects ten years ago to the dead of the Belgrano (cruiser, torpedoed by a British submarine), privately but in front of the Argentine Navy and to have sat and chatted with some of the aircrew. It helped me to come to terms with what had happened, allowing me to reach some form of completion to the events I had not only witnessed but also took part in. Prince Andrew was accorded no special status to protect his safety as a royal personage aboard HMS Invincible. He flew hazardous missions as did his colleagues.

Harold Briley, (MP) London

Categories: Falkland Islands.

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