Three Days in June, page 30
Once we had come to an agreement on how best to use A Company, I called them over, but instructed them to come forward one platoon at a time. The time then was approximately 06.00hrs (zt). Captain Willie McCracken brought down a tremendous artillery barrage; the rounds were falling within 50 metres of the First Bowl. He really stonked that whole position – the way he put it down was amazing. The 6 Platoon wounded were extremely lucky that they weren’t killed in their exposed position on the eastern slope.
A Company would now pass back another casualty to C Company, a shell-shocked member of HQ Company, and then prepared to withdraw from Wing Forward. During this move they would simply move backwards and then pass in front of C Company, although many members of A Company were completely unaware that C Company was immediately behind them
CSM Alec Munro
Due to the efforts of B Company, the firing at this stage seemed to be easing, with just the odd burst of machine-gun fire. The orders were to ease back into the dead ground behind us, and then move the company around to the base of Mount Longdon. We were then to move up the slope and move through B Company to assault along the ridge line. During the move round we passed in front of C Company who were located to our rear. I recall speaking with Sgt Martin Bird of C Company. I asked about the condition of Cpl Hope, and he reckoned at that stage he would be okay. He was with the other casualties waiting for casevac. He seemed to be asleep and snoring his head off. I didn’t realize it at the time, but that was a classic symptom of a bad head injury.
At approximately 06.37hrs (zt), HMS Glamorgan is hit by an Exocet Missile. This is the end of naval gunfire support for 3 PARA.
Pte Dean Coady
Suddenly Cpl Sturge said, ‘Right, we’re moving, get your kit and follow me.’ That brought me back to the job in hand. We retraced our steps and proceeded in single file with 2 Platoon leading.
Pte Jeremy (Jez) Dillon
I remember Sgt Gerry Carr telling us, ‘Right, lads, we are now going to move to Longdon. When we get there we will be passing through B Company.’ It seemed to take a long time, but I was that weighed down with ammunition, I couldn’t carry any more than I already had. My smock was full of it; I had bandoliers over both shoulders and a GPMG to carry. My back was killing me. As we reached the base of the mountain we could hear screams in the distance, and gunfire.
Cpl Joe Black, 33 yrs – Anti-Tank Platoon attached to A Company
We moved off, heading for the western end of Mount Longdon. As we passed a large peat cutting, a red torchlight was spotted to our left. WO2 Sammy Dougherty called out, ‘Who the fuck’s that?’ A broad Scottish accent replied, ‘It’s Ron.’ Sammy shouted back, ‘And who the fuck is Ron?’ Ron replied, ‘It’s Ron Duffy from B Company, I’m here with Cpl Milne, he’s stood on a mine and has injured his leg.’ It was only then I realized we were in a minefield!
George Duffus came over and asked if anyone would like to go and help Ron and Chris Lovett. It wasn’t an order, but help was needed. Pte Kevin Darke and I volunteered to go. At this stage Brian Milne had been lying in the minefield for six hours, with Ron Duffy lying across him trying to keep him warm. This was the first time I knew Brian had been injured and I wasn’t even sure what his injuries were. We cautiously made our way towards LCpl Chris Lovett. I remember thinking, Maybe he’s broken his leg. I knelt down and leaned into Brian, he was trying to talk, saying, ‘Joe, Joe, fucking Joe.’ I couldn’t make out what he was saying, so trying to cheer him up, I said, ‘All right, Brian, give us a song’ [Brian was a big Dean Martin fan and had sung a lot on-board the SS Canberra]. Brian groaned, ‘Fuck off, Joe.’
Pte Kevin Darke, 23 yrs – Anti-Tank Platoon attached to A Company
Chris Lovett took a tobacco tin out of his smock which contained morphine Syrettes and administered one to Brian. Eventually we could see a Snowcat vehicle coming through the light of the Argentine flares. As it pulled up, LCpl Roy Bassey climbed out to help load Brian. He walked towards us and got within a couple of feet of us, when he stood on a mine blowing part of his foot off. I was hit in the hand by a small piece of shrapnel from the explosion. Cpl Black and Cpl Paul Roberts both received a load of debris in the face, temporarily blinding them. Roy Bassey was in severe pain with the injury to his foot, and Chris Lovett set about treating all of us.
Once everyone had been treated, we began to load Brian Milne, Roy Bassey and Paul Roberts into the vehicle, which was quite a difficult task. LCpl David [Titch] Bowdler, the BV driver, drove them directly to helicopter LS [1 kiometre west of Murrell Bridge]. Both Brian and Roy were beginning to feel the effects of the morphine. As the vehicle trundled away, Cpl Milne could be heard shouting, ‘Darky, you bastard, I’ve lost my leg!’ And Roy Bassey shouted, ‘Yeah, and I’ve lost my foot, you fucking good bloke!’
Pte Trevor Bradshaw
I remember hearing Lt Ian Moore on the radio – I think he was talking to Major Collett about the fact that we may be crossing the minefield and he was concerned about moving through it. The language being used by both was very forceful, and the reply was very blunt, saying, ‘Just fucking do it, now!’ I was then aware we were about to walk through a possible minefield.
Pte Stu Dover
I was quite close to Platoon HQ and could hear the whole conversation between Lt Moore and Major Collett, who just wanted us up on the hill as soon as possible. Having heard all this, I slid in behind the platoon signaller Pte Mick Newbold, carefully treading in the footprints he left in the frost-covered ground. Then I heard Sgt Gerry Carr’s voice behind me: ‘Get back in line, Dover – and watch where you’re walking, remember I’m behind you.’
6.3 ‘Someone better tell them it’s creeping the wrong fucking way!’
Brigade asks 3 PARA HQ to find out what is happening on Longdon:
07.25hrs (zt): from C/S 0 to C/S 9: ‘Send brief situation report for higher formation.’
07.25hrs (zt): from C/S 9 to C/S 0: ‘Roger: Call Sign 2 has sustained considerable casualties whilst taking its objective, Call Sign 1 will pass through and hopefully take Full Back by first light there is fierce resistance on the feature and it is difficult to pinpoint the exact location of the enemy amongst the rocks.’
07.25hrs (zt): from C/S 0 to C/S 9: ‘Passed to Brigade.’
CSM Alec Munro
As soon as we reached Mount Longdon I moved to where the B Company OC, Major Argue, was located. He was in the First Bowl with Major Collett, and they had just attended a briefing with the CO, Hew Pike. Major Collett then briefed me on what our task would be and what ammunition scales were required. I decided that I needed to get hold of my counterpart from B Company, CSM Johnny Weeks. Firstly, to get a handle on the situation that B Company had had to deal with, and secondly, to get hold of any surplus ammo for the next phase of the assault.
John Weeks was as stoical as ever. He gave me a quick rundown on the situation and the difficulties they had been confronted with. They’d had a hard time of it and it showed, but thankfully their efforts weren’t in vain and they had made our task easier. I mentioned that I would take any surplus ammo they could afford, particularly grenades, 66mm’s and belted link. Without hesitation, he immediately tasked Cpl Stewart McLaughlin to get round B Company and collect all the surplus ammo of the types we needed.
Cpl Louie Sturge
We began moving up towards the First Bowl. Bodies still lay all over the place. Wounded were being attended to, and the B Company walking wounded were making their way to the RAP. I remember seeing Cpl Laurie Bland speaking to Cpl Ned Kelly, who was in great pain and was being helped down to the RAP. We moved in single file. I exchanged a few words and smiles with friends in B Company, including Cpl Stewart McLaughlin, whom I had served with in D Company (Patrols). We paused for a short while, and then Lt Moore reappeared and called us forward into the First Bowl with the remnants of B Company’s 4 and 5 Platoons, who were now sitting resting. They all looked extremely tired and had a look of shock on their faces.
Pte Stu Dover
A lot of the lads from B Company had a strange look on their faces. They didn’t look like they usually looked, they looked somehow older, but they still offered us encouragement as we passed them. We moved slowly up into the bowl area; the ground was shaking as shells were slamming into the mountain. Pte Paul [Johno] Johnstone said to me that the shelling was getting worse. I told him it was okay, as it was ‘friendly’ fire, but his reply was that ‘It doesn’t sound very fucking friendly; it’s likely to get us fucking killed.’ I told him I’d heard it was a creeping barrage to provide us with cover as we moved forward. He said, ‘Well, someone better tell them it’s creeping the wrong fucking way!’ I watched as streams of incoming tracer hit a large rock, then ricocheted off in all directions like a firework display.
A Company seem to have taken various routes into the First Bowl: A Company HQ, guided by Sgt Mac French, skirt along the northern edge of Mount Longdon, till they reach the large rocky outcrop opposite the First Bowl; they then go directly into the First Bowl. 2 Platoon, Support Group and 3 Platoon, who are following Company HQ in a company snake, somehow become detached, 2 and 3 Platoons come through the RAP, then up along Route 3, but Support Group make their way up the western slope. 1 Platoon take a direct route, moving straight across from Wing Forward to the First Bowl.
Sgt Manny Manfred
As we neared the northern side of Longdon I could see some members of B Company withdrawing back down the sheep track towards us. I saw Cpl Graham Heaton turn and face east to give covering fire, when suddenly there was a burst of fire and he was shot in the legs. I went across to him and with the help of others we managed to drag him up the incline and into the First Bowl.
Cpl Mark Brown
We left Wing Forward and made our way straight across towards the First Bowl. As we approached, a member of B Company shouted, ‘There’s more Argies,’ and threw a white phosphorus grenade! I shouted, ‘Fuck off, it’s us, A Company!’ Fortunately, no one was injured. As we reached the area of the sheep track, I remember passing a Cobra missile which had been mounted just to the right of a prominent large lone rock. I moved past it and on to the sheep track and turned right and made my way towards the First Bowl.
Sgt Manny Manfred
After helping with Cpl Heaton I searched about in the darkness, trying to locate my platoon. I called out, ‘1 Platoon, 1 Platoon,’ and the voice of Pte Bob Taylor called back, ‘We’re over here, Sarge. Come over here with me, there’s a nice wee spot over here, get in here.’ I moved over by Bob and I noticed a terrible smell. I could hear people laughing, and I realized I was in a shit pit. I said, ‘Bob, this is a fucking shit pit!’ He replied, ‘Yeah, I know, what a bastard.’
Captain Willie McCracken now hands over to Major John Patrick RA:
07.50hrs (zt): from C/S 41B to C/S 29FDC: ‘41B going firm – C/S 79 going through to continue mission with C/S 1.’
Cpl Joe Black
It was approximately 08.00hrs (zt) and still pitch black. We would now have to get ourselves out of the minefield. We formed up in single file. My eyes were still quite sore, so Kev Darke would lead, Dex Allen, Chris Lovett and I would follow. Kev would drop his rifle in front of him, then walk forward whilst holding my hand. As we made our way back to the peat cutting we called out to Sgt George Duffus, ‘George, George, we’re coming back in.’ But when we got there they had all gone, so we followed the boot prints that A Company had left as they moved to Longdon.
Pte Len Baines – Signaller, Support Group
We began to move up the western slope. As I was moving up, a member of 3 PARA came running down and ran into me. My bayonet stuck in his leg quite deeply. I pulled it out, and he just laughed and continued on his way to wherever he was going. We moved up to an area just below Fly Half, where we met Cpl Tam Noble and he told us to wait there.
Pte Mark (Chuck) Berry , 21 yrs – 1 Platoon
We finally arrived in the First Bowl, and I remember hearing Cpl Terry McGlasson, the MFC with his unmistakable Glaswegian accent, giving fire-control orders. We waited to be called forward. I remember watching a group of Argentine prisoners who were crying and praying. There was a badly wounded Argentine moaning and groaning asking for his mama: he died after a short while, it was quite a distressing scene. The B Company lads looked absolutely shattered. The noise was tremendous, the mountain was vibrating. The amount of tracer was incredible.
Pte Jeremy (Jez) Dillon
It was pitch dark. I could hear the artillery FOO up in the rocks calling in fire missions. There were Argentine bodies lying about. I found a place to sit among the rocks, and I was thinking, What the fuck am I doing here? We sat there for maybe an hour listening to the noise of the incoming artillery, it was absolutely nerve-racking.
Pte Len Baines
I saw two bodies that were both covered over with ponchos, and I was told they were Dave Scott and Tony Greenwood. Then Tam Noble came over and told us we were going to move down into the First Bowl. He said, ‘When I say go, keep your head down and run as fast as you can down there,’ which I did.
CSM Alec Munro
After the ‘O’ Group I was asked by one of the Platoon Sergeants, ‘What about prisoners?’ I reminded him that it was a linear feature attack – the momentum had to be maintained. The enemy had to be kept on the back foot and rolled up. We didn’t want to give them any chance to reorganize, and in the back of my mind was that I had just spoken to CSM Johnny Weeks and he had told me, ‘Alec, tell your guys to watch out, there are Argies everywhere.’
The incident at Port San Carlos was still fresh in my mind, when two members of a Royal Marine helicopter crew were machine-gunned in the water, after their Gazelle had been shot down. I was the first to reach them. One of them died as I tried to cut through his immersion suit to treat his wounds. I also thought about the Lt Barry incident at Goose Green: he had been shot in the back under a white flag. This was an enemy who was not going to give up without a fight. I said, ‘If you see anyone with a weapon in his hand, shoot first, don’t even think about it, I don’t want any of our lads being shot in the back.’
Pte Len Baines
There were a lot of key people in the First Bowl, the CO’s group, B Company HQ, Major Pat Butler and A Company HQ. I thought that there were too many key personalities in one place. I decided to get a brew on, there were still dead bodies scattered about and I saw a prisoner wearing a white jumper lying face down on the floor; I think he may have been an Argy marine. I then overheard the CO, Hew Pike, telling Major Collett, ‘If this doesn’t work with A Company, I’m going to get the entire battalion together and we’re all going over,’ and I thought, Oh shit.
Pte Jeremy (Jez) Dillon
I remember watching Sgt Mac French, who was a great cross-country runner and very health conscious, but he was puffing away on a cigarette. He was just one of many of us who took to smoking that night.
Pte Mick Carr, 19 yrs – 3 Platoon
Someone said to me, ‘Mick, I’ve heard that your brother Jerry’s dead.’ I made my way across to 2 Platoon and I could hear my brother’s voice [Sgt Jerry Carr], he was giving orders to his platoon for the forthcoming attack. I shouted, ‘Jerry, are you okay? Someone told me you were dead!’ He shouted, ‘Fuck off, Mick, I’m giving battle orders!’
Sgt Manny Manfred
I met up with Sgt Jerry Carr and Sgt Jim McCallum, the other two A Company Sergeants. I said, ‘Jim, give me a fag.’ He went to give me a roll-up cigarette, and I said, ‘Jim, none of that shit, haven’t you got any proper smokes?’ He said, ‘Yeah, but I’ve only got four left.’ I shot back, ‘Well, Jim, this is the time to smoke them.’ And he said, ‘Yeah, fair enough, I see what you mean.’
At approximately 09.15hrs (zt), Captain Adrian Freer is tasked by Major Collett to take his two gun teams up to the lip of the First Bowl, facing down the eastern slope towards Full Back, and begin putting down suppressive fire.
Captain Adrian Freer
When I met up with David Collett it was apparent that B Company had come to a halt. They had done well but had taken heavy casualties. The CO, Hew Pike, tasked A Company to clear the remaining ridge line to the eastern end. My group would consist of WO2 Sammy Dougherty, Sgt Chris Phelan, Sgt George Duffus and the Anti-Tank section. We were to set up a firebase at the lip of the First Bowl. Our task was to cover A Company as they began their assault. I crawled out into a slight dip in the ground. We had a line of two gun teams, firing at targets of opportunity. 2 Platoon would move first, followed by 1 Platoon. We, along with the artillery, put down a great deal of fire to try and neutralize the enemy positions.
Cpl Graham Tolson
I remember seeing the CO, Hew Pike, with Major Collett in heated conversation. We had been here for about two hours. Some of the sections had been reorganized, the wounded from B Company were being treated, and I felt sure that the CO was bound to start the push forward soon. There was a ground fog beginning to form, which was a sure indication that it would soon be daybreak. The fog would give some cover for A Company and maybe it was the opportunity the CO had been waiting for. Sammy Dougherty gathered us together and said, ‘There’s not much time to explain, but in about half an hour or so A Company will be ordered to fix bayonets and will begin pushing forward.’ He said, shortly before A Company began their assault, ‘We’re going to position our guns on the lip of the bowl. Our task is to lay down covering fire for them.’ We were given thousands of rounds of belt ammunition for our guns. I distributed the ammunition between Pte Tony Bojko, Pte Pete Maddocks and myself. We were now weighted down with belt ammunition. We laughed, as we resembled a trio of Mexican bandits.
