Three Days in June, page 6
Charlie loaded another round; we moved slightly to the right and popped up again and fired. It hit the bunker smack on, but did not explode – it went straight through and out the other side. The following day, I checked the bunker and found that the round had gone through the wall of the bunker and had exited through the doorway.
I heard shouting from 5 Platoon, who had by now battled their way up the feature. I am sure it was Cpl Skidmore I was shouting to. He shouted back that they thought they could see a sniper and to get our heads down as they were going to fire at him, but when they opened fire it fell into our area, and I was shouting, ‘Fuckin’ stop firing; it’s us!’
The time is now approximately 02.30hrs (zt). Elements of 5 Platoon are on the western slope and have set up a small firebase on Fly Half with a couple of GPMGs in the light role plus a number of riflemen; they are returning fire.
B Company HQ have also arrived on the western slope: HQ Group included: Major Mike Argue; Captain Adrian Logan; CSM Johnny Weeks; Sgt Johnny Pettinger (D Coy guide); Sgt Des Fuller; Cpl Scotty Wilson (9 Sqn); Pte Duncan Daly (radio operator); Pte Martyn Clarkson-Kearsley; Pte Clifton Lewis; Pte Mark Harding (radio operator); Pte Mick O’Brien; Pte Dave Mellors; Pte Dickie Absolon (D Coy sniper) and others.
Lt Jonathan Shaw
I sent a message to Major Argue saying, ‘We cannot go forward, and we cannot pull back. I will hold the position at the top of the hill, sort out my casualties and go firm here.’ I then sent some members of 6 Platoon to look for anything that we could use to keep the wounded warm.
Pte Steve Richards
I was still with Mark Dodsworth when someone told me to go and find B Company HQ and locate a medic. I remember seeing CSM John Weeks and Major Argue. I told him we needed a medic, but he said they had all been deployed. I began to make my way back when Jerry Phillips appeared with an Argentine prisoner. He asked me to give him a hand as he was on his own and had found a group of Argentines. We made our way down the western slope, along with Gareth Lewis and a bloke from the Pay Corps [Cpl Victor MacDonald Evans].
Just over halfway down the slope, Jerry shouted, ‘Stop!’ He knelt down and opened fire. I followed his lead and we manoeuvred towards what I thought were rocky features but were actually bunkers. We made our way to the entrance of one and stood either side. I flipped open my pouch and pulled out two grenades. We both pulled the pins out, threw the grenades into the bunker and waited until the grenades exploded. Then Jerry stormed into the bunker. He must have only been in for a few seconds, but it seemed like ages. He came back out and shouted, ‘Clear!’
Further down the hill, we came across another bunker. Again, we grenaded it, but this time Jerry rushed in too quickly and caught some of the back blast. It threw him backwards. I could swear he was chuckling to himself. We worked our way further down and could hear shouting in Spanish from our right and behind. We saw an Argentinian coming out of a bunker with his hands in the air; he seemed to be unarmed, so we ran towards him and dragged him to the ground. I sat astride the Argentinian, as I tried to search him. He started to panic and was thrusting his hands up at me, trying to give me his rosary beads or pray. I couldn’t carry out a search while he was doing this, so I punched him in the face to subdue him, and he went silent. He seemed to now accept his fate.
We moved on to another bunker and our first Argentine prisoner began talking down into it. We heard a group discussion coming from in the ground. I only had one grenade left, and there were boxes of mortar ammunition stacked around us, so I couldn’t toss it in. They didn’t want to come out. A few were poked with bayonets. Jerry grabbed a few and shouted, ‘Come on, you cunts, get out.’ Some of the Argentines took offence. Punches were thrown and shots were fired. It all went a bit chaotic for a moment. Order was restored and we now had about five or six of them.
We came across a couple of tents and again our Argentine prisoner shouted over to them. They crawled out and put their hands up. By now we had about 15 prisoners. Someone spotted an Argentine hiding in a trench. He was quickly dragged out and pushed to the floor. A couple of the Toms frisked him and told him to roll over so they could search him from behind. One of the Toms found a pistol stuck down the back of the prisoner’s trousers and said to Jerry, ‘Look what this fucker’s got, the cheeky bastard!’
Eventually, Jerry and our motley crew lined the prisoners up. We took them to the RAP area and left them with some members of HQ Company. We then went back up to Fly Half. Some members of Support Company had now begun to arrive. They were setting up a Milan post and SF machine guns.
Pte Gareth Lewis
At some stage we began clearing bunkers on the western slope. We went to one bunker and shouted for them to come out. One Argentine came out, and said there was someone else in there. We told his friend, ‘Tell him to come out. We’re not going to fuck about here, we’re going to throw a grenade in.’ He still wouldn’t come out, so we threw a grenade. There was an explosion, loads of dust and shit flew out of the bunker. We moved on to the next.
Lt Jonathan Shaw
I started wondering where the men were that I had sent for blankets. Eventually they turned up and I said, ‘You took your time, where’ve you been?’ They said, ‘Well, Sir, there’s loads of the enemy down there. We’ve been rounding them up.’ It was then that I began to realize that we had missed a load of bunkers on our way up the mountain.
Cpl Jimmy Morham
I remember thinking about the bunkers the next morning. How the fuck did we miss them?
On the southern side of the eastern slope Pte Morgan Slade, Pte Bryn Cowley and Pte Phil Simpson are still pinned down by Argentine fire.
Pte Phil Simpson
We could hear Argentine voices behind us. Bryn Cowley said, ‘Shall we try moving backwards and getting back around the southern side?’ ‘Are you fucking stupid?’ I said. ‘There’s fucking Argies everywhere!’
Pte Morgan Slade
At one stage I saw five or six Argentines running out of the Second Bowl, across the eastern slope and down the southern side of Mount Longdon. We didn’t open fire as they were running away and had their backs to us. This was a time when I thought, What the fuck am I doing here? I decided to eat some of my rock-hard AB biscuits [Army Biscuits, or as we called them, Airborne Biscuits] since there was not much else we could do. A constant stream of automatic fire was aimed at us, the rounds just clearing the ridge above our heads. As I sat watching the tracer fading out into the distance, it looked like something out of Star Wars.
Pte Phil Simpson
We were stuck. I am not sure how long we were there, when I said, ‘We can’t just lie here; we have to try to make a run for it.’ Just as we broke cover an Argentine flare went up. We ran as fast as we could up to Fly Half shouting, ‘1 Section coming in.’
Pte Morgan Slade
We braced ourselves, then began to sprint over the rocky ground up to Fly Half. A Schermuly [illumination rocket] went up, which may have dazzled the Argentines. Luckily the three of us made it back safely and met up with 6 Platoon HQ. Lt Jon Shaw asked, ‘Where’s the rest of 1 Section?’ and I replied, ‘Sir, this is it! We are 1 Section.’
Pte Phil Simpson
The first person I met was Cpl Trev Wilson, who said, ‘Dave Scott and Tony Greenwood have been killed.’ I was gutted. They were from the MT Platoon and, like me, were only attached to 6 Platoon. As I bent down to tie my boot lace, there was a terrific explosion and I was blown off my feet. I was shaken up, and my head was ringing for about 15 minutes. I remember hearing Captain Willie McCracken [Naval Gunfire Forward Observer Officer] giving fire-control orders, and I remember seeing the CO and Tac HQ turning up. They walked across Fly Half like there wasn’t a problem. I thought, What the fuck are you doing?
Major Dennison and CSM Thor Caithness arrive, bringing the main foot element of Support Company. Sgt Chris Howard, Sgt Graham Colbeck, and Cpl Bert Oliver from the Anti-Tanks are setting up a Milan post. Cpl Peter Thompson and LCpl Mark Rawlings are on Fly Half firing their SF machine gun. Shortly after Support Company arrived the CO’s Tactical HQ turn up, including the Commanding Officer Hew Pike; RSM Lawrie Ashbridge; Captain Kevin McGimpsey, Adjutant; Acting Captain Giles Orpen-Smellie, the Intelligence Officer; CO’s bodyguard Sgt Ray Butters, Major John Patrick, RA Battery Commander; Cpl John Sibley, medic, LCpl Daryle Bunkle, radio operator; LCpl Alan (Jock) Begg, CO’s radio operator; Tac HQ’s protection team of Captain Matthew Selfridge, CSM Ernie Rustill and LCpl Stephen (Benny) Bentall, plus others.
Pte Morgan Slade
I saw Lt Col Hew Pike and someone else walk calmly by my position, as though nothing was happening. I thought, Perhaps I should tell them that there was enemy out there, but they were moving too quickly and had disappeared into the darkness.
Pte Charlie Hardwick
I saw movement to my front. I wasn’t sure whether they were Argentines or not, but as they got closer I could hear English voices. ‘You stupid bastards,’ I shouted out, ‘get your fucking heads down!’ It turned out to be the CO, Hew Pike, who had gone forward to see what the hold-up was. Fucking hell, I thought. Good job I never shot him.
Pte Julian (Baz) Barrett
The CO arrived in front of Fly Half, out in the open. Although the battle had lulled to a degree, it still wasn’t a safe place to be. He asked if I had seen Major Argue. I said, ‘Sir, get down, there are snipers out there, everyone here has been shot.’ In quite strong terms he told me to mind my own business. The CO was more concerned with the whereabouts of Major Argue and the momentum of the attack.
Cpl Jerry Phillips
We started to treat and evacuate our wounded. A few of us went to carry Mark Dodsworth, but he was too heavy. I shouted to Harry Gannon and a few others to give me a hand. We picked him up and took him to an aid post that had by now been established just behind some rocks, near the top of the western slope. One of the medics with Tac HQ, Cpl John Sibley, took him off us. Later, this area would be where the CO and Major Argue planned their next move.
Pte Julian (Baz) Barrett
Fly Half was turning into a strong fire position, with Support Company adding weight to the firefight. The Anti-Tank and Machine Gun Platoon detachments, along with others, congregated up there to put as much firepower down as possible. The Argentines consistently replied with their own firepower display just as intense as ours, with many of the rounds falling in and around my area. I was totally pissed off by this and blamed our blokes for annoying them. This wasn’t received too well. I was told to shut up.
Cpl Jimmy Morham
The Machine Guns arrived and one detachment began setting up. I warned them that we had casualties out to the front and to be careful. We had just fired our last 84mm round when Captain Matt Selfridge came crawling down and said, ‘What’s happening?’ He gave me a 66mm and then crawled back to update the CO. Shortly after, I decided to use the 66mm. I noticed someone passing on my right side going forward. I shouted, ‘Fucking get back!’ It turned out to be the CO and Tac HQ coming to see what the hold-up was. He was then on the forward edge of the battle. They quickly took our advice and pulled back. Shortly after this, two Milan missile rounds were fired over the top of us.
Pte Kevin Eaton
Sgt Chris Howard shouted to throw our grenades into the First Bowl, as we could hear Spanish voices. Even though Mushrooms was severely wounded, he managed to pass across his L2 grenades. I said to Simon Clark, ‘Make sure these clear the rocks or we’re fucked.’ It was quite a difficult thing to do while lying down. We took turns throwing about eight grenades. There wasn’t much else we could do, as all the time we were being sniped at.
Pte Charlie Hardwick
My leg had strayed out from behind my piece of cover and almost immediately a shot rang out, only just missing me. Eventually the incoming fire began to lessen. I noticed some of 6 Platoon [Steve Richards, Dave Roe and RSM Lawrie Ashbridge] moving with one of the wounded blokes [Mark Dodsworth]. They were struggling a bit, so I went over to help. During the move to the RAP, I somehow lost my weapon. Once we had left him with the medics, I immediately went back up the mountain, but without a weapon, which left me a little concerned.
Support Company informs the CO that they now have located four of 6 Platoon’s wounded: LCpl Steve Wright, Pte Mark Dodsworth, Pte Stuart Grey and Pte Dennis Dunn:
03.20hrs (zt): from C/S 59 to C/S 9: ‘Four casualties taken by call sign 59 stretcher party.’
Pte Stuart Grey
We were absolutely freezing and were discussing whether we should try to make a run for it. I decided that I would try first. I picked myself up and began to run slowly uphill. A burst of machine-gun fire fell just to my left and I dropped to the floor, waited for a moment before running into the cover of the rocks on Fly Half. As I moved down onto the western slope I came across the Battalion Tac HQ. One of them asked if I was okay. By now I was physically and mentally exhausted. I made my way down to the RAP where I was checked over by Dr John Burgess. Shortly after I arrived Den Dunn and Steve Wright came into the aid post and were treated by Sgt Steve Bradley and Pte John Kennedy. Alongside us in the RAP was Mark Dodsworth, who was unconscious.
LCpl Steve Wright
I decided to make a run back up to Fly Half. I took a few steps and fell over; I picked myself up and staggered up to safety. I was met by John Sibley, who put a shell dressing on my injury over the top of my smock and then put my lower arm inside the smock for support. He gave me a cigarette even though I don’t smoke. I smoked it, and then someone led me down the western slope into the Regimental Aid Post area.
The CO has still not located Major Argue:
03.30hrs (zt): from C/S 9 to C/S 29: ‘Can you assess the situation?’
Major Argue replies to the CO:
03.30hrs (zt): from C/S 29 to C/S 9: ‘Roger, I am now with call sign 2/3 [6 Platoon]. There are a few well-sited automatic weapons but believe little resistance left. Do not think it necessary for call sign 3 [C Coy] to pass through us yet. We will keep knocking the enemy bit by bit.
Lt Jonathan Shaw
Then we received a message over the company radio net telling us to stop firing as we were endangering 5 Platoon.
Cpl Stewart McLaughlin’s 2 Section are now the forward element of the battalion and are occupying the Second Bowl. They are trying to take out .50 Calibre Machine Gun No. 3, commanded by Cpl Domingo Lamas and manned by Marine Infantrymen Anselmo Franco, Diego Iriarte, Pedro Miranda and Jorge Arturo plus members of the 7th Infantry Regiment. The Argentines in this area are stubbornly holding on to their position under the most extreme artillery bombardments.
1.4 ‘The shit simply dropped out of the sky through the darkness’
The time is now approximately 04.00hrs (zt).
Lt Jonathan Shaw
I received another message from Major Argue saying, ‘We are going to call in artillery fire, forward of your location.’ I then informed Pte Eaton and Pte Clark to keep their heads down. When the rounds came in, they landed extremely short. There was an enormous explosion. It was like being in a tube station during a train crash. Luckily, no one was hurt, and thankfully, they adjusted their fire. However, it was very scary indeed.
Pte Kevin Eaton
By now, the three of us had lost quite a bit of blood. Mushrooms had slipped into unconsciousness. We received a message from Trev Wilson saying that we would probably have to wait until first light, about six hours away. We were not happy. However, we fully understood the gravity of the situation we faced. The effect of the cold cannot be overplayed. I truly thought we would freeze to death. Then the shelling started.
Pte Julian (Baz) Barrett
The artillery fire was like some sort of macabre Russian roulette game. We had our FOO, Captain McCracken, bringing it in extremely close – so close that at times I thought he might be an Argentine double agent! It was horrendous. You could hear it coming from miles away, through the local sounds of battle. When they hit the rocks they sent shrapnel everywhere, ricocheting and echoing with extraordinary violence. When they hit the boggy areas I’d get showered in mud and stone. The shit simply dropped out of the sky through the darkness. The percussion of these big rounds only added to my sense of total hopelessness.
Pte Simon Clark
The rounds landed down by the Full Back position at first, then began creeping back towards Fly Half. They were getting louder and louder. I said to Kev, ‘Another 50 to 100 metres and they’re going to kill us.’ It seemed only a matter of time until it would be all over for us. But, thankfully, they stopped just short.
