My Personal War Souvenirs

[Walkwolf]

Paratrooper, nice personal souvenirs you have. I escpecially like those machettes.

I was just a youngish 20-something buck myself when this war took place,
but I can remember reading about it in the newspapers up here.
Particularly, a story of a fellow who was picked up in a helo
piloted by HRH Prince Andrew.

[davejb]

Hi JIM my Brother in law is Charlie Simmons, served in NI, Belize and some other places before the Falklands, as it happens i met up with Hockley in Frimley whilst on a instructors course for the ACF spoke about that time and he remembers Charlie very well, stated that he could cook up a curry from almost anything, strange that he was 3 para and seconded to 2, ill have to ask him, see if ive got me facts right, let you know

[Paratrooper]

Hello Gral San Martin,
Been a while regarding this post. Another Argentinan who is interested in the units that fought in 82 has Identified the owner(Former Owner) of the Parachute Wings Arnoldo Loboggio!
He was in the 12th Infantry Regt who had an Airborne Coy who was detached to Goose Green which is when we " Bumped into them" it is a very small world out there.
I would like to find out if he is still alive.
Regards

Jim

[HARRY THE MOLE]

[QUOTE=Paratrooper;223974]Gent's thanks for the kind comments,

Hi Jim,

It's nice to see you have made contact with some of your former enemies - and even this forum seems to have helped too! I tried to make contact with former members of PIRA, but they seemed less inclined to do that kind of thing. But then again, my enemy were terrorists. Soldiers have more in common with each other, and do tend to get on well once the fighting is over.

Cheers,
Steve.

[Paratrooper]

Hello Steve,
I spent I week and 1 day short of 6 years over the water missing a bar to my Accumulated Service medal.
I personally would not give the Provos the time of day as I do not look at them in the same way as I looked at the Argies.
Regards
Jim

[HARRY THE MOLE]

Hello Steve,
I spent I week and 1 day short of 6 years over the water missing a bar to my Accumulated Service medal.
I personally would not give the Provos the time of day as I do not look at them in the same way as I looked at the Argies.
Regards
Jim

Hi Jim,
I do agree with what you say about the Provo's. Last Friday, I was relieved from my poppy-selling here in Warrington by an elderly couple who were going to do their two hour stint. The old gentleman was wearing his WW2 medals. But on his right breast was a NI GSM. I then noticed his wife was wearing the Elizabeth cross. Their 19 year-old son was left behind on a patrol at the Divis Flats in 1973. Some women went to the base and warned the soldiers what had happened. But by the time the patrol returned it was too late. The 19 year old Pte from the QLR's was cornered in a garage. They shot him in the left shoulder. And when he fell to the floor, they shot him again in the back of the head. He was crying for his mother when they finished him off.

When you are writing a book, you have to get both sides of the story to give it credibility. That is what I tried to do in my second book. I contacted the Andersonstown community project. They didn't give a reply. I contacted a known member of the 1st Battalion PIRA, and they didn't want to know either. Only one woman came forward and was prepared to talk. I have tried my best to give a balanced account of our tour in 71/72, but I feel without their side of the story it lacks something. Trying to contact them left a bitter taste in my mouth. But sometimes, no matter how repugnant to you it may be, you have to do it for the sake of history.

Cheers,
Steve.

[pitfighter]

One of the best threads in a while, thank you, Paratrooper!

Great pics, and a great perspective on the Falklands, too.

Thanks,


Pit.
PS. Loved your book, Harry the Mole - looking forward to the follow up.

[DrPMC]

The Argentine army has never been tested against an Army like the Uk. It was trained to US standards and an assumption was made that we fight like the US.......WRONG!

Hello Jim,

I enjoyed reading your posts about the Falklands. I was still at school at the time and a cadet - I remember following the progress of the war very closely. Anyway... I was interested in your comment about the differences between the British and US ways of fighting and wondered if you would explain what you mean?

Regards, Philip

[ezev8]

hello jim I wonder if you have your sword is engraved with the name of the Argentine officer ?

and if you can put more pictures of sword ?

Regards, Ezequiel from Buenos aires Argentine.

[Reibert]

Hello friends,
Interesting thread that I just found while doing some research today.

Some time ago I posted the following about the Argentine machete M1909 in a German-speaking militaria forum.

In an English-speaking forum, a colleague wrote to me:


"Yes i have a book some where showing a photo of an Argentine soldier wearing one in the Falklands,I will try and find it"

(I am attaching this photo to this post).


In the same post there, another colleague from England wrote to me:

"A couple of years ago at a militaria fair someone had one of those Argentine machetes for sale and when I stopped to ask the chap about it he told me that he "obtained" it in the Falkland Islands while he was serving there during the Falklands war with the British army. I didn't buy it but I was interested in his story and somewhat surprised that the Argentine army was using such an antiquated machete even if of lovely quality as late as the 1980's."

Best regards,
R.