The Falklands War - There and Back Again: The Story of Naval Party 8901

摘要

This book, written by Mike Norman in collaboration with the military historian Michael Jones, is so much more than just another about the Falklands War. Mike commanded the small Royal Marines garrison on the Falkland Islands (Naval Party 8901), whose gallant but hopelessly outnumbered battle against the Argentine invasion force on 2 April 1982 set the scene for all that was to follow.The story of that battle, in the face of overwhelming odds but little known in detail until now, and of NP8901's subsequent return to the islands as J Company of 42 Commando, is brought to life by a combination of Mike's own first-hand recollections, the testimony of several of the marines under his command and of others, reinforced by recently released government archives.All of which results in a thoroughly readable book that will appeal to all with an interest in the Falklands War, including those of us who were actually there and who, although already knowing the story overall, have not until now been privy to the detail of this part of it.The isolated NP 8901's task was to defend the Governor, Rex Hunt, and prevent his immediate capture, and thanks to this book we now know that they were fully prepared to die doing it. In the course of a fierce three-and-a-half hour battle that became centred on Government House, just 79 men (and only that many because the detachment, there for 12 months at a time, had been in the process of changing over on the very eve of the invasion) held off an Argentine force comprising Special Forces and regular marines supported by armoured vehicles, artillery and helicopters. Against initial odds of over 25:1 but having killed and wounded many at no loss to themselves, their battle only ended when the Governor ordered them to lay down their arms to prevent unnecessary further bloodshed, the resistance, to the Argentines' surprise and chagrin, having proved more than token.Their subsequent propaganda lie that the invasion had met no resistance and that they had had no desire to inflict casualties was, initially and disgracefully, fully accepted by the British press and the politician Enoch Powell and not disproven until the Governor and NP8901 were repatriated. More than motivated by this slur, NP8901, still under Mike's command, duly returned to the Falklands as the main body of the newly-formed J Company of 42 Commando, not only then seeing the whole war through at the sharp end but also culminating, symbolically and rightly, in their re-raising the Falklands flag at Government House immediately after the Argentine surrender and disarming the thousands who had themselves become prisoners-of-war. Justice indeed, soured only by the rank injustice, despite Mike's own best efforts, of the lack of formal recognition of NP8901's achievement 10 weeks earlier.T'was ever thus, but this book sets the record straight - and rightly so. To call it a dramatic account of leadership, steadfastness and courage in the face of adversity is an understatement. Buy it - it's a cracker.