Falklands veterans on SF?

[MrSmith]

It's not though is it? If you claim service, then be prepared to back it up. My uncle was not a million miles away from where dogofwar claimed to have failed to kill an argentinian at point blank with his rifle then finish him off with a bayonett. He was Welsh guards and the other side of the hills to the south and never got up close and personal, indeed only d coy of 2 para did get to bayonet range so dogofwar is saying by his post he was part of that company and indeed to anyone in 2 para identifying himself pretty accurately if such a thing took place.

 

Bit of backup is all that is asked, as of yet he's failed to confirm even regiment.

 

The waltenkommando have been informed.

 

I will try again

 

Originally Posted by SiSiSi View Post

He has never actually confirmed that he was with that particular company, so I'm a tad suspicious. Can Mr DogOfWar confirm this please?

 

There have been a couple of other posters on SF in the last few months who claimed to have served in the Falklands. Neither of them have posted on this thread. I don't remember their names.

Me It doesn’t surprise me that they wouldn’t want to post on this thread; I will just remember the lads that died on HMS Sheffield and all the other casualties.

 

I’m sorry I didn’t make myself clear I was responding to the part of SiSiSi post that I made bold.

[Dog of war]

Walter Mitty.

 

Its pointless trying to relate ones past adventures on an open forum. As the instant reaction is as quoted. While we do get the odd fantasist, we have tens of thousands of veterans who are insulted the moment they share anything of there past. I was stupid to do it, and regret sharing it. What happens to ex soldiers in real life is much the same. This serves to isolate them, not all but to many, hence the suicide rate. For any soldiers out there, remember the fact that you know what you did, and in the end thats all that matters. It does not matter if you served 60 years ago or are serving now. Rain is wet, packs are heavy, bullets and arty kill, Stag on.

[Bassman62]

so what. The chances of somebody committing suicide are quite high anyway. It's not an especially unusual cause of death.

 

why would anybody be surprised that out of the thousands deployed in 1982 that after almost thirty years, more people have killed themselves since that time than were killed in the three months of the war itself?

A three month war that the actual ground combat lasted days and they're suffering PTS.

My late Father in law served all through WWII in both North Africa & Italy, his Father served all through WWI, both like the vast majority of ex-servicemen came home and continued with their lives right through to old age.

 

It is the Auto Suggestion of PTS by the dreaded councilors who're always lurking in the shadows that most give in to.

[Bassman62]

Killed by friendly fire is a fact in any war unfortunately

Even on exercsises injuries and fatalities are as you say a fact of life.

[Halibut]

It is the Auto Suggestion of PTS by the dreaded councilors who're always lurking in the shadows that most give in to.

 

That's very disrespectful to a lot of brave ex-servicemen.

[Bassman62]

That's very disrespectful to a lot of brave ex-servicemen.

Utter rubbish as usual, to the veterans of Monte Casino it was one more long battle in a very long war, they'd had long battles before and after.

How would the WWII/I have continued with men dropping out left right and centre after a few days of combat, the Falklands war was a very short campaign compared to most yet more apparently suffer PTS compared to those who served in real wars.

A compny of my regiment spent 6 weeks in continuous action in Aden yet none suffered PTS.

I'm not decrying the bravery of the veterans at all.

[MrFloppy]

Utter rubbish as usual, to the veterans of Monte Casino it was one more long battle in a very long war, they'd had long battles before and after.

How would the WWII/I have continued with men dropping out left right and centre after a few days of combat, the Falklands war was a very short campaign compared to most yet more apparently suffer PTS compared to those who served in real wars.

A compny of my regiment spent 6 weeks in continuous action in Aden yet none suffered PTS.

 

I bet it was real enough to those who lost a loved one or friend.

[Bassman62]

I bet it was real enough to those who lost a loved one or friend.

I fully agree with you but don't you think that it is strange how so many suffer PTS after a very short stint in action compared to previous times.

Could it be that the combat is too short for the mind to aclimatise.

[donkey]

A three month war that the actual ground combat lasted days and they're suffering PTS.

My late Father in law served all through WWII in both North Africa & Italy, his Father served all through WWI, both like the vast majority of ex-servicemen came home and continued with their lives right through to old age.

 

Your argument comes from the same school of logic as "I know cars are red because I saw a car and it was red."

 

If the fact that many combat veterans have lived through to old age is proof that no combat veterans suffered psychological damage, then by the same logic it must also prove that none of them got killed in battle. How could they if they lived through to old age?

 

There was very little research into the long term psychological effects of combat until relatively recently. That is why there are few recorded cases of PTS from WW1 and WW2, when they nonetheless recognised the symptoms of trauma, which were refered to as 'shell shock' or 'battle fatigue.'

 

Seeing people you know (or even ones you don't) being mutilated and killed must surely invoke horror in most people, and the strong possibilty that you yourself may shortly be maimed or killed would cause extreme fear in most people.

 

It is prooved beyond doubt that most people suffer permanent psychological damage through exposure to extreme fear and horror.

[MrSmith]

I fully agree with you but don't you think that it is strange how so many suffer PTS after a very short stint in action compared to previous times.

Could it be that the combat is too short for the mind to aclimatise.

 

In the wars it was known as shell shock, I don't think there is a specific length of time required to develop it.