I remember Lt Andrews when I was a trainee in Cunningham 39 starting on 21 September 1981. I think firm but fair could sum him up. Later in February 1983 I joined HMS Raleigh as part of my continuation training in the Writers branch. One day he came into the Captain's Office looking for a file. He asked me if a particular file was available. I think the file was out (it was a long time ago...), he then said "thank you scribes" (all Writers were and still are called this). He was a true gentleman only the best would do. I will remember him.
I had RFs relief in my classroom the next week and a handful of photographs for him to see that had been sent me from elsewhere in the naval network. Needless to say it was a sobering lesson, and he was clearly not joining D91 any time soon.
Those were the old days of sail and 'beat to quarters' as it suggests was played out by a drummer. War Ships have electricity these days with electric Tanoy and Klaxons, it's much more efficient.
When the guy took out two F-15s fox 2s and two f-5 Aggressor in a 1v 4 and the aggressor guys told the f-15c guys to take it on the chin and learn from the experience. He was 23-1 against f-15s his squad was 3-1 v f-15s. Have some respect.
It all boils down to two men, same human condition, the only thing separating them at the time was the craze of a few demented people high in power. Let us not forget our fallen and keep a strict and steady watch on the devils that send innocent our people to the meat grinder that war is. Rest in peace to ALL the fallen in the Falklands/Malvinas.
Franz Stingler will always be a true gentleman of great moral integrity. Nigel Ward... in the MALVINAS on Avatir, an unarmed and seriously injured C130 with all its crew, will be his honorless legacy forever.
Really enjoyed this. Only thing that made me uncomfortable was him saying he felt nothing when he shot that Hercules down. Harsh brutality of war I guess.
I was one of the laborers responsible for the hazardous oily clean up before the SINKEX. USS Boone was docked at the Philadelphia shipyard. The Navy couldn't sink it and was returned back to Philadelphia shipyard. I was allowed to go in to see the damages. It was an awesome experience.
Not much dispute that the RN training given to the ratings, along with their stoic characters, saved the day. From a navigational perspective though several of the officers, including the captain in particular, let everyone down and put the whole crew in grave danger. From his commentary it sounds like he was planning on the hoof, rather than coming up with a comprehensive plan to safely manage the ship's stay there. Wolf rock is clearly marked on the chart, south of Mutton Bird island so the captain could have held a brief meeting with his navigational officers before going ashore and clarified some exclusion areas. It sounds from the commentary as if the captain had a very weak knowledge of where the danger areas were around the island, as he relates a couple of calls to the harbourmaster for information which might reasonably have been expected to have been in RN sailing directions. Ultimately he was reprimanded and several members of the crew were commended, so it appears the navy could see what had happened. When you're in charge of a warship you might be expected to lose it to enemy action, but not during navigation when on a visit.
RN damage control school is very hardcore. That's the only reason they didn't lose the ship. It's funny that, by the standards of that day, the computers were vastly out of date. But they were still essential to that ship. Generally this would be career ending in many navies. Commodore Farrington's career lived to fight another day.
He was at Collingwood when I was there in 85. He used to ride around on an old Raleigh Shopper and still demanded a salute, no matter what the distance!
I was a member of the first (and last) Royal Marines Detachment on HMS Kent, D12, and the LtAndrews, MG was held in high regard by us throughout our draft onboard. We probably got away with things that a member of the RN Ship’s Company wouldn’t of, a drunk Marine waltzing Lt Andrews (duty Officer) down the deck and getting a chuckle rather than a ‘new-one’ ripped, but lasting memory is when in A Turret hearing his famous “45’s, Engage”.
I was a Flunky at Cambridge 87/88 Spent many a conversation with him. Lasting impression on me.very few command respect like him. I heard he has passed over now. Does what it says on the tin 🔥🔥
I remember him in late 80 tearing our class leader apart for shouting “Shut up” at the squad. Apparently the correct order is “ silence”. Terrifying and he wasn’t even aiming at me.
This is an amazing moment for two former combatants who are now friends, I’ve seen a good few of these videos of Argentine and British military personnel meeting now as friends. Bless them all they show true courage and humanity.
I think that being able to hug the one who was your adversary in battle allows you to close a cycle to which they were subjected for decades and where that combat is repeated over and over again without ever ending... and to end the internal battle.
I was a plankowner. My home and family 1982-84. ASW Officer - great crew - STGC Hammer, STG1 Penick, STG2 Hedspeth and all the rest whose names escape me just now. We took the "A" first time up.
Anyone who wants some balance to the Sharkey Ward criticism - well worth listening to Ian Mortimer (An RAF pilot no-less) who was pretty much a junior pilot to Sharkey in the very early days of the Sea Harrier. He rates sharkey so I think their is a lot of nuance. Sharkey got results - war is brutal - brutal personalities tend to do well.
