With the Falklands Conflict starting 40 years ago this month, our April ceremony focussed entirely on that conflict.
We remembered a very sad event where three civilian Falkland Islanders were accidentally killed by British Forces in a friendly fire incident. The three women were killed by British shelling during the night of 11/12 June. Those killed were Susan Whitley, aged 30, and a British citizen, and Falkland Islands natives Doreen Bonner, aged 36 and Mary Goodwin, aged 82.
Our poem was PTSD by Tony McNally. Tony was 19 in 1982 when he went to the Falkland Islands as a member of the Royal Artillery. It was his experience of war, and in particular seeing the devastation of the Sir Galahad attack that sadly enabled Tony to write such a poem. It was read out by a member of the public, and is written here, all rights acknowledged.
PTSD
I’m happy and sad
Compassionate and bad
Can’t sleep at night
Can’t do anything right
I wanna be alone
But not on my own
I’m in love but I hate
I’m a burden on the state
I’m possessed by the war
I killed what for?
I see shrinks
I see docs
Remember my arctic socks
I’m disloyal cause I’m ill
Is it right to kill?
I can hide in a crowd
My face a grey shroud
I cry for no reason
My country shouts treason
All the pills and the booze
Make bad memories ooze
I was 19 in June
Under a bright crystal moon
I died that day
But I’m still here to say
For the brave and the free.
My award – PTSD.
Our Standard Bearer was Alan Lopez, and our Senior Standard Bearer paraded the Union Flag. Mrs Ruth Moore sounded the Last Post.
Thank you to Tony McNally for the poem, and Kevin Barker for the photographs.
Brookwood Last Post 