THIS WEEK the Franks Report largeMargaret Thatcher's war, handling of STRe Falklands War. Such reached not just out the government, but such reports by asking wrong questions.
hose who want to ask - and answer - the rea questions about around they 2,000 people died in a pointless war al C well served by Penguin's decision to make available to wider audience 'A Message the nians Falklands'. The book is about the life, and death the Falklands war at 25, of a navy lieutenant David Tinker.
There was tack nothing exceptionable about David Tinker; he was political radical. Yet his letters, from the ters.
From a letter to Julian Salmon 6 May 1982 .. The picture that Nott and his cronies are giving is not true. The Argentinian air force has the latest attack aircraft and missiles, which we just do not have. We long for nights, when their aircraft cannot attack us, and at the moment we are rejoicing in a fog which is sheltering us. I wish the politicians would see sense and stop the war. What is happening here is barbaric and totally unnecessary...
This is what it is, a war for a flag ... I think that Maggie Thatcher sees herself as a Churchill, and as for Nott ... let him come down and lie on the deck with us while the air raids come in and the missiles go off. He would see what it is really like and soon change his tune.' From a letter to his parents 6 May 1982 *It must be a very worrying time for you with all this dreadful business going on. But we are all fine, and in good heart and have not been touched. We cannot really believe what is happening and we all hope for peace: as 1 am sure do the Argentinian soldiers. I only hope that pressure is brought to bear on the British Government by the UN, USA and the EEC to stop the war. It is British action that is causing the actual fighting: the Argentinians merely return like with like.
Government falls quickly on a vote of no confidence...
Socialist Challenge 21 January 1983 page 8 South Atlantic reveal an increasing disenchantment with the bitterness about the Tory politicians who sent peoDie co about the futility of His concern was TUSE THE servicemen.
to his father of the Argentinians. 'Despite the press and public say, are brave men who have to do their duty as we do' And: The pity for us is that there is no cause for this war; and to be honest the Argentiare more patriotic about the Malvinas than we are about the Falklands'.
David Tinker was killed in an Exocet aton HMS Glamorgan June 1982. Here we publish CAcerpts from his letcome flag.
I hope inat une British destroyer in the Falklands.
From a letter to his wife Christine 8 May 1982 I cannot believe that Britain, after the experience of the First World War, can be starting another; but this is what Thatcher and Nott are doing. I just hope that the UN, USA and EEC humanity to say: Stop fighting, and let's sort this out peacefully. It is, after all, only a rock with a village population on it.
From a letter to his father 22 May 1982 'Your marvellous long letter arrived today ... It was like a breath of fresh air coming into this totally mad world here. I am glad that you think that way about Mrs Thatcher and the war — as I have to think SHICC this business started. sometimes wonder if I am totally odd in that I utrly oppose all this killing that is going on over Vilfred Owen wrote when men make war on death for lives, not men tions trek from progress" still ... for flags", but it has been the reverse here - "naApart from the military fiasco the political side is even more disgraceful. Even if Britain does reconquer the Falklands we still have to talk to the Argentinians and come to some arrangement, so Falklanders island.
have the which was citizenship!... renders.. "There'll come a day craft. why not settle the war before it has devastated the However, if Britain is going to turn the Falklands into a garrison island (in direct contravention of the Antartic treaty?) it will show the complete hypocrisy of the British going -to leave the Salestea undefended and take away the islanders British *... A classicist on board also quoted an example of another dying power having a last fling. I only hope the Falklands do not become our Vietnam, but as long as this government is in power they will be ... Mrs Thatcher and our admiral (he more understandably) seem to have no compunc tion about casualities at all - the initial shock of Sheffield has worn off, and now they are accepted willingly — 20 yesterday in a helicopter, and 20 in Ardent. And they will not end until one side sur*. As we don't have any personal weapons there is no particular feeling that we are fighting. We are mostly a peaceful bunch who do not want to shoot anyone. The war just happens; we do shelling of shore positions and get attacked by air We dislike both, and the time that everyone is relaxed and happy is when we are legging it away from the action at 29 knots. FROM THE
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'A message from the Falklands' Penguin books £1.95