Letters from the Falklands War – a dedication to the Royal Navy medics

By Alex Bowden, son of Chief Medical Technician (N), Murray Bowden


It was on a sunny Friday lunchtime on the 2nd April 1982 in Gosport that my dad, Murray Bowden, was told to prepare for war. Argentinian forces had invaded the Falkland Islands, known in Spanish as Las Islas Malvinas. That same day, my mum, Ann Bowden, had been enjoying her final day as a naval nurse (QARNNs), blissfully unaware of the news. When she returned home at 5pm she was shocked to hear that her husband had been ordered to travel to Plymouth that evening. Not wanting to call off Ann’s leaving do, Murray and Ann were able to spend a few more precious hours together, however the celebration was bittersweet. After an hour or two Murray and Ann kissed each other goodbye and Murray left to join his medical team.

Murray, a senior nurse in the navy with the rank of Chief Medical Technician (CMT(N)), joined the rest of No.1 Surgical Support Team (SST1) from the Royal Naval Hospital (RNH) Haslar and they travelled to RNH Stonehouse in Plymouth to await instructions about how the team would get to the Falklands. Two days later Murray and his team were ordered to return to Gosport again where they would cross Portsmouth Harbour to join the task-force flagship, the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes in Portsmouth. Luckily, my parents were able to see each other for just one more hour before they said goodbye once again and Murray boarded Hermes. The next morning the task force sailed. Unfortunately, Ann was unable to see Murray off as she started her midwifery training that same morning. They wouldn’t see each other again for the longest three and a half months of their lives. 

Image: Initial deployment order. ‘Personnel are to be prepared for extended stay’. ©A.Bowden

The task force, consisting of a colossal 127 ships, set off for the South Atlantic on May 5. Great Britain was flexing her dormant muscles. It was the largest naval fleet to set sail since the end of World War II. Despite the vast number of vessels sent, which represented huge military power, the majority of servicemen and women, and their families back home, felt almost convinced that the whole operation would be called off as a result of diplomatic negotiation. 

Much of this short essay is based upon the letters sent between my parents throughout the war. These letters were undoubtedly a very welcome distraction from the horrors Murray would experience in the South Atlantic. They were also crucial for keeping his morale high during such testing times.

The letters from Murray and Ann began from the moment the task force set sail “down south”. Murray wrote of feeling absolutely knackered during the first few days as the medics had to move and order huge amounts of kit and participate in physical training. Thankfully there was also some fun to be had with a daily cinema and a shipwide sportsday. As Hermes sailed towards the equator the temperature heated up onboard and between the UK and Argentina. Back onboard Hermes Murray wrote that ‘it became almost impossible to access the upper deck with aircraft using the flight deck around the clock.’ A few days later however Murray enjoyed a few hours of sun at the crossing the line ceremony, getting sunburnt arms for his trouble. War must have felt slightly further away that day.

After the task force had crossed the equator, sending and receiving letters became much more difficult. In fact, my parents commented that although they sent many letters, from which I will continue to quote, they didn’t receive the vast majority until hostilities had ceased. 

It didn’t take long for the heat of the tropics to be left behind as the Hermes steamed south. The weather became colder and the seas heavier. Murray transferred his badge from his beret to his woolly hat. After part of the task force knocked out an Argentinian submarine in South Georgia, Murray wrote that ‘things look like they are gaining momentum now and unless someone comes up with a solution pretty smartish an assault on the Falklands isn’t far away.’ He wasn’t wrong.

Hermes continued to steam further south and the temperatures continued to drop whilst adversely the political situation was reaching boiling point. By way of giving some of the historical context behind the conflict in 1982 Argentina was led by a cruel fascist military dictatorship under Leopoldo Galtieri. The country was in the midst of devastating economic stagnation and large-scale civil unrest against the government, known as La Junta, which had been ruling the country through a dirty war of violent oppression. It is believed that between 1976 and 1983 up to 30,000 people were murdered by the Argentine government and its forces in Argentina.

Meanwhile, whilst people were not being abducted and murdered in the UK, it was also in an economic mess. The Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, was facing sharp criticism from both her cabinet and the public in response to her domestic policies including savage spending cuts and a declining manufacturing industry which had resulted in high levels of unemployment. All of this pointed to an early exit for the PM. Furthermore, when Thatcher proposed cuts to military spending in 1981 which would retire a south atlantic ice patrol boat HMS Endurance on 15 April 1982, a move warned against at the time by the first sea lord, Sir Henry Leach, and the foreign secretary, Lord Carrington, the die was cast and Galtieri needed no more encouragement to attack. Geopolitical history of dictatorships 101: when there are problems at home, invade somewhere else!

Interestingly, since the 1960s British governments had attempted to persuade the Falklands Islanders to allow Argentine rule but the Islanders were having none of it.

Returning to April 1982 as the task force steamed further south, training increased and the pressure rose. However, it wasn’t until the shocking sinking of the Argentine light cruiser General Belgrano on 2 May at the heavy cost of 323 Argentine lives that things got serious. General Belgrano was hit by two torpedoes fired from the British nuclear-powered submarine HMS Conqueror. Although there is some controversy about the attack, the Argentinian naval forces had been ordered by Admiral Juan Lombardo to seek out the British task force around the Falklands and launch a “massive attack” the following day. The sinking of General Belgrano, though horrific, was key in that the Argentine naval fleet returned to its bases and played no major role in the rest of the conflict. The British had command of the sea but the Argentines maintained air superiority from their bases on the Argentine mainland.

Argentine retaliation for General Belgrano was swift. On May 4 an exocet missile fired by an Argentinian Super Étendard carrier-borne strike fighter aircraft penetrated and exploded inside the British Type 42 Destroyer HMS Sheffield, which had been operating as a forward anti-aircraft picket 18 to 30 miles to the west of the main task force that was now south-east of the Falklands. 20 crew members died in the attack and another 26 were injured, mostly from burns, smoke inhalation or shock. SST1 provided a medical boarding party and treated casualties on the Hermes. A few days later Captain Sam Salt thanked the SST personally for looking after his men and gave them a crate of beer, which must have helped Murray who had been suffering from acute back pain caused by a hatch shutting on his back when going into action stations.

On May 21 the British task force entered Falkland Sound and then San Carlos Water and began to land its troops initially unopposed. The task force was quickly spotted and the skilled and professional Argentine air force began to attack the British ships. The decision was taken that the white troop ship, SS Canberra, a recommissioned P&O cruiser, was to be repositioned out in the open sea.

On May 21/22 a large team of medics, commanded by Surgeon Commander Rick Jolly, with the Royal Marine Commandos, landed on the bleak shores of Ajax Bay in the dead of night. The landing party included SST2 but not SST1 who were ordered to continue treating casualties on the Hermes. One of the only buildings in the deserted bay was a disused mutton refrigeration plant with no windows, only one door and the metal sheep hooks still in place. It would have to do. The building was chosen to house the makeshift field hospital. Whilst it was cold and dirty it did provide a roof and within hours the medics had cleaned the plant and set up a fully-functioning field hospital. Outside the hospital they dug bunkers and air raid shelters. They were going to need them.

The decision was taken by Brigadier Julian Thompson, who commanded 3 Commando Brigade, that they could not paint a red cross on the roof of the hospital as it was next to an ammunition dump and would run the risk of a potential breach in the Geneva Convention which the officers were anxious to not provoke the Argentines to break. The hospital did receive some decoration with the words “Welcome to the red and green life machine” painted on the front. The red referred to the Paratrooper’s berets and green to the Commando’s berets.


Image: Surgeon Commander Rick Jolly painting the welcome sign on the Ajax Bay field hospital. Image courtesy of Red and Green Life Machine: Diary of the Falklands Field Hospital Paperback by Rick Jolly.

On the 25 May, Murray and the rest of SST1 treated casualties from the SS Atlantic Conveyor which was hit by two exocet missiles. Of the merchant navy ship’s 33 crew, 12 men died in the attack.The ship was the first British merchant vessel lost at sea to enemy fire since World War II. On the same day, HMS Coventry was struck by 3 Argentine bombs and sank with the loss of 19 of her crew.

Also on the same day, four bombs were dropped on the field hospital at Ajax Bay causing a massive explosion which set off a chain of smaller explosions around the ammo dump outside the hospital. Five men were killed and many wounded in the attack. The medical teams continued working throughout the bombing, protecting patients in surgery from the falling dust. Of the four bombs that hit, only one had exploded but two unexploded bombs were left wedged in the roof and living space. Undetered, the medics kept working even when presented with the knowledge that the bombs may have had a 33-hour delayed fuse. Due to the bombing SST1 was ordered to stay put on the Hermes until further notice.

The next day the battle for Goose Green began. It was the first major land battle of the war and consisted of a full-frontal assault by 2 Para against a well-dug-in Argentine force. The two-day pitched battle was won by the British forces but it produced a huge number of casualties. Throughout the battle Scout and Sea-king helicopters left Ajax Bay full of ammunition and came back full of casualties. Ajax Bay was under almost constant air attack from Argentinian planes yet the medics worked tirelessly throughout.

It was not until May 29/30 that Murray and the rest of SST1 were taken by helicopter and landing craft to Ajax Bay which Murray described as ‘a harrowing experience in itself’. To their dismay only Murray and four others were required to stay. They joined SST2 and worked alongside the Royal Marine and Parachute Regiment medical teams. The rest of SST1 were ordered to transfer to the hospital ship SS Uganda. 

From the get-go they were busy ‘with wounded arriving at frequent intervals’. Murray wrote to Ann that ‘I have lost count of the number of battle casualties we have operated on – mostly Argentinian and regretfully mostly young lads, even as young as 15! Some of the injuries are quite horrific and I don’t think that some have eaten for days.’ The weather wasn’t great either. Murray described it as ‘lousy – we have just had a snow storm!’ 

The importance of Ann’s letters to Murray were obvious as the distance and situation was really starting to take its toll. Murray wrote ‘I’d really give the world to be back with you now and I keep telling myself all this can’t last forever.’ 

As the days went by, casualties continued to arrive and Murray found himself ‘in charge of triage and resus. I’m also able to spend a bit of time in theatre, although I think you’d probably find it different from theatre in the normal sense – a bit more like a butcher’s shop!’ He went into further details of which I will not put down here but you can only imagine what kind of horrendous injuries were being sustained. There was also an Argentine POW camp at Ajax Bay with upwards of 500 prisoners at any time which meant the SST had to ‘have our firearms with us, even when we are on duty.’


Image: Map of East Falkland (Ajax bay top left)

Image: CMT(N) Murray Bowden standing gingerly beside another unexploded bomb on Sussex Mountain overlooking Ajax Bay (field hospital over Murray’s left shoulder). ©A.Bowden
 

On June 8 British troops continued to advance on the Falklands capital, Stanley. They had been reinforced by the arrival of 5,000 new troops from the 5th Infantry Brigade a week before and were expecting even more reinforcements from the Welsh Guards who were due to be landed from the logistical ship Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Sir Galahad at Fitzroy, near Bluff Cove. At 14:00 a massive Argentine air assault bombed RFA Sir Gallahad and RFA Sir Tristram. Two men were killed by strafing on the Tristram but thankfully the 500 lb. bomb which penetrated its deck failed to explode immediately, allowing the remaining crew to be evacuated. Sadly, Sir Galahad was not so lucky. Two or three bombs hit the ship and exploded causing uncontrollable fires. 48 men died onboard and 165 were severely burned. Nearly all of them were flown by helicopter directly to the medics at Ajax Bay along with casualties from HMS Plymouth which was attacked by Argentine fighter-bombers in Falkland Sound just prior to the Bluff Cove strike. Later in the day a second Argentine air strike sank a British landing craft killing six of its crew. A third and final wave attacked ground targets but was thankfully unsuccessful.


Image: Casualties suffering from burns being treated at Ajax Bay. 

The situation at Ajax Bay on June 8 must have been absolutely horrific. Murray was quoted in the newspaper saying ‘can you imagine what 60 men shrieking in pain was like – it was awful’.  The medics treated burns patient after burns patient. Of the 130 casualties from the Sir Galahad received at Ajax, 60 were given immediate resuscitation treatment before being casevaced to SS Uganda the following day. A medical colleague of Murray’s, MT1(N) Stephen Davies, recently told my sister about the event. ‘There were so many Welsh casualties with burns injuries. They all knew each other and when they were transferred to Uganda the following morning one of the army medics began singing ‘We’ll Keep A Welcome In The Hillside’. Most of the casualties joined in despite their burnt lips, faces and bodies. It was a very emotional moment.’

Murray also praised the non-medical staff in a letter to Ann. ‘We had all kinds of people lending a hand from marines to navy clearance drivers – it’s amazing what non-medical personnel can do when the need arises.’ A total of 56 British servicemen were killed and 150 wounded in the Bluff Cove attack. The incident marked the greatest loss of life among British forces in a single incident since World War II.

Image: Newspaper cutting about Navy medics MA Steven Moutrey and CMT(N) Murray Bowden. ©A.Bowden

Over the following days ground forces began the final push towards Stanley. Ajax Bay was now 75km away from the front line so two forward medical stations were established at Teal Inlet and Fitzroy with the worst casualties transported back to Ajax where many casualties continued to stream in from both sides. In fact, hundreds of Argentine pilots and soldiers were treated by the British medics throughout the conflict. 38% of the 722 (approx) casualties whilst Murray was at Ajax were Argentinian. Murray mentions how young and scared the Argentine soldiers were various times in his letters to Ann and I even remember him telling me about it. Young boys of 15, 16 and 17 who had little to no training, insufficient winter clothes and equipment that didn’t work including guns that didn’t fire. He told me how terrified they were of the British because their officers had told them if they were captured the British would eat them! I know that this really affected my dad. 

There were some lighthearted moments amongst the turmoil like when Ajax bay received a different kind of visitor one day. Murray wrote how ‘a solitary penguin appeared on the beach today. It was a bit oily so one of the marines caught it and cleaned it up a bit. It didn’t seem to appreciate it as a good turn and gave anyone a nasty peck if you put your hand anywhere near it!’

Image: CMT(N) Bowden and the other medics were ordered to remain armed throughout the conflict. ©A.Bowden

On the night of June 11-12 a brigade of soldiers (approx 4000 men) launched a massive night assault against various Argentinian strong points on Mount Longdon, Mount Harriet and Two Sisters. All operations were successful at pushing the Argentines back from the high defensive areas towards Stanley, however fighting was heavy and more casualties were sustained. The attacks were consolidated by a further night attack on 13-14 June when the British forces led another successful attack against the remaining Argentinian forces on Mount William and the Argentinian last stand on Sapper Hill. The Argentinians were defeated after a long, hard fight which left many dead and wounded. They finally retreated into Stanley where they surrendered that same evening.

After three months of intense, bloody fighting the overwhelming power and professionalism of the British forces had defeated the Argentines. Murray and the rest of SST2 boarded ‘wait for it – British Rail ferry St Edmund which normally runs between Harwich and Hook of Holland. We are onboard for 48 hours of “R&R” including a bath, a bed, food on a plate and clean clothes!’ The SST then spent two days in Stanley ‘helping the locals clean it up a bit as it has been left in a terrible state with no electricity, no water, open sewage and weapons and ammunition left everywhere.’

A depressing return trip to Ajax Bay, now a large POW camp and then back to Stanley to pick up the General and Royal Marines Band and Murray was on his way. He wrote to Ann that ‘the buzz is that we arrive in Southampton on Sunday 11th at 1100 to be met by the Queen and Maggie Thatcher. Not that I care because the only person I want to see is you!’

Image: The SST celebrates the liberation of Stanley. From left to right: Steve Garth, Dave Price, Stu McKinley, Steve Davies, Bob Johnston and Murray Bowden (far right). ©A.Bowden

A week later Murray boarded the P&O ocean liner come troop carrier SS Canberra and they set sail for England writing lots of letters on the way up in between debriefs, victory celebrations, longing to see loved ones and relishing the prospect of 6 weeks leave on return. Prince Charles paid a visit and gave thanks to servicemen and women aboard the Canberra as it arrived in Southampton to a rapturous welcome from thousands of people who lined the docks smiling, cheering, and waving flags. Three of them were Ann, Murray’s mother and his eldest daughter. It must have been bittersweet for the 2,500 armed forces personnel on board.

Image: The rapturous welcome of SS Canberra when she entered the port of Southampton on 11 July 1982

The staff at Ajax Bay have the proud record that not one British Serviceman died while under their care throughout the whole conflict, despite constant attacks from Argentinean bombers and fighter jets. Unfortunately, two Argentine soldiers died of their wounds in the hospital. Murray wrote on June 15: ‘Seeing the injuries we’ve had to treat and the young lads coming back in body bags makes you think about how conflicts like this cost a lot in life and mutilating injuries and I can’t stop thinking that I hope it’s all worth it.’

After the Falklands Murray served for seven years more in the Royal Navy. His 22 years service saw him serve across the world including a world tour on HMS Tiger, a couple of years in Malta and postings across England and Scotland. In January 1989, Murray became Wardmaster at the Royal Hospital School in Suffolk where he worked for ten more years until retirement. Sadly, Murray suffered from depression through much of his life and the horrors of the Falklands undoubtedly complicated that. In retirement Murray worked for the armed forces charity, SSAFA helping ex-servicemen and women in Ipswich.

Murray sadly passed away in 2016, a few months before his 70th birthday. We know from my mum, his friends and a deluge of tributes when he passed that he was an exceptional nurse and fantastic mentor. A large number of his former students and navy colleagues wrote messages of remembrance about how important his mentorship was for their careers, his innovation as one of the first nurses in the navy to specialise in A&E nursing. He was a much loved dad, grandad, husband and friend to many and is deeply missed. His friends, family and comrades remember him as “one of a kind”, “a kind man”, “a generous man”, “a gentleman”, “one of the finest”.  

Ann retired in 2021 after a 45 year nursing career as a naval nurse and then nurse, midwife, health visitor and child protection nurse specialist in the NHS. Both Murray and Ann have dedicated a lifetime to caring for others.

I want to thank my parents and all the men and women who have protected and continue to protect the freedoms and liberties we often take for granted.

Image: CMT(N) Murray Bowden 1946-2016. Fair winds and following seas. ©A.Bowden

Images: Operation Corporate Operational Report by CMT(N) G.M. Bowden. ©A.Bowden