Danowest

My father has repeatedly told me in his drunken state of how, as a young soildier of 18, he was ordered to shoot American and German mercs in an execution-esque style. He said this was never an official subject in the war.

So is my father just a delusional ex-squaddie suffering from Falklands War Syndrome (no offence to those affected by GWS) or is there some truth to this?

T_igger_cs_30

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FEAR NAUGHT

I don't work here ...I am an analyst!

Parihaka

Seems to be an urban myth
AROUND THE WORLD; No U.S. Mercenaries In Falklands, British Say

Danowest

2 Para

entropy

I've heard claims of Belgian ex-Legion people (now in their 60s) who told me they were working on a merchant ship during the war.
They told me they were transporting ammo and people and performing other activities which were easier to perform under a neutral flag.

I never managed to get more information since our conversation turned hostile.

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If memory serves...

Expat Canuck

I've had a few drunken conversations like that. My best was in Serbia, I'm lucky I didn't get my head kicked in, good thing they knew I was Canadian. If I had been American it would have been bad for me in a big way.

dave lukins

During the Falklands campaign, 2 and 3 Para lost 40 men killed and 93 injured. Both battalions were awarded 68 gallantry medals including two Victoria Crosses.

May 28/29 2 Para..Sussex Mountain..Darwin/Goose Green
June 13 Wireless Ridge then 2 and 3 Para entered Port Stanley.

Job Well Done!!

dave lukins

Certainly not. He has done his duty and therefore his mind is entitled to be "slightly" electroencephalographically challenged

Dreadnought

The reason I doubt this would be it certainly would have compromised the Ron/Maggie relationship.We would have 0 to gain and much to loose by interfering. However having soldier/mercs dressing in other uniforms to create that effect would certainly not be anything new to warfare. Especially highly publicized warfare.

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Fortitude.....The strength to persist...The courage to endure.

dave angel

i don't believe it for three very good reasons:

(1) the British Army can't take a smelly dump without its missdeeds being splashed over the media (potentially not a bad thing either), the chances of it not getting out that a dozen or so blokes were ordered to - and did - shoot a load of septics and boxheads is absolutely nil, nada, fcuk all.

(2) no merc of any description would of touched the Argentine Army with a big shitty stick, they were crap, disorganised, ill-disciplined, ill-lead and and had a 'plan' that made Frank's plan for Phase IV in Iraq look like the work of the greatest genius ever to walk the earth (and for the uninitated, thats sarcasm). added to which is the hugely 'machismo' culture that the invasion was a fundamental part of, it was all about bigging up Argentina and spitting in the face of the gringo - there was no possibility of the Argentines agreeing or accepting any help from anyone else in the fighting, that would of pissed on their self-image, and self-image is at the core of the Argentine problem with the Falklands.

very brave on a number of well documented occasions, but rarely overly competent.

(3) it is a sad part of BA culture that when we face an enemy who doesn't just flee to the hills or kill himself through incompetence we seem to decide that he must be stiffened with external support - usually US for some reason. the same 'US Sniper' stories came from the Falklands and came about in South Armagh - that of relatively 'normal' rifle fire well within the accepted standards of any competent infantryman being elevated to '1 in a million' sniping shots at 1500m. when investigated, none of these 'super shots' turn out to be anything of the type, just bog-standard body shots at less than 400m in daylight.

the US has a similar phenomenon in Iraq with 'Juba the sniper' a mythcal uber-mench capable of talking any shot within 1500m, but who actually seemed to be in half a dozen places at once and who often engagged at less than 200m and never more that 500. its a sad form of arrogance that we have developed, we don't believe anymore that we can fall prey to just any old Abdul - or Enrique - who can shoot straight at 400m but also that our personal 'anti-sniper' drills are very often not what they ought to be.

we don't like our current enemy, he's not glamourous enough, so we invent another to make ourselves feel better

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before criticizing someone, walk a mile in their shoes.................... then when you do criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

S-2

I can't imagine a merc choosing to offer his services for combat on an island in the south atlantic's winter against a noted foe and w/ dubious allies.

No profit there and no escape.

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"This aggression will not stand, man!" Jeff Lebowski

dave lukins

I would find it hard to believe any Merc would fight for an army almost full of untrained, ill equipped and most of all a conscripted Force.

GraniteForge

Authoritarian governments don't want their conscript troops fraternizing with free-lance professionals; the idea of self-governing men who make their living by proficiency of arms is far too destabilizing to the idea of total obedience.

Beyond that, the typical "strong man" who hires contract professionals - but who also has a large conscript force under arms (I won't say an "army") - has little to gain by honoring his contract. A bullet in the brain is the most likely payment, as most potential hires ought to know before being approached.

chris wellard

His father moved there before he was born and he was conscripted to go. I guess he didn't have much choice. There's a video on you tube. Hope this hasn't already been discussed. I'm new in and haven't read everything. YouTube - A Soldiers Return

Skywatcher

If you were a dictator and managed to get some mercenaries, what's to say that they won't turn around and sell you out to the other guys for more money? People who are willing to fight for money can also be capable of betraying for money.