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Neil Wilkinson, The Battle Story of the Falklands War in 1982 as he was meeting the enemy.Historia de Neil Wilkinson batalla de la guerra de Malvinas en 1982 |
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 Neil Wilkinson on his 21st Birthday |
Neil Wilkinson tells his battle story of the
Falklands War and how he shot down an Argentinean Pilot, Mariano Velasco. Neil Wilkinson le dice a su historia de la batalla de la Guerra de las Malvinas y la forma en que derrib un piloto argentino, Mariano Velasco. |
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The Battle Story of the Falklands War |
| Jet Fighters | Motorcycles | Corvettes | Ships | Spacecraft | Tanks | Martin Guitars |
Click Here to see the making of the NEW Movie,
"Enemy Contact"
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The
Documetary Mission is Complete and has been shown on the
BBC channel, locally, on Jan 16th 2012. But the 1892 battle story
about Neil Wilkinson and Mariano Velasco has taken a whole new direction
instead of a battle, it is now peace. The program was a big success and Neil and Mariano finally did meet after thirty years. The following is a letter from Neil referring to the BBC television documentary Meeting the Enemy.. Hi Jeff, As you can see things are moving along and time never stops. The next project is Enemy Contact, the Movie. These were the plans to complete the Falklands Project which started in November of 2008 and was completed on January 2012. About the Expedition Plans.
A message to the readers. This is a story of how a British Sailor, Neil
Wilkinson, shot down Mariano Velasco, the Argentinean Pilot who sunk the
HMS Coventry. The plane is shown below and the cannon shell is also shown
here too. The Falkland Island War was in 1982 and in November 2008 Neil
Contacted me and by 2009 we are
planning an expedition to the Falkland Islands, called "When Enemies Become
Friends", to find this crashed airplane.
We also want to get a photo of Neil and Marino standing together more than twenty
years later. Signing our guestbook would be a great support. Also,
if you were in the Falkland Islands War, on either side, please write the webmaster
a letter at the bottom of this page. This will be a great help for
recognition of all of the veterans on both sides. Thank you very much.
English Language Video, "Meeting the Enemy: The Falklands War 30 Years"
Dos ex enemigos de las Malvinas/Falklands cara a cara |
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Neil Wilkinson's
Hi Jeff, During my journey down to the Falklands I originally was part of the three man guns crew but not the aimer, I usually took the loaders number or supply mans job. We had a lot of time to practice on our way down and as we went south the weather got warmer. The drills included a lot of practice against the clock, which meant things like barrel changes had to be done within a set time, miss-fires had to be dealt with super quick because there would be very little time to stop and think. So as we sailed down to the Falklands we also had live firings against 50 gallon oil drums. We all took turns to see who could get close or even hit the things bobbing up and down in the water. I was last to go, I took aim and opened fire on the barrels, I got the aimers job after that shoot.Everybody on the ship did the same every day on the journey down there, drilled, cleaned weapons and basically fine tuned themselves for what was coming our way. We obviously had no idea what to expect, when it is an exercise there are a lot of restrictions and regulations to go by, when in a war situation, a lot of the regulations go out of the window, but you still have to remain professional. When we closed up for Action Stations through the night it was really cold and very dark, there wasn't a lot to see. Because we were out on the bridge wing of Intrepid we couldn't hear what was being said, so I had an agreement with the Radio Operators that they would hold up pieces of paper at the bridge windows which would alert me to any incoming aircraft.As it got lighter and we could see the land it was really strange, there was no gun fire or helicopters attacking us, we had a clear run into the anchorage. The only thing we could hear was the anchor chain being slipped, then it was a case of try and get everyone and everything off the ship before the attacks came. The ship ballasted down and the four landing craft inside slipped out, full of paratroopers and equipment, it was getting lighter now and we could make out more of the land, I only had a 90 degree arc of vision, on one side there was the bridge and on the other side was my gun barrel.The gun itself worked by an electrical scooter, when the two levers were slid down the scooter the motor would start, the gun moved by either turning left or right of up and down for elevation and depression, the trigger was on the scooter. We were told that aircraft were in the area and to keep our eyes peeled, it wasn't long before the attacks started, because of the number of ships in San Carlos and the height in which the Argentine aircraft came in to attack meant it was sometimes difficult to get a shot off at them.The Frigates and Destroyers took a hammering from the aircraft, but it wasn't all one sided. I really thought and wondered if I could and would pull the trigger! When in training there is not the same sense of fear or urgency to survive, when it is for real, you open fire! Time is irrelevant, family and friends do not enter into your mind, the adrenalin is pumping through you, you don't want to be next. I opened fire as many times as I could, mainly when the aircraft were passing after an attack, they would come in at some ridiculously low height and I have to take my hat to them they were very brave and courageous.On the 23rd May a group of six Mirage bombers came around the corner and I opened fire on them, I could see my tracer either going in front of the aircraft or just behind. As all the aircraft were trying to escape, one of my shells hit the back end of a Mirage, I saw bits fly off it as it sped past, approx about a mile away from us. That was a very scary moment, because as I opened fire on these aircraft, a large explosion occurred just off the starboard bow. The water cascaded high into the sky and I said to my loader "George what was that?" He replied in his Geordie accent "I don't know". I said "Don't tell me they can fire sideways now?" We found out afterwards that our sister ship Fearless had fired a Seacat Missile from way down in San Carlos and had lost control of it. The missile went between our ships masts and plopped in the sea just off our starboard bow, that was a very near miss!My Captain credited me with the Mirage. As the hours went by, it was wave after wave of aircraft, as soon as they had dropped there bombs they had to get out of there fast, the after burners went on, but that used up valuable fuel which would be needed to get them home.We were brought food and chocolate bars to eat, most of the time the food was brought to us and it would be thrown on the floor because an air attack would start. After thirty one and half hours sat in my gun, we were allowed to relax slightly, but it is an awful time. What you have just witnessed is locked away in your memory vault and the adrenalin rush you were on is now subsiding, it is a massive come down. I needed to sleep, I couldn't careless about food or a shower, sleep was required. I found a locker and opened it, went in and decided I would write to my family first, this was to be a sort of last will and testament. The writing was so small it was hard to say it was me that had written it.After writing the letter I sat and reran the events of what had happened, it was all too much to take in, two years previous I had being sailing around the Med and West Indies, now I was in a theatre of war! I sat there and broke down in tears, I am sure many men did the same and still do today. The days seemed to have a familiar pattern, air attacks through the day and then at night we would take the SAS out on special ops. The next morning we would be back in San Carlos at anchor, ready for the next wave of attacks, which were coming.On the 27th May, it was a really strange day, nothing much had happened until late afternoon. I never went far from the gun and I was sat on a box of ammunition doing a word search in a magazine, when the shout came up to "Stand Too" which meant we were under attack. The ship was facing down towards the south of San Carlos and the barrel of the gun facing forward with the ship. My loader and supply number were talking to the other guns crew around the port side, I threw the magazine up in the air and dashed to my gun, but before I could open fire I had to do the loader job and flick a couple of switches, basically safety measures that had being put in place. Then I started the motor on the gun, by this time I could see two A4 Skyhawks, there may have being more, but I only saw two. I opened fire on these two aircraft, I managed to get six rounds off, the reason why only six is? I didn't have any other crew on or near the gun when I opened fire, so I couldn't load anymore shells into the gun and six was all I had.One of the A4`s was trailing smoke behind it, a couple of the guys on the lookout position gave me the thumbs up, which said to me, I had hit it. I wasn't sure though, I knew I was very close to hitting it. My Commander a couple of days before the attack presented me with a T-Shirt for hitting the Mirage. Looking back at that presentation over many years, I struggled with the idea that I could go to war, kill somebody and all it was worth was a T-Shirt!When the aircraft had disappeared, we had to hang around for quite some time because you never knew if there were more aircraft around or if the ones that had just attacked were going to turn back round and come again. When the war was over and we got back to England, I met the Defense Secretary John Knott and I was presented to him by my Captain. John Knott asked me if I had hit any aircraft and I replied "Yes, a Mirage". Just as I said that my Captain jumped in and said, "No, you actually hit two aircraft", I asked him which one and he confirmed to me it was the Skyhawk on the 27th May.For many years I didn't even think about the pilots or there families, we did a job just as they had done. Until 2007! My wife had said to me that the History channel were running a special week of programs about the Falklands, but I don't usually watch anything to do with the war, I suppose I'd seen enough. But I was curious and with it being a Thursday, I thought it would be something about the surrender or the Marines / Paras. So I put the television on and a story was unfolding of an A4 Skyhawk pilot that had being shot down on the 27th May! Now remembering that on that day, only one attack came in and only one aircraft got shot down. I knew this was my aircraft, I watched the program, by this time the tears of emotion were great, for all these years I had thought the pilot had perished and here he was alive, the footage was old, but still he was alive.It was unbearable, I had to find this man, I did not know if he was alive still or had died of natural causes. It took me 8 months to track down the pilot who's name is Mariano Velasco, we have made contact and are building a firm friendship. The history books state that my aircraft was downed by different sources. The Fearless took ultimate credit for the downing of his aircraft, I now know that not to be correct! I believe that Mariano Velasco was hit by myself and possibly from somebody on the ground. As Intrepid was Fearless' sister ship it was put into the records as her, some records state Intrepid/Fearless.Stories like this, the meeting of two people from a conflict are rare, the possibility of meeting Velasco one day and shaking his hand will happen and I am glad to share this story with you. Best WishesNeil Wilkinson |
Malvinas: 1982 task Force
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This is
Mariano Velasco's airplane that Neil Wilkinson
A4 Skyhawk 1/72 Die Cast Model C-207, Fuerza Aerea Argentina, Falklands/Malvinas War, 1982 Made by Hobby Master, this 1/72 scale die cast model
wonderfully replicates the A4 Skyhawk, C-207, flown by 1st Lt. Mariano
"Cobra" Velasco of the Argentine Air Force when he dropped three 1,000-lb.
bombs to sink the HMS Coventry during the Falklands/Malvinas War in 1982. It
features outstanding details such as engraved panel lines; a detailed
cockpit with an opening bubble canopy; removable stores including a bomb,
missiles and fuel tanks; an aerial refueling probe and a tail hook; optional
position landing gear with real rubber tires; a display stand and more.
Measures 6" long with a 4" wingspan and arrives ready to display.
12-7-2010
12-1-2008 1-26-2008 Hi Jeff, The shell is 40/60mm Bofors, that was my gun. This was the shell that shot down Mariano Valsaco. The
engraving on the shell reads: This shell was fired against a group of Mirages, the shell that hit Velasco was fired a few days Later. I was on the starboard battery, I have to admit it made a heck of a bang when fired, I do believe that I could be the last person in the Royal Navy to hit an aircraft with a conventional weapon, that could be one for the Guinness Book of records? The gun I fired was a single barreled Bofors gun 40mm, it is called 40/60mm purely because the shell casing is 60mm and the shell 40mm, it may be called something different by other navies. On the 21st May we went into San Carlos and off loaded 3 para brigade who had travelled on our ship. Shortly after daylight broke the air attacks started. No amount of training can prepare you for this, it's for real. On the 23rd of May I opened fire on a group of Mirage's (6) and I blew the tail off one of them. Most days were the same, attacks, rest, attacks. On the 27th of May, nothing much happened all day, until late that afternoon. Velasco and his wingman had sneaked through and was now lining up for there attack, I was resting on a box of ammunition. The alarm sounded and I leapt into my gun and as they screamed into San Carlos, I managed to fire 6 rounds off at them. I then saw a lot of smoke coming out from behind his aircraft, he then went over the hill. It wasn't until we got back to the UK that my Captain confirmed to me that I had actually hit the Skyhawk, up until then I wasn't 100% certain. In the history books HMS Fearless took credit for knocking Velasco out of the sky, but I now know different! My life after the Falklands took a dive and I suffered from PTSD and a lot of mental stresses due to the conflict. Last year with it being the 25th anniversary I put on a program and found that the pilot in the documentary was in fact the very same pilot I thought I had killed and I decided to track him down. After 8 months of trying I hit the jackpot and we are now in contact with each other, the feeling of guilt was lifted, he has confirmed to me that fearless could not have shot him down as previously recorded. These stories I had heard happen from ex World War 2 vets, but I never thought it would happen to me. Once again many thanks and I look forward to your replies. Regards Neil
11-24-2008 This is
the first letter that Neil Wilkinson sent to the
Webmaster at YellowAirplane.com, Jeff Dyrek. |
Click on Pictures Below for Much Larger Views
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Photo from Neil Wilkinson
| The picture of myself cutting the cake was my
21st birthday, we were in
Cyprus, that's the only bit I remember of the day, the
rest is a blur due to excessive amount of beer I drunk!! haha. That's when I had hair too.. |
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I think one of the most heart breaking sights
for me, was sitting in my gun watching HMS Antelope explode!
That then brought it all home to us and it was a very tearful
moment, watching one of your own ships explode, when hours earlier
it had sailed past us.
We lost many ships and many good men, but so did they too. War is not just about two or three nations going on a battle field and killing each other, people seem to forget the aftermath and the people who have lost loved ones, the younger generation (although taught it in schools) don't fully appreciate what the armed forces of the world achieve. |
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An Invitation |
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Photo from Neil Wilkinson
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I think one of the most heart breaking sights
for me, was sitting in my gun watching HMS Antelope explode!
That then brought it all home to us and it was a very tearful
moment, watching one of your own ships explode, when hours earlier
it had sailed past us.
We lost many ships and many good men, but so did they too. War is not just about two or three nations going on a battle field and killing each other, people seem to forget the aftermath and the people who have lost loved ones, the younger generation (although taught it in schools) don't fully appreciate what the armed forces of the world achieve. |
HMS Intrepid
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Photo from Neil Wilkinson
The HMS Intrepid was classified as a LPD (Landing
Platform Dock)
The Intrepid was around 12,500 tons when fully loaded with troops and tanks.
| On the night of 19th May 1982, this was to be a very sad evening indeed onboard HMS Intrepid. That night I was on watch on the bridge, it wasn't a particularly nice night weather wise, but it never was in the South Atlantic, the waves were massive and the ships ploughed into the swell. The Intrepid was sailing southwards and we were cross decking troops from the Hermes. It is thought that while crossdecking a Seeking helicopter from Hermes hit an Albatross, causing the helo to ditch into the dark waters of the South Atlantic. All attempts were made to try and recover/rescue any survivors from the helo, sadly we lost 18 SAS men that night, 22 men in total, 9 survivors were miraculously pulled out of the icy water. I remember I was stood on the bridge wing, we had spot lights trained on the water searching for anything. It was indeed a very sad night. |
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Photo from Neil Wilkinson
My Bofors gun onboard HMS Intrepid.
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A 40/60mm Bofors from Intrepid, I think
it is the Port Bofors,
I was on the starboard side, but they were very similar in
appearance.
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Photo from Neil Wilkinson
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Handwritten on the door is
"Post Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtle"
This was the entrance to the locker where Neil slept between attacks.
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Photo from Neil Wilkinson
| This is where I spent time after the we were allowed to rest after the first day of attacks, it was a locker on the upper deck, not too far away from my gun. In this small room, I wrote a letter home to my mum and family and eventually fell asleep for which seemed like an eternity, but was probably only a few hours, I was eventually woken up and then waited for the Argentines to attack again, they never disappointed us and always turned up! |
