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About Neil Wilkinson
Born in 1959 and lived in
Leeds, West Yorkshire,
England. I didn't have the happiest of childhoods, my mum
divorced in the late sixties and got involved with another man, he
was ok to start with, then things started taking a turn for the
worse, my elder brother and myself took the full brunt of it and we
got regular beatings, what for we didn't know.It got even worse for my mum when the guy actually
hospitalized her, he then went for me for the very last time, he
made the mistake of giving me time to pick up a carving knife and as
he made his move so did I, i didn't stab him and just warned him
that if he came any closer what would happen to him, he knew I meant
it.
I suppose I joined the Royal Navy to escape
from this sort of thing, I wasn't getting on with the foreman at
work and he treated me like a dog, whistling me and give me mundane
jobs.
I eventually left home in 1979 and signed up, I
was loving it, I was in training learning my radar course when my
father died and I was automatically taken off the course, then
because there wasn't another course starting for some time I was
left with 3 options, Steward, Gunnery or leave the navy and
re-enlist at some other date.
There was no way I could go back, so I opted
for the
Gunnery school in Plymouth.
I loved every minute of the course and
eventually got my first ship, it was waiting for me in Plymouth
sound, HMS Intrepid, she was what is classed as an LPD (landing
platform dock) and it was a daunting experience for me as the
biggest ship I had ever seen was just in pictures.
We sailed that night, we went straight to
Norway with a
full embarkation of Royal Marines, the trips abroad were endless and
after we had being to the
West Indies and
Med I was coming to the end of my time onboard Intrepid.
I had options, either go to a shore
establishment or get another ship, I fancied the thought of getting
another ship and travelling some more, my next draft came through
and it was to be HMS Sheffield, a type 42 destroyer.
All this changed though in early 1982 when
Argentina
decided they would invade British soil, although when they did at
first we had not got a clue where the Falklands were!
It became apparent that I would be needed to
stay onboard Intrepid and a lot of men came back to Intrepid who had
previously left her because the ship was going into a standby role.
So my draft to Sheffield was cancelled and I
set sail with the ship, fully loaded with ammunition, stores etc and
all got ready in two weeks.
We joined the rest of the task force, having
being one of the last to be made ready, our ship was a vital piece
in the machinery, we were to land 3 para in San Carlos.
The night before we landed the para's I was
coming out of my mess and stood in front of me was a guy who 2 years
previous had being a barman in my local bar pulling me pints of beer
and was now in the para's, we had a good chat before he went off and
got all his ammunition ready for the landings the next morning.
We closed up at action stations through the
night, it was bitterly cold and dark, entering into San Carlos was
so strange, there was no gun fire from the enemy, just the sound of
ships dropping anchors!
As daylight broke the silence was short-lived,
we were then subjected to a constant wave of aircraft ducking and
diving into the bay and then in a flash gone, the pilots were very
brave and courageous.
After sitting in my gun for over 31 hours we
were eventually allowed to rest, I found a quiet spot and decided to
write a letter home to my mum, telling her ho
w much I loved her and
that I didn't think I would be coming home, at least not alive!
Then before I went to sleep I prayed and cried
myself to sleep, the next few days were similar.
When it was all over and I got home, my mum
knew there was something wrong, she told me I wasn't the same person
that went away, which is quiet understandable.
I left the Royal Navy in 1989. As the
years rolled on I was having some major problems, my marriage was on
the rocks and I was loosing it gradually, no money although I always
worked.
I was eventually diagnosed with having PTSD,
for people who have never had this or heard of it, it is one of the
most horrendous things that could happen, it changes a person and
you have to live with it forever. I relive the Falklands every day
of my life, but I learnt how to control my problem, not by doctors
or shrinks, by finding out how it all works, learning techniques and
making myself aware when the problems are going to hit me, how to
cope with it all and it works for me.
The Royal Navy like every branch in the armed
forces taught me discipline and how to live, i can honestly say it
was the best ten years of my life and I would join again if I had my
time again.
I am now remarried and I have two children,
plus two children from my previous marriage, my two boys are grown
up are like brothers to me.
My life has recently become very interesting
lately after discovering that one of the pilots I was credited with
shooting down in the Falklands had survived, after 8 months of
trying to locate the pilot I eventually found him in February 2008,
we are in contact through the internet and I hope that one day we
could meet.
Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Regards
Neil |
