It was only years later that I spared a thought for my poor mum and what she must have gone through. At the time of the Falklands War, I had only just turned 21 when we were told that we were being sent there. I was on a Type-42 destroyer & must admit that losing HMS Sheffield & HMS Coventry, both sister ships, was a tad worrying. Anyway, my younger brother, 18 at the time, was also sent down South aboard the assault ship HMS Fearless. My poor mum was worried to death that 2 of her 3 sons were thousands of miles away in the South Atlantic for weeks on end. I saw it as a big adventure really. To me, I was with a great ships’ company & amongst good friends. At such a young age, you never truly believe that anything would happen to you – like you’re invincible.
I got married 4-years later and then had a son shortly after. It was only after I had him that I realised what my mum must have gone through back home in England during the conflict. At least we came home – which is more than a lot of the lads did. Bless my mum though. She’s alive & well at 82 and still worries about me even today… and I’m 60 this year!
Mum’s eh. 🙂