Rick Jolly was the Senior Medical Officer in the Falklands, setting up and running the field hospital at Ajax Bay, where he and his Royal Marine and Parachute Regiment medical teams treated a total of 580 casualties, of which only 3 died of wounds. The building itself was a derelict meat-packing factory, hastily converted to treat incoming wounded – both British and Argentine – even though two unexploded bombs lay at the back of the building.
Rick's diary of the campaign and its aftermath is a fast-paced and gripping account of war experience that covers the entire conflict from initial preparations and passage to the South Atlantic on the requisitioned liner Canberra to daily action reports, and observations and interaction with the key players of the conflict – Col. H. Jones, Brian Hanrahan, Julian Thompson and Max Hastings. Incredible human stories abound, as Rick, a trained commando, dangles from the rescue winch of a Sea King helicopter, saving lives on a daily basis. Yet he also confronts death in a thoughtful, reflective and considered way, helping others to deal with the trauma of war.
Now revised and brought fully up to date, this book is a unique first-hand narrative of a conflict that inspired individual and collective heroism among British armed forces, inspiring great pride in 'our boys' by the public back at home, but which also provoked – and continues to provoke – fierce debate.
By:
Rick Jolly
Imprint: Osprey
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 198mm,
Width: 129mm,
Weight: 326g
ISBN: 9781472841384
ISBN 10: 1472841387
Pages: 288
Publication Date: 03 December 2019
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
The Conflict: 1982 April Warned for war Initial actions Journey to Gibraltar and requisitioning of Canberra Conversion from liner to fast troopship in Southampton Deployment South begins Ascension Island May Canberra leaves Ascension Preparation for battle Final orders D-Day (Friday May 21st 1982) Ajax Bay starts up First casualties HMS Antelope HM Hospital Ship Uganda Injured Argentine pilot HMS Coventry survivors Ajax Bay bombed First Battle: Goose Green Preparing the dead for burial The funeral Fight for Top Malo House June Visit to Uganda Booby trap at Goose Green Canberra returns Sunday services ‘Blue-on-blue’ Argentine photorecce jet shot down Forward surgery at Teal Inlet Trench foot HMS Plymouth strafed Mass Casualty Situation: Disaster on Galahad Getting the casualties out to Uganda Some Swiss visitors Fitzroy forward surgical facility Final Battles I: Two Sisters and Mount Longdon Final Battles II: Tumbledown, Mount William and Wireless Ridge White flags over Stanley Gynae outpatients and Royal Navy help for Island ladies The Red and Green Life Machine closes Sorting out the chaos in Stanley Meeting General Menendez Getting the Argentine PoW medics going Letter from HRH The Red Dragon Helicopter solo Canberra sails for England Journey home July Ascension again ‘Up Channel’ night Arrival at Southampton Home Aftermath 1982 South Atlantic Honours List Inquest 1983-95 Subsequent naval career 1996 Redundancy Ship’s Surgeon RMS St Helena/MV Saga Rose 1997 South Atlantic Medal Association (1982) founded 1998 President Menem visits London 1999 The Royal Visit to Buenos Aires Argentine decoration 2002 SAMA82 Pilgrimage to the Falkland Islands An audience with Her Majesty theQueen Appendix The Men of The Red and Green Life Machine Operations and surgical procedures performed at Ajax Bay Index Map Upper Falklands Sound & San Carlos Water
Rick Jolly was a former RM doctor. His first book told the story of the medical base at Ajax Bay in the Falkland Islands, which he commanded throughout the 1982 campaign. A legendary figure in the Navy, 'Doc' Jolly remains the only serviceman to be decorated by both sides: he received an OBE from the Queen and the Oficial Orden de Mayo from the Argentine Government. Rick was also the founding chairman of the South Atlantic Medal Association for Falklands veterans. He died in 2018.
Reviews for Doctor for Friend and Foe: Britain's Frontline Medic in the Fight for the Falklands
Jolly manages to convey so much within a relatively small number of pages, the pace of all 74 days of the conflict immediately apparent. The highs written with dark humour ... The lows are written with a moving sensitivity. I will definitely be reading this one through again very soon. * Rear Party Forum * This is a book for anyone interested in military medicine and psychology, anyone who just wants a fine testament to human endurance, leadership and stoicism in difficult and highly emotional circumstances, but perhaps most of all for veterans of the conflict who had little idea at the time of the miracles being worked on their colleagues as the battles raged around them. Personally, I found it absolutely compelling reading, filling another major jigsaw piece into the complex picture of those few short but bloody weeks in 1982. Highly recommended. * Flagship, the magazine for Seafarers UK *
