Skelmersdale naval veteran returns to Falkland Islands

Feb 4 2010 by Laura Jones, Skelmersdale Advertiser

NAVAL veteran Terry Beddoes is getting ready to return to the scene of the 1982 Falklands Conflict.

Terry, a 54-year-old dad of five, and treasurer and standard bearer of the Skelmersdale Royal Naval Association, served on the HMS Herald, an ambulance ship, as a chef.

All aboard the ship were trained in basic nursing procedures to give support to the team of just two doctors and two nurses who had to cope with the conflict’s casualties.

Terry said: “We were transporting the casualties after they had been treated on the ground.

“When they were deemed stable enough to travel they were moved to the hospital ship SS Uganda. Some were a lot worse than others.

“The guys off the Sir Galahad were really badly burnt.

“When the guys were first coming on, we hadn’t seen anything like that really – they had shown us videos from Vietnam in training, but that was like comparing a horror movie to reality.

“The burns casualties were horrific – and you’re cooking in the galley, and on the other side of the galley there’s a guy screaming his heart out because his dressing’s being changed.”

Terry, who served with the navy for 22 years after joining in 1972, said that although the team were trained to deal with the situation they faced, nothing could prepare them for what they saw.

Despite the pressure and fear of those months at sea, Terry is returning to the islands for the second time

He said: “I was lucky to return to the islands in 2007 for the 25th anniversary pilgrimage, which was incredibly humbling, but due to the intensive programme during the visit it was extremely overwhelming.”

He said: “I didn’t think that serving out there had affected me, but apparently it did. I’m lucky not to have any mental health problems, but I know some of the other guys on our ship have had.”