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Back to Main Exhibits Page
Gazelle XX411
Introduction
History
1. Early Days
2. Journey South
3. 21st May 1982
4. Memorial
5. Recovery
6. 3BAS Citation
7. Sgt Candlish Award
Restoration
1. Before Restoration
2. Restoration
3. Restoration
4. Restoration
5. Restoration
6. Restoration
7. Restoration
Falklands 25th Anniversary
1. Waddington Arrival
2. Falklands 25 Ceremony
3. Museum Stand Visitors
Return to Aeroventure
Return to Aeroventure
Museum Falklands 25th
Falklands Photos
Bill Belcher
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XX411 History - 21st May 1982
Map of Falkland Islands highlighting the landing area at San Carlos.
Map of San Carlos Water and landings.
Map of Port San Carlos showing the flight paths of Gazelles XX411 and XX402.
Gazelle flying at speed in the Falklands.
3BAS c/o tells us what happened on 21st May with Eddy Candlish's recollections inserted:-
C FLIGHT, 3 COMMANDO BRIGADE AIR SQUADRON ROYAL MARINES ACTION AT PORT SAN CARLOS – 21 MAY 1982
By Lt Col Peter Cameron MC RM – CO 3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron Royal Marines – Falklands 1982
For the landings at San Carlos Bay on the 21st May 1982 troops and equipment were to be moved ashore initially in silent landings under cover of darkness by Landing Craft and from dawn Sea King Helicopters of 846 Naval Air Squadron (846 NAS) with 3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron (3 BAS) in a direct supporting role to these operations. The organisation of the 3 BAS at the time was based on 3 Gazelle Flights each of 3 aircraft and one Scout Flight of 6. A flight of 656 Sqn AAC (3 Scouts) came under command of 3 BAS at Ascension Island and remained so until 31st May when their parent Squadron came ashore at San Carlos. Each Flight was given a specific task for the landings which involved being placed in Direct Support of specific Units in their role in establishing the Bridgehead in and around San Carlos Water. XX411, "Charlie X-ray", was one of the three aircraft of C Flight placed in Direct Support of 846 NAS to prove those routes that the Sea Kings were to take for the rapid insertion of Rapier Air Defence sites and to provide escorts to Sea Kings as required for flank protection and warning of any air or ground counter-attack whilst they undertook their hazardous tasks of externally airlifting equipment, ammunition and stores from ship-to-shore into uncleared sites during the initial phase of the landings. It was during one such escorting mission that "Charlie X-ray" was shot down. The crew of the returning Sea King reported that tracer bullets had been heard and seen passing the cabin door and although they had been aware of a Gazelle escort, they did not know that it been shot down.
Back in the Assault Operations Room (AOR) in HMS FEARLESS, this ‘Contact Report’ from the Sea King crew caused us some concern as Advanced Force Operations had indicated the Port San Carlos area was free from any enemy activity, so it needed urgent investigation. The Third Battalion, the Parachute Regiment (3 Para) were still not established ashore and were not in a position to undertake any follow up action at that stage, so the only means at our disposal was to order a reconnaissance of the area by Gazelle. It was not an easy decision to make but our real concern at the time was whether or not this was a helicopter counter-attack force deployed to disrupt our landings. Well aware of the extreme dangers of such a mission, C Flight was ordered to investigate this ‘Contact’ using two aircraft to probe forward with extreme caution and report. Such a mission was within our capability, albeit extreme caution had to be exercised, given the limitations of the aircraft at the time.
Initially, the two aircraft that we thought at the time to be still airborne and on task were "Charlie X-ray" (Sgt Andy Evans RM & Sgt Eddy Candlish) and XX402 "Charlie Golf" (Lt Ken Francis RM & LCpl Bret Giffin RM). However, it soon transpired that Evans and Candlish in "Charlie X-ray" could not be raised on the radio, so XX 412, "Charlie Yankee”, re-fuelling and re-crewing on LSL Sir GALAHAD at the time, was ordered to join Francis and Giffin, with the additional task of establishing what had happened to Evans and Candlish in “Charlie X-ray”.
At this point the anchored Amphibious Task Force ships in San Carlos Water came under their first enemy air attack from Pucara from Stanley which in effect kept "Charlie Yankee" on deck unable to get airborne to join Francis and Giffin. So Francis and Giffin decided to go it alone. Flying, directly into the blinding dawn sun, they moved forward slowly towards Port San Carlos from the West to seek out the whereabouts of their missing colleagues and "Charlie X-ray”, and to investigate the earlier ‘Contact Report’ from the Sea King. Unfortunately, the crew of the Sea King had placed the possible enemy position some 2000 meters East of their actual position, so tragically and unknowingly at the time, as Eddy Candlish most graphically recollects, they flew right over Evans and Candlish on the beach below and thereon into the hands of the enemy. A hail of enemy fire brought them and their aircraft down into a crumpled heap onto the hillside beyond and Eddy Candlish knew that whoever they were, he had just witnessed the death of two of his colleagues. Andy Evans then died too, and as Eddy concludes "my whole world collapsed”. Let Eddie Candlish tell his own story:-
“Once the first armed-recce tasking of the surrounding hillsides was complete, there was a more than audible sigh of relief in our “cab”. We were still airborne and there was still a job to be done…so we got stuck into it.
We were flying armed-escort to a Sea-King that was heading towards Port San Carlos, when we came under fire.
The “crack” of the first round took us both by total surprise and, in the milliseconds that elapsed before more rounds started hitting the aircraft, Andy and I reached the same and somewhat obvious conclusion…”What the f*** we’re being shot at!”
A myriad of unspoken, almost telepathic, thoughts flashed between us…”Why us?”…”Where are they?”…”What about a Mayday call?”…”What’s that noise…oh, it’s the engine racing away up”…”Oh hell, it must have been hit”…”Shit we’re falling!”…”brace yourself!”
It was patently obvious we couldn’t afford to hit those rocks on the shoreline; we would never walk away from that…the water…yes, that was the only option.
“Go on Andy…give it stick…that’s it…put it into the water”…”Please God, let him do it!”…”get ready, here we go!”…”damn, I’m out of date for the “dunker”…stay calm, just remember the drills…too late now…here we go!!!”
Then we were in the water; the “cab” topped up immediately, it was so cold it took your breath away.
The innate instincts of personal survival took over…”must get out!”…”have the rotors stopped?”…”stuff the rotors; get out before you drown!”…”great, my hand is above the surface…can’t drown now!”…damn, my foot’s stuck; it must be the GPMG…so kick it then…GET OUT!!!”
Then suddenly, without quite knowing how, I was on the surface next to the upturned wreckage. The brain was still working overtime…”must inflate my Mae-West…now where is that handle?”…”what’s this?”…”you idiot, your dispatcher’s harness…you’re still attached to the aircraft!”…”cut it free…where is that knife?”…”take a breath you’re being dragged under”…”you bloody idiot, you’re going to drown after all”…”got the knife”…”cut it…it’s cut”…”thank God!”
I headed to the surface.
“Now where’s Andy?”…”oh shit, don’t tell me I’ve got to go down there after him?”
In the next instant Andy surfaced right alongside of me…he was conscious but helpless.
“Help me Eddy, I’m badly hurt mate”
It seemed like an eternity since we had been shot at; but was probably no more than two minutes.
I pulled Andy to me and inflated his lifejacket…at the same time I became aware of splashes in the water around us. The sudden realisation…we’re being shot at!!
“There they are…on the hillside…five or six of them…you bastards…leave us alone!!”…”Must get Andy outboard of me”
“Well it’s up to me now…a quick combat appreciation is what the book calls for.”
“Okay the beach is nearest…but that would be like lambs to the slaughter…looks too far to Cameron’s Point…don’t know what the current is like…okay have to swim back towards the settlement”
“C’mon Andy, hang on, we’ll be okay”
The shots continued to fall with varying degrees of accuracy.
The brain took over again…”Got to make it!”...”Christ that was close!”…”halfway there now”…”hell it’s cold!”…at least Andy’s SARBE beacon is working”…”must inflate my jacket!” …”C’mon…at last!”…”just got to keep going”…”hang on mate we’re going to make it, as long as they don’t hit me!!”
I could now see some people by the houses in the settlement and, with some 200 meters to go, shouted to them…”help us, we’re British!”
There was an immediate response and they rushed to the water’s edge, but as there was no boat and the beach shelved steeply, they could do little apart from shout encouragement.
Only 150 meters now, and the rifle fire had diminished, but one “Argie” had a last crack. Two rounds…One whistled over my head…the second hit the water somewhere behind me…I felt the impact on my back!!
Then my feet touched bottom and I dragged Andy ashore and onto a stretcher the Islanders had got. No time for chatter, Andy needed medical aid…and fast!
At that moment I heard another Gazelle…but my heart began to sink as I watched it fly over Cameron’s Point and make a left turn, just short of The Knob.
My fears became reality…the enemy opened fire and I could only watch in total horror as the crew compartment disintegrated under a fusillade of shots!!
The aircraft fell like a stone and crumpled into the hillside.
I knew, no matter who it was, two friends had just died and when, twenty minutes later after much effort to save him, Andy also died, my whole world collapsed!
I hope I have managed to convey some of the impact of what was a thoroughly frightening personal experience. But its memory gave, and in fact continues to give, a tremendous strength and determination to go on!
It’s the least I can do for Andy Evans, Pat Giffin and Ken Francis.”
Meanwhile back in the AOR in HMS FEARLESS we were completely unaware of all this action and drama at Port San Carlos. We had no troops in that area, 3 Para were yet to get there. We had no communications with our aircraft in the area, Port San Carlos was around the headland and out of line-of-site for VHF communications. About 30 minutes had now elapsed since our first "Contact Report" from the Sea King and we were beginning to get slightly anxious in the OPs Room as to the exact situation in the Port San Carlos Area with still no confirmation of enemy in the area. At this point the third Gazelle "Charlie Yankee" (Captain Robin Makaig-Jones RA & Cpl Fleming RM) reported that they were on task but still had no communication contact with either "Charlie X-ray" or "Charlie Golf". They were instructed to proceed from the South with the utmost caution into the area.
3 Para were now beginning to land on Beach to the to the East of Port San Carlos with orders to deploy forward as soon as possible to seek out any enemy and report. Makaig-Jones & Fleming were now operating tactically way forward and, unknowingly at the time, were closing on the enemy position from the South. As the crew describes the aircraft was traveling at approximately 15' agl at 60 kts towards a small re-entrant when they heard a crack of rounds near the aircraft and saw tracer fire from a party of about 40 or so enemy from a two o'clock position slightly lower than the aircraft. Makaig-Jones then turned hard left to evade and during the turn, one round entered the cockpit from below and passed through the left-hand cyclic and thereon through the bubble creating a small hole in the underside of the aircraft, missing the floor armour, with a small hole in the bubble but no blade damage. The crew then felt a severe vibration from the tail rotor but continued to return to Port San Carlos to give us in the AOR our first accurate enemy “Contact Report”. The aircraft continued to fly on to land safely on LSL Sir GALAHAD, to be rapidly repaired in only two hours by the excellent team of REME Aircraft Technicians on board - a remarkable achievement. Inspection of the aircraft showed one fenestron blade broken and three to five holes in the vicinity of the tale rotor including one impact on the tail rotor gear box. Also three to five more holes were found in the tail boom but missed the drive shaft and hydraulic pipes.
Makaig-Jones's “Contact Report” was later verified by 3 Para who had by this stage reached the Port San Carlos Settlement where they had learnt that a party of 40 enemy or so had rapidly vacated a sheep-shed that they were occupying at the Settlement and had fled East on realizing that the Task Force had arrived. They also reported that Gazelles "Charlie X-ray" and "Charlie Golf” had been shot down with the loss of three lives and that all flying should cease forthwith in that area until further notice. They still had no contact with the enemy but were following up in hot pursuit to the East. No further contact however was ever made.
All this was devastating news to the Amphibious Task Force and in particular to 3 Commando Brigade and 3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron. It had the affect though of reminding the whole landing force that we were into the real thing and this was "no picnic". Lieutenant Ken Francis, Sergeant Andy Evans and Lance Corporal Bret Giffin along with Sergeant Eddy Candlish, all of the Royal Marines, were taken back on board SS CANBERRA. Later on that same day the ship was ordered out of San Carlos Water and once out to sea and well to the North, a Burial-at-Sea Ceremony for the three Squadron dead was solemnly undertaken, attended to by their one surviving colleague from the day, Sergeant Eddy Candlish. Meanwhile, back in San Carlos Water, a Memorial Service on board LSL GALAHAD was held for the three brave and courageous colleagues that we had lost that day.
All ranks of C Flight involved in that action that day, whether in action at Port San Carlos or in a supporting role on board LSL Sir GALAHAD had displayed outstanding courage, determination and devotion to duty and sometimes under enemy fire. Their service as a whole had been quite magnificent. For his calm firm leadership, courage, sense of duty and determination in most difficult circumstances the Flight Commander, Lieutenant Commander Gervais Coryton RN was awarded a Mention-in Dispatches, as were Captain Makaig-Jones RA, Sgt Andy Evans RM and Sgt Eddy Candlish RM.
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