Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Manny Manfred was 30 years old,
married with a young son and living in Warminster when the
telephone rang and the codeword for recall came through. At the
time he was a Sergeant in ‘A’ Company of 3rd Battalion of The
Parachute Regiment.
Immediately he packed his bags and headed for the barracks in
Tidworth, Hampshire, where his unit was based. Within 72 hours
the unit had moved to Southampton to board a P&O cruise ship
to set sail south to play their part in the Falklands War.
Lasting 74 days, the conflict was the first military action since
the Second World War that utilised all elements of the Armed
Forces, with 255 British personnel losing their lives.
As a Platoon Sergeant with 3 PARA, Manny was at the centre of the
conflict and has been drawing on his first-hand experiences to
deliver his Falkland’s presentation to audiences since 1986. His
largest audience to date was 700 schoolchildren in Brecon during
Armed Forces Week and his most far-flung was on a cruise ship
having just left the Falkland Islands. HM Tower of London before
a formal dinner in such splendid surroundings is Manny’s most
memorable.
Manny, who is a member of RFCA for Wales, estimates that between
12,000 to 15,000 people have heard his presentation, which he
delivers around 12 times a year. He regularly presents to regular
and reserve personnel at the Infantry Battle School in Brecon.
This year is the 40th anniversary and there are some very
poignant lessons that are still valuable for today’s generation
of soldiers. It’s the physical hardship that requires our
soldiers to be robust and well trained and the ability to project
force some distance away under challenging weather conditions.
More importantly, the anniversary brings the chance for veterans
to join together and relive shared experiences
said Manny.
One of his first memories was of walking up the gangway on a
requisitioned luxury cruiser – while pot plants and deckchairs
which had been used by holidaymakers only days earlier were being
taken off on another gangway. The military bands were parading up
and down the quayside and there was an unreal sense of occasion.
Well, it was a bit Rolls Royce. Some people go in aircraft, some
people go in military ships but we had a luxury cruise liner that
was requisitioned from trade. Three major units and attached arms
were to travel on the SS Canberra, over 2,000 army, navy and
Royal Marine personnel. Ammunition and other supplies were being
loaded onto the ship before we sailed
said Manny.
Belonging to a regiment with parachute in the title, it might be
assumed that your expected entry to a battlefield would be from
the air. But Manny and his companions found themselves on the
Canberra near Ascension Island, practicing a new skill – beach
landings from landing craft, ahead of their assault onto the
Falklands.
It was really strange for the first time in my career to
undertake beach landings using assault craft which we’d seen in
films for many, many years. Effectively, it felt like it was the
battle of Normandy in the Second World War all over again.
I find that the lessons that come from the Falklands are mainly
about the men themselves and the need to have well trained,
robust individuals.
People often ask me, weren’t you frightened? Well …you undergo
comprehensive, rigorous training and the fear is there; it’s
ever-present. When you are in a situation like that it’s how you
manage that fear and how you control it and how it’s affecting
your subordinates - those in your platoon. We move forward and
the training kicks in and you just get the job done. It’s a
common phrase but getting the job done was so important,
overcoming the elements, overcoming the enemy and taking our
objectives.
As a member of RFCA for Wales, Manny believes it’s important that
people who have experiences that are of value to today’s
generation, use them wherever possible. After 20 years of
fighting in desert type conditions, the army are still
transitioning their training to fight in a more conventional
environment. To quote an Instructor from Brecon –
getting the mindset out of the desert and back into the trees.
Manny’s experiences are valuable in achieving this.
I take every opportunity to deliver my Falkland’s presentation
and my experiences of the conflict to RFCA for Wales
organisations….and I will keep doing them as long as I am able to
and while the feedback is still positive. After almost 45 years
in uniform, I feel it is time to give something back!
