Penal Company on the Falklands : A Memoir of the Parachute Regiment at War 1982

On 1 April 1982 the Argentinian junta invaded the Falkland Islands, while the 2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment was on leave. Recalled to barracks, it joined the hastily assembled task force to recover the Islands. No parachutes – instead a journey of 8000 miles on a North Sea ferry to deliver the battalion into battle. Philip Neame commanded D Company, one of the battalion’s three 100-strong rifle companies, and in this compelling book he tells their story. 2 PARA was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel ‘H’ Jones, who was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross at the Battle of Goose Green. After winning the first major land battle on the Falklands, 2 PARA were the only battalion to fight two, going on to fight at Wireless Ridge, the final gateway to Port Stanley. D Company played the decisive role, but, in the closing moments, suffered a deadly artillery barrage – from their own guns. D Company was the Cinderella of 2 PARA, at the back for everything: on training, always in reserve; in barracks, the parking lot for those who proved too troublesome for A and B. It was nicknamed ‘Penal Company’. This searingly honest but humorous account explores the realities of war – the tightrope between success and disaster, comedy and tragedy; the strength of companionship and the solitude of fear. Above all, it is a tribute to a band of brothers who, taking their nickname as a badge of honor, fought, cursed and laughed together, to win through on those ‘ringing plains of windy Troy.’ "On 1 April 1982 the Argentinian junta invaded the Falkland Islands, while the 2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment was on leave. Recalled to barracks, it joined the hastily assembled task force to recover the Islands. No parachutes - instead a journey of 8000 miles on a North Sea ferry to deliver the battalion into battle. Philip Neame commanded D Company, one of the battalion's three 100-strong rifle companies, and in this compelling book he tells their story.2 PARA was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel 'H' Jones, who was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross at the Battle of Goose Green. After winning the first major land battle on the Falklands, 2 PARA were the only battalion to fight two, going on to fight at Wireless Ridge, the final gateway to Port Stanley. D Company played the decisive role, but, in the closing moments, suffered a deadly artillery barrage - from their own guns.D Company was the Cinderella of 2 PARA, at the back for everything: on training, always in reserve; in barracks, the parking lot for those who proved too troublesome for A and B. It was nicknamed 'Penal Company'.This searingly honest but humorous account explores the realities of war - the tightrope between success and disaster, comedy and tragedy; the strength of companionship and the solitude of fear.Above all, it is a tribute to a band of brothers who, taking their nickname as a badge of honor, fought, cursed and laughed together, to win through on those 'ringing plains of windy Troy.'"-- Provided by publisher A British Army veteran recounts the exploits of his rifle company in the Falklands War in a memoir of heroism, humor, and disaster. In April of 1982, the Argentinian junta invaded the Falkland Islands. On leave at the time, the 2nd Battalion Parachute Regiment was recalled to join the task force to recover the Islands. With no parachutes, they made an 8,000-mile journey into battle on a North Sea ferry. Philip Neame was commander of a 100-strong rifle company with a reputation for troublemakers that earned them the nickname “Penal Company.” After winning the first major land battle on the Falklands, 2 PARA was the only battalion to fight in a second. At Wireless Ridge, Penal Company rose above its reputation to play a decisive role. Yet in the final moments they suffered a deadly artillery barrage—from their own guns. This searingly honest account explores the realities of war—the tightrope between success and disaster, comedy and tragedy; the strength of companionship and the solitude of fear. Above all, it is a tribute to a band of brothers who, taking their nickname as a badge of honor, fought, cursed, and laughed together, to win through on those ‘ringing plains of windy Troy.'