Two veterans who fought in the Falklands meet 40 years after the war

Two veterans whose paths crossed while fighting during the Falklands War are reunited after four decades.

Bill McDowell, 60, and Norman McDade, also 60, met for the first time since the 1982 conflict at a home in Bishopton, run by the charity Erskine for Veterans.

The pair, who both now live in Erskine, likely encountered each other during the transition of British troops on ships going to war during the Falklands.

They decided to unite again on Saturday to mark the 40th anniversary of the war.

Mr McDade, who prefers to be known as Mack, joined the Royal Navy in 1978 at the age of 17 and trained as a chef.

But when war broke out between the British and Argentina, Mack and his crew aboard HMS Plymouth were ordered to head to the South Atlantic to fight.

When not dodging bombs and protecting soldiers against fighter jets, naval chefs to gunners were involved in assisting in the transport of troops arriving from the UK on war-going ships.

On 27 May, Queen Elizabeth arrived in South Georgia with the 2nd (QE2) 5th Infantry Brigade, which also included Mr McDowell, a member of the Scots Guards.

Troops were then transferred to smaller ships, including Plymouth and HMS Intrepid, which were moved to the East Falklands.

It is believed that it was here that both of them came in front of each other for the first time.

“There’s certainly the possibility that we waved or looked at each other,” Mack said.

“It’s not always easy to recognize everyone because we all look a little different now, most of us definitely have less hair.”

Speaking about his memory of transfers between boats, Mr McDowell said he was “less than in tears” on several occasions.

He said, “Most of us in the boats were bowing, kneeling or sitting in the icy water that had accumulated at the bottom, sometimes it was so cold that I could hardly hold my rifle ,” They said.

“There were many ship-to-ship transfers, as QE2 could not be put at risk.”

He said that on June 5, troops launched HMS Intrepid, an amphibious assault ship used by the Royal Marines, and headed for Bluff Cove.

“It was from HMS Intrepid that we were launched, aboard a few landing craft in what could only be described as a cold and wet hellish night.

“The whole night was spent in the bitterly cold, pitch black, South Atlantic winter.

“During the night, shells exploded on the landing craft, shells that were fired from Royal Navy warships that were unaware that the battalion was in the landing craft and came very close to identifying us as the enemy and opening fire.

“The flat-bottomed ships were ruthlessly tossed into the waves and every time the bow of the boats crashed, freezing cold water would get into the boat and run away – there would be a collective gasp as the water hit us. “

When the 2nd Battalion Scots Guards landed at Fitzroy, an East Falkland settlement on 6 June, Mr McDowell and his companions went on to fight a week later at the Battle of Mount Tumbledown.

On 13 June, the bloody conflict led to one-on-one fighting, killing nine Scots Guard soldiers and wounding 47.

“I still find it difficult to talk about the moments that changed my life forever,” McDowell said.

“I was confused, scared and far away from home.”