Two Sides Of Hell - They Spent Weeks Killing Each Other, Now Soldiers From Both Sides Of The Falklands War Tell Their Story - Softcover

Bramley, Vince

Softcover

ISBN 10: 184454821X ISBN 13: 9781844548217

Publisher: John Blake, 2010

Synopsis

The unique and harrowing account of the most destructive battle of the Falklands War as seen through the eyes of eight ordinary Argentinian soldiers from the seventh infantry regiment and five British paratroopers. Vincent Bramley, author of the bestselling Forward into Hell, was a Lance-Corporal and gives a unique and chilling perspective on the horrors of battle. This is a no-holds-barred account of what it is really like to have to do the dirty work of war, where you have to kill of be killed and when sometimes you are pushed over the edge.

About this title

About the Author

Vincent Bramley was born in Aldershot in 1957. He left school at fifteen, but it wasn't until 1978 that, at the prompting of an ex-paratrooper, he joined the Parachute Regiment. His first posting was in West Germany, where he specialised in machine-gun fire. He subsequently served in Canada, Oman, Northern Ireland and the Falklands. He left the army in 1987 and now works as a building consultant, when he isn't writing or conducting research.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Two Sides of Hell

They Spent Weeks Killing Each Other. Now Soldiers from Both Sides of the Falklands War Tell their Story

By Vincent Bramley

John Blake Publishing Ltd

Copyright © 2009 Vincent Bramley
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-84454-821-7

Contents

Title Page, 
Dedication, 
INTRODUCTION, 
PART 1 FRIENDS AND FOES, 
PART 2 WALKING, WAITING, SUFFERING, 
PART 3 INTO HELL, 
PART 4 AFTER THE BATTLE, 
AFTERWORD, 
APPENDIX, 
Copyright, 

CHAPTER 1

SANTIAGO GAUTO drew deeply on his cigarette, making the red end glare fiercely. He held the smoke, then blew it up towards the ceiling. For a moment he paused, then he began to relax, and I was glad I had come here to this modest little house near Buenos Aires to meet a man my comrades and I had been trying to kill almost twelve years before.

He had greeted me at the door with a welcoming smile and a friendly handshake, then showed Diego, my interpreter, and me into his kitchen cum living-room. We sat round the table and he looked me in the eye and said: 'This is my home, Vincent. It is yours, too. Please.' Then he passed me a cool beer from the fridge, saying: 'Let's have a beer together. It's an honour to meet one of my former enemies.'

'Salud!' We raised our bottles of beer and I handed him an English cigarette and together we smoked and drank our beer and began to talk. We had both been a little nervous and, deep down, wary about this meeting. But now the ice was broken, we had overcome the first hurdle, and the chat was flowing, particularly about why I had come to see him. We were both as curious about each other as any soldiers from opposite sides when they meet so long after a battle.

For a moment that great smile flashed again and then he said seriously: 'It is a brave thing you do, brave of you to come here alone, so far, to be surrounded by people who – even though it is all a long time ago now – could still want to harm you because you are English. I appreciate what you have done, what you are doing. Believe me, it is a brave thing and a big thing you do here today. I am proud of being chosen by you, Vincent. Maybe it is one of those beautiful chances in life ... Someone picked me out, gave you my name and now we meet. Yes, it is brave, brave for both of us to meet.'

Watching me with deep, dark, puzzled eyes from behind the curtain which served as a door was Mayra, a classic picture of beauty and childhood innocence, bewildered by the strangers and the language they spoke to her father.

Sensing her confusion, Santiago said: 'Mayra, come to Papa.'

Diego talked quietly and calmly to his seven-year-old daughter and I turned to watch his lips as he translated the conversation. 'Don't be afraid, Mayra,' he said. 'This man Vincent has come from another country, a country many miles away. Many years ago, before you were born, he and I were enemies. We tried to kill each other for what we both believed was right. Don't worry – now we are at peace. Now we are about to become good friends.'

I looked at Diego as I stubbed out another cigarette. His eyes had filled with tears. I turned to the little girl as she moved from her father, came towards me and climbed on to my lap. She, too, was crying, tears rolling down her little face. Then she kissed me on the cheek and hugged me.

'Papa respects you. We are all friends now, yes?'

'Yes,' I said, wiping her tears away in just the same way as I do for my own daughters when they are afraid or upset.

The room was quiet for a while, all of us deep in our own thoughts: me, the intelligent,

Edition details

• Publisher: John Blake
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 184454821X
• ISBN 13: 9781844548217
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 384