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Reunited After Twenty-one Years Penguin News, November 2003 A Falklands man has visited an Argentine pilot he met during the 1982 war - their first meeting in twenty-one years. On his way to the Argentine British Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tony Blake visited Alberto Philippi at his home in Bahia Blanca. Alberto was the pilot of an Argentine Navy Skyhawk shot down by a British harrier after a flight in which he attached HMS Ardent. His plane crash landed in Port King Bay near North Arm and he swam ashore. Two days later, North Arm farm manager Tony, along with a group of men from the settlement, saw Alberto's tracks and eventually made contact with him half way between Congo House and Wreck Point. The Argentine pilot, thinking the local men were Argentine soldiers on patrol, attracted their attention by reflecting light with a mirror. Tony headed to meet Alberto and the other men moved away to a safe point out of sight. Tony said the pilot was, ".... pretty frightened," but spoke good English. He took him to the other men and they, "pacified him then shared our lunch with him." They took Alberto back to North Arm settlement and Tony offered him accommodation at his home: "It was a gentlemen's agreement - if he behaved himself he could stay. But if he played up we'd lock him up." Alberto stayed in the farm manager's house for approximately 36 hours before Tony contacted the Argentine authorities who sent a helicopter to collect him. He was flown to Goose Green then to Stanley from where he was transported home. Tony and Alberto remained in contact with each other (first by radio and post and latterly by e-mail) and last month the two met again for the first time in twenty-one years. Tony said the pair spent the next few days "comparing notes" from 1982. He said, "Alberto was worried about his wing man who got shot down - we think his plane is in the (Falkland) Sound somewhere." Bahia Blanca is near the Argentine naval base at Puerto Belgrano and Tony was made a special guest of the navy. He said, "They showed me pretty much everything they've got." While at an aeronautical museum Tony met a class of school children aged 13-14 years. He said the children asked him a number of questions about the Falklands: "There has been almost 22 years of no contact. There is a whole new generation who has no idea about the Falklands." Tony was also the guest of honour on the navy's frigate Almirante Brown, where he was, ".... treated like royalty." He said, "I was wined and dined and played golf with the base's senior officers." He was shown around a newly established marine's museum. He said, "They've got the Government House and Secretariat flags and lots of manuals from the FIDF (Falkland Islands Defence Force). Tony said feelings about the Falkland Islands are strong in Bahia Blanca: "A lot of losses from that area (during the war) have galvanised the feeling that the Islands belong to them." However, he said, sovereignty was not discussed outright: "It wasn't even mentioned at the naval base. Politeness and friendship meant the whole subject was pushed aside. Some people were clearly uncomfortable - probably having lost friends or family - but all shook my hand." Tony paid his respects to the Argentine war dead at both the memorials in Puerto Belgrano - one to the Belgrano, the other to all naval units that served during the conflict. Published
in Penguin News on 21 November 2003 and reprinted with the kind permission
of the Editor. |
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