A very good South Atlantic Falklands War 1982 medal with its accompanying paperwork including a fascinating Royal Navy Aircraft Controllers Log Book, as awarded to Acting Chief Petty Officer (Operations Room) (Radar Branch) M.J. Burgess, Royal Navy. Burgess from Kingston, Surrey, had a career spanning over 20 years in the navy, during which he was considered for a commission, but was unsuccessful in its application. Nevertheless during the Falklands War, he was aboard the aircraft carrier H.M.S Invincible when she sailed south with the Task Force. In his role as an Aircraft Controller to the helicopters, his log book documents his personal involvement in the conflict, the losses and the significant moments not least during the battle of San Carlos and the landings. His personal notes also display the effects that the conflict had on him, not only a wish for it to end, but also his bitterness towards the enemy, with call signs he imagined including 'Dumb Argies’; ‘Die Gaucho’s’; ‘I bump Dago’s’…
South Atlantic Medal 1982 with Rosette; (ACPO(OP)(R) M J BURGESS D0666080V HMS INVINCIBLE), mounted swing style as worn and with its original named card box of issue, this together with the recipient’s mounted miniature medal, full size tunic ribbon bar and miniature ribbon bar.
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine.
Together with the following:
Royal Navy Certificate of Service, canvass form, as issued to Michael John Burgess, covering his entire service between January 1962 and January 1985.
Royal Navy Certificate of Progress of Junior and Ordinary Ratings, issued to Burgess, dated 17 January 1962.
Royal Navy Seamanship history Sheet, issued to Burgess, dated 21 May 1971.
Royal Navy Seaman Branch Application for and report of results of examination for the rating of Petty Officer, issued to Burgess, dated 21 May 1971.
Royal Navy Aircraft Controllers Log Book, the cover bearing the typed details for: ‘P.O.(R) A.C. (H) M.J. Burgess’. As issued to Burgess when serving with the Helicopter Section with H.M.S Dryad on 6 May 1974. Covering the period from 1 May 1972 to July 1972, and then from 23 March 1975 through to July 1983.
Privately printed H.M.S. Invincible book, covering her first commission between March 1980 and September 1981 during which period Burgess was aboard her. Hardback, 56 pages. Burgess is photographed within the publication.
Michael John Burgess was born 8 December 1945 in Kingston, Surrey. He volunteered for the Navy on 9 January 1962, when aged 16. Records describe him as scarred on his index finger. He received his training onboard HMS Ganges, where on 9 June he received a swimming qualification, and at HMS Dryad, a onshore school. He was top of his class in seamanship, parading, Tech and communications, and on 19 July was successfully classed as an 'Able Seaman'. After this, he was sent onshore at the HMS Dryad, where he had been trained.
He spent his first decade with the navy moving from ship to ship, and there is little insight into his actions at this time; HMS Appleton in 1965, HMS Victory, HMS Ajax, HMS Dido. Whilst onboard HMS Appleton he received the rank of Leading rate. At Dryad he passed a helicopter controller course on 21 October 1966. In 1967 he received his first good conduct badge, however lost 2. On 21 May 1971, he qualified for Petty Officer. He had papers raised for potential promotion to an Officer in 1971. Re-granted his second good conduct badge that year, he was however rejected for Officer on 22 January 1973. He was granted his third good conduct badge in 1975. He was then deprived of the second and third good conduct badge on the 25 March 1976. The second was restored in September 1976, The third 1977 but this no doubt forfeited his ever receiving the Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.
Burgess stayed at the onshore establishment of HMS Nelson for the better part of 2 years, with a brief stint on HMS Pembroke, before joining the crew of the aircraft carrier HMS Invincible on 19th March, 1980, working as an Aircraft Controller to the helicopters.
On 2 April 1982, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands. Three days later, a naval task force headed by Invincible and Hermes left HMNB Portsmouth bound for the South Atlantic. On 20 April, the UK government formally ordered its defence forces to bring the islands back under British control. Along with eight Sea Harriers, Invincible's air group included twelve Sea King helicopters that were slightly larger than the ship had originally been designed to accommodate. Small machine guns were added around the flight deck and island for close-in defence.
On 23 April, while en route from Ascension Island to the Falklands, Invincible mistakenly locked her Sea Darts on a VARIG Brazilian Airlines DC-10 rather than on the Argentine Air Force Boeing 707 that had been monitoring the fleet's movements. The previous day, Task Group Commander Rear Admiral Sandy Woodward had sought permission from Commander-in-Chief Admiral Sir John Fieldhouse to shoot down the 707 as he believed its activity indicated a raid would be launched from the Argentine aircraft carrier ARA Veinticinco de Mayo. As the 707 would be no direct threat to the fleet, Woodward ordered Weapons Tight and the continued tracking of the aircraft's course while a Sea Harrier was dispatched to investigate. The Harrier pilot reported that "it was a Brazilian airliner, with all the normal navigation and running lights on."
On 30 May, two Dassault-Breguet Super Étendards, one carrying Argentina's last remaining air-launched Exocet, accompanied by four A-4C Skyhawks each with two 500 lb (230 kg) bombs, took off to attack Invincible. Argentine intelligence had sought to determine the position of the carriers from analysis of aircraft flight routes from the task force to the islands. However, the British had a standing order that all aircraft conduct a low level transit when leaving or returning to the carriers to disguise their position. This tactic compromised the Argentine attack, which focused on a group of escorts 40 miles south of the main body of ships. When one of the Super Étendards detected a large target on radar, the Exocet was launched, and the Super Étendards turned for Argentina, while the Skyhawks followed the Exocet, which soon passed out of sight. Two of the attacking Skyhawks were shot down by Sea Darts fired by HMS Exeter, with HMS Avenger claiming to have shot down the missile with her 4.5" gun (although this claim is disputed). No damage was caused to any British vessels. During the war, Argentina claimed to have damaged the ship and continues to do so to this day, although no evidence of any such damage has been produced or uncovered.
On 1 June, the Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser, advised the British government that the sale of Invincible to Australia could be cancelled if desired. In July 1983, a year after the end of the Falklands conflict, the Ministry of Defence announced that it had withdrawn its offer to sell Invincible so it could maintain a three-carrier force.
During this conflict and beginning on 5 April 1982, he marked in his Royal Navy Aircraft Controllers Log Book 'Op. Corporate.' - this being the codename given to the Falklands War. He records helicopters being dispatched during the war, and there are some personal comments in the log too: 21 April 'reactions pathetic', 23 April saw ‘a sad incident occur when one helicopter from HMS Hermes was lost and one crew member killed. The official records states that one Sea King HC.4 of No.846 NAS embarked on HMS Hermes crashed into the Atlantic at night in bad weather south west of Ascension (8.15 pm). Pilot rescued but PO Aircrewman Casey lost. Of this incident Burgess would reflect in the log, ‘too many people are net getting in on act no co-ordination or CCT discipline (1 survivor)’. Clearly a plane had gone down, and wires had been crossed when communicating this - one survivor. 27 April 'stop the war its rough’. On 1 May ‘air attacks from 1040 kept busy with chaff laying 7 1/2 hours at action stations’. 2 May ‘Action stns no attack lots of submarines (and torpedoes?); then on 4 May - ‘Sheffield hit by Exocet 1401’. On 11 May 'one ditched crew saved' On 21 May he refers to the beginnings of the battle of San Carlos as 'D Day lots happening in the AOA during daylight’.
For his service in the Falklands War Burgess received the South Atlantic Medal on 3rd March 1983, with the attached rosette for service in the combat zone. His true feelings of the conflict are perhaps best expressed in some notes he entered possibly in relation to names given for RAMROD operations but as he states: ‘Thought of but never used.’ These include 'Dumb Argies’; ‘Die Gaucho’s’; ‘I bump Dago’s’ etc…
Burgess was drafted in December 1982 to shore for service at RNA Osprey. In 1983, he returned to train more seamen on dry land at the stone frigate, Excellent, then continued this work at HMS Nelson, until retiring in 1985, his cause of discharge 'pensioned'. Confirmed as his full entitlement.
