Cooksey Jon - Falklands hero : Ian McKay, the last VC of the 20th century

R esearching military history is one thing but researching the entire life of someone who is remembered by the majority of people for one single act in a military context, albeit an act of extraordinary courage which resulted in the award of the Victoria Cross, is quite another. Whilst I a felt at least competent to research the military aspects of Ian McKays life by doing what most researchers, when pressed, enjoy most delving into various military records and archives and talking to fellow historians and archivists I confess to having been moved beyond my comfort zone with this study of Ians life.

Of course I have done a good deal of grubbing around in various archives and rummaging through documents from the period which coincided with Ians almost twelve years of service in the Parachute Regiment, but the work has taken me into realms which have been unfamiliar territory. Family, institutional and sporting history including sifting through a mass of football statistics and results of the old English First Division and lower leagues as far back as the late 1920s and 1930s have all been trawled in the cause of attempting to get to know what shaped Ian McKay the man.

A book like this, therefore, is impossible to complete without the support, help, advice, enthusiasm and encouragement of a great many people, many of whom have a deep knowledge of and expertise in their particular field. In particular I must thank members of Ian McKays family, particularly his mother Freda who has given her wholehearted support to the project from the start. I visited her on several occasions and spoke to her often throughout the period of research and realize how painful some of my more prying questioning might have been. I certainly could not have completed the book without her support.

My thanks also go to Ians wife Marica who agreed to talk to me and read some of the early drafts. I hope that both she and Freda feel that the final result was worthy of their support.

I am particularly indebted to Peter Harper, an ex-pupil of Rotherham Grammar School and more recently of Bath University who had the diligence and foresight in the mid-1980s to produce a substantial memoir on Ian McKay. He collated many personal accounts and cuttings and was kind enough to allow me to use it in my research. It proved to be a huge help as did the material which Mark Adkin had found useful for his research into the Last Eleven VC recipients since 1945 and to which he kindly pointed me.

The help and assistance I received from many others who knew Ian during his formative years was at all times prompt, courteous and unfailingly supportive and I must record my gratitude to his boyhood friend Philip Leeson and to Phil Toft and Steve Beevers of Rotherham Grammar School Old Boys Association. Peterborough United Football Club historian Peter Lane was able to confirm the service of Ian McKays grandfather at the club, for which I am most grateful. Peter Bower, the Local Studies Supervisor at Rotherham Archives, fielded several queries regarding local examination results.

In terms of understanding Ians military life and his service with the Parachute Regiment since August 1970 many have given of their time and knowledge to help clarify various issues. Special mention must be made of those with whom Ian had served in the Parachute Regiment and who went out of their way to meet me and to speak about their memories of him. Sir Hew and Lady Jean Pike have been enthusiastic supporters of the project from the start Sir Hew loaning many valuable documents as has Bob Darby, who was a wonderful source of contacts and acted as a critical sounding board for my theories both in the UK and whilst in the Falkland Islands.

Ian Bailey and Andrew Bickerdike not forgetting their wives Tracey and Mo and Brian Faulkner have always been willing to help as have, in alphabetical order: Lawrie Ashbridge; Baz Barrett; Laurie Bland; Tony Bojko; Dave Brown; Roy Butler; Kevin Capon; David Collet; Sammy Dougherty; Bob Hilton; Giles Orpen-Smellie; Kevin McGimpsey; the late Roger Patton; Harry Randall; Nick Rose; Mick Southall; Steve Tuffen; John Weeks; John Wood and Mick Whattam.

Rod and Jan Hutchings, who lived at Teal Inlet at the time of the Argentine invasion in 1982, also agreed to speak with me and loaned precious photographs. It was Rod who made the crosses for those men originally buried at Teal Inlet, including that of Ian McKay, and who later built and erected the memorial which still stands on the site of the original burial plot.

Others to whom I am indebted for their studied comments on drafts, the loan of documents, maps and photographs or the results of their own research are Julian Thompson, Nick van der Bijl, Tim Lynch and Mark Higgitt. BBC radio producer Graham McKechnie is always a trusted point of reference. He has once again taken seriously the invaluable role as ever critical friend in reading and commenting honestly on extensive sections of the book in draft form.

Accessing a battlefield or material half a world away is always a challenging prospect and I owe a particular debt of gratitude to those on the Falkland Islands who threw their weight behind my work without even setting eyes on me. Falkland Islanders are a determined, hardy, industrious and busy breed and retain a fierce sense of pride in being British, which many of us who live in Britain seem to have somehow forgotten. Ailsa and Tony Heathman visited Mount Longdon on my behalf armed only with an email and photographs from a complete stranger, as did Tony Smith. Later, when I visited the Falklands on my research trips, all of them took care of me and, with Nobby Clarke, ferried me around. Ailsa and Tony fed me royally at Estancia House and it was my privilege to walk the Mount Longdon battlefield with Vernon Steen on which he had fought with Ian and members of Patrols Company of the 3rd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment (3 Para) on 11/12 June 1982.

It was a chance remark over lunch with author Nigel West which led to him putting me in touch with Colonel Carlos Doglioli in Argentina. Carlos had served as an ADC to Military Governor General Mario Menendez on the Falkland Islands in 1982 and his wholehearted support for my cause when he heard about it was much appreciated. It was Carlos who put me in touch with Colonel Carlos Eduardo Carrizo Salvadores who was in command of the Argentine unit which faced Ians 3rd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment on Mount Longdon during the battle in which Ian won his VC. Their insight into the arrangement of the defences of Mount Longdon and the weaponry employed was valuable indeed, as was information supplied by Anibal Grillo who fought with the Argentines that night.

Ian McKays VC was purchased by Lord Ashcroft in 1989 for the Ashcroft Collection which has now found a home in the Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Museum in London where Ians VC is on permanent display. I am grateful to Michael Naxton, Curator of the Ashcroft Collection, for clarifying several points relating to the display of Ians VC. Thanks also to my copy editor Lynne Maxwell, who has looked over the text with a detached eye and has made several improvements and probably spared a few blushes in the process, and to Jon Wilkinson and Dominic Allen for their ideas for the art work, maps and jacket design.

Simon Watson and Nicolas Avrillon helped with the translation of text from Spanish to English.

My family often bear the burden of maintaining normal life and do so marvellously in spite of my often irregular and anti-social working habits and research trips. Grateful thanks go to my wife Heather and daughter Georgia for their seemingly limitless patience and understanding in continuing to support me in my work.