I could see charred, burning figures that used to be men; ON THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY A VETERAN RECALLS THE BATTLE FOR GOOSE GREEN Tomorrow is the 25th anniversary of the Battle of Goose Green, a pivotal moment in the Falklands War. Midland soldier John Geddes tells NIGEL GREEN of the incredible courage he saw that day – and reveals darker secrets about the conflict

0 Comments | Sunday Mercury (Birmingham, England), May 27, 2007

Byline: NIGEL GREEN

THE wooden building was in flames as John Geddes kicked the door in.

Seconds earlier, the Parachute Regiment corporal and his comrades had lobbed six phosphorous grenades through the windows.

In more peaceful times, the building had been a schoolhouse. Now, it was home to a squad of Argentinian soldiers.

The grenades had exploded, showering the men inside with burning shrapnel.

The scenes John was about to witness would stay with him for the rest of his life.

“I could see silhouettes of men staggering around in all the flames and smoke,” recalls the Hereford father-of-three.

“I could also see charred, burning remains of figures that used to be men.

“It was obvious they were all either dead or dying. I knew it was time for me to get away from building.”

The attack on the schoolhouse was the final moment of the Battle of Goose Green.

Around 400 men from the Second Battalion of the Parachute Regiment had managed to defeat a garrison of 1,500 Argentinians.

But the victory was not without cost. The Paras lost 17 men that day, including some of John’s best friends.

Then aged 27, he had travelled 8,000 miles to a group of islands most British people had never even heard of until the Argentinians invaded in 1982.

The son of a building contractor, John was raised in a terraced house in the Byker area of Newcastle.

He left school at the age of 15 with no qualifications and after initially working as a factory apprentice before landing a dream theatre job as an assistant stage manager.

“I had always wanted to be an actor,” says John
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