Falklands War 'true hero' Surgeon Captain Rick Jolly RN - RIP

Lost forever.
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
CharlieOneSix
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 5005
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 12:58 pm
Location: NE Scotland
Gender:
Age: 79

Falklands War 'true hero' Surgeon Captain Rick Jolly RN - RIP

#1 Post by CharlieOneSix » Sun Jan 14, 2018 5:31 pm

So sad to see that Rick Jolly has died at the age of 71. So many of those injured servicemen of both sides in the Falkland War owe their lives to him. Not one of the wounded he treated died and he was the only man to be decorated by both sides. An amazing, amazing man!

BBC News: Surg. Capt. Rick Jolly dies
The helicopter pilots' mantra: If it hasn't gone wrong then it's just about to...
https://www.glenbervie-weather.org

Cacophonix
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 8327
Joined: Tue May 02, 2017 10:14 pm
Location: Wandering

Re: Falklands War 'true hero' Surgeon Captain Rick Jolly RN - RIP

#2 Post by Cacophonix » Sun Jan 14, 2018 6:54 pm

CharlieOneSix wrote:So sad to see that Rick Jolly has died at the age of 71. So many of those injured servicemen of both sides in the Falkland War owe their lives to him. Not one of the wounded he treated died and he was the only man to be decorated by both sides. An amazing, amazing man!

BBC News: Surg. Capt. Rick Jolly dies


What a truly extraordinary man...!

Rick Jolly...

Jolly wrote the book The Red and Green Life Machine about his experiences. and he is the only serviceman to have been decorated by both sides after the conflict, being awarded an OBE (Military Division) from the UK and the Orden de Mayo (Order of May) - awarded to "foreigners who distinguish themselves by service or personal achievement, or who have gained the nation's gratitude" - from Argentina.

When visiting Argentina in 1998, Jolly had sent ahead a list of Argentine casualties and asked the authorities there what had become of them. As a result, the Argentine Foreign Ministry discovered the truth about the battlefield medical care of their wounded by the British during the conflict and invited over fifty of them to a ceremony in Buenos Aires, where Dr Jolly was appointed as an Oficial (Officer) in the Order of May in recognition of his outstanding work in saving the lives of many wounded Argentine soldiers and airmen.

As it was a foreign decoration, Jolly had to write to her Majesty the Queen for permission to wear his Order of May award with his other medals, to which her Majesty personally responded by authorizing him to wear the award "on all occasions" on behalf of the three hundred British Naval, Royal Marines and Army medics involved in the war.


[bbvideo=560,315]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YmxwCnJv4A[/bbvideo]

[bbvideo=560,315]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llxHm3k850s[/bbvideo]

Prayer quoted by Rick Jolly...

Lord Nelson’s prayer
On the morning of 21st October 1805, with the combined fleets of France and Spain in sight, Nelson composed the subsequent prayer:

May the great God, whom I worship, grant to my country
And for the benefit of Europe in general, a great and
Glorious victory: and may no misconduct, in any one,
Tarnish it: and may humanity after victory be the predominant
Feature in the British fleet.

For myself individually, I commit my life to Him who made me
And may His blessing light upon my endeavours for serving my
Country faithfully.

To Him I resign myself and the just cause which is entrusted to me to defend
Amen. Amen. Amen.


Caco

User avatar
Ex-Ascot
Test Pilot
Test Pilot
Posts: 13096
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2015 7:16 am
Location: Botswana but sometimes Greece
Gender:
Age: 68

Re: Falklands War 'true hero' Surgeon Captain Rick Jolly RN - RIP

#3 Post by Ex-Ascot » Mon Jan 15, 2018 10:15 am

Great guy. I remember reading about him after the war.

However, he treated both sides which is correct of course. In a battle field situation you treat the guy with a scratch first and the one on his guts hanging out last. You want to get them back and fighting. Did he do this with the Argies? Or did he treat our chaps first then the badly wounded Argies? Anyone read his books?
'Yes, Madam, I am drunk, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly.' Sir Winston Churchill.

User avatar
CharlieOneSix
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 5005
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 12:58 pm
Location: NE Scotland
Gender:
Age: 79

Re: Falklands War 'true hero' Surgeon Captain Rick Jolly RN - RIP

#4 Post by CharlieOneSix » Mon Jan 15, 2018 4:51 pm

The only book I have of his is 'Jackspeak - The Pusser's Guide to Royal Navy and Royal Marines Slang'. Rick signed my copy for me - it's a very early pre-public edition biased towards Fleet Air Arm and Royal Marine slang which was printed in 1988 = before it had an ISBN number - by the Reprographic Centre at RNAS Culdrose. It was basically sold within the RN and RM and the proceeds went to local Cornish and Naval charities. In 1989 the book got its ISBN number and went on public sale with the addition of more general RN slang. It's still available in Kindle, hardcover and paperback versions at Amazon under the amended title of 'Jackspeak - A Guide To British Naval Slang And Usage'. I like the following extract of Rick's 'alternative biography' preface to the current version (2011) of the book:

jackspeak.JPG
jackspeak.JPG (55.28 KiB) Viewed 506 times
The helicopter pilots' mantra: If it hasn't gone wrong then it's just about to...
https://www.glenbervie-weather.org

User avatar
FD2
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 5110
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 10:11 pm
Location: New Zealand
Gender:
Age: 76

Re: Falklands War 'true hero' Surgeon Captain Rick Jolly RN - RIP

#5 Post by FD2 » Tue Jan 16, 2018 4:25 am

Wonderful man - he will be sorely missed by many people. He was one of the medics at Culdrose in 1976/77 and often took the co-pilot's seat in the Sea KIng simulator - he flew it very well, almost to the point of being a 'competent co-pilot'! He was also a co-founder of the South Atlantic Medal Association 1982. http://www.sama82.org.uk/

In the Falklands Field Hospital all the injured were treated the same after triage, regardless of which side. It's really worth buying a copy of 'The Red and Green Life Machine' ISBN 0-552-99068-X - it's a great read. All that surgery was taking place with two unexploded bombs in the 'hospital'.

He also wrote 'In Confidence', the 'Triservice Jackspeak guide to staff reporting', ISBN 0-9514305-1-3 which contains loads of hilarious reports, such as 'the only time my Navigating Officer knows where he is going is shortly after he has taken a laxative' and 'if getting up people's noses was a pre-requisite for promotion, Pilot Officer F would be an Air Commodore by now'. Not quite sure if they are all original, but a very funny read.

Post Reply