Natalie. War Woman
The Royal Navy ship filled Natalie's gun sight. She fired her 20mm cannons and pulled up, dropping her bombs. With a sickening jolt they fell free and Nat lowered her nose, weaving her jet, flying away from the large ship. Tracer fire and a single missile raced past her. A faint boom indicated her bombs had gone off. Did she sink the enemy ship?
It was fly for her life. Sea Harriers were inbound. Natalie cursed her government for starting this evil war, for putting her in harms way and for killing her friends. It’s partly my fault, her mind screamed. You wanted to fly, not to fight and kill or be killed. Silly girl! Suddenly a warning was shouted over the radio. More voices and then silence. A Sea Harrier had shot down an A-4. Who was hit?
Nat just about made it to the Hercules tanker. She shook with fear. When she landed, her flight suit was drenched in sweat. Two jets were missing. Natalie had damaged a destroyer and killed British personnel. She was physically sick. Her Skyhawk had eight small bullet holes in it and this was only her first mission. The Medical Officer gave her the okay and she attended debriefing.
The next few days were critical. British ships had to be sunk and people killed to defeat the English. It was obvious to all; this would be a bitter fight. Air power had to defeat sea power. Nat flew another mission with mixed results, learning to temper her fear and use her skills and new experience. She saw her cannon fire rake a destroyer but her bombs missed, exploding either side of the ship.
Her third mission was her last over the Malvinas. On the hills above the bay, enemy guns and missiles were getting more lethal every day. Never mind the ships’ weapons and marauding Sea Harriers. Losses were several planes each day. Nat’s time was finally up. She hit a Royal Navy destroyer, blowing a big hole in it with her thousand pound bomb. There were many killed. Natalie never saw the wounded English gunner firing a 20mm cannon when she sped ten metres overhead.
Exploding shells slammed into her A-4 and Natalie almost lost control. Desperately she pulled up, avoiding slamming into the black cold water. A 20mm shell blew her lower left leg off. By a miracle she never passed out, the pain was something else. Blood filled the cockpit. Right there, she wanted to die. No more pain. Not physical or mental over her Disappeared friends. One simple shove of the controls and the sea would claim her...
Full Circle
That year was the hardest for me, 1989. Becoming 18. Memories of what I’d done in my mind’s eye.
Did I really get her pregnant? Why am I in the job fixing cars when I hate it?
Why do I row with my mates? Feel so down? Music lifts me, made me who I am now in 2012. The Boardwalk was down the road from the garage I worked at.
His Latest Flame on there. Gal who runs the club said so. I was so happy, see them live. Would have been my most important gig.
Not to be!
They cancelled it. I was heart broken. Time moved on. I finally got their album in summer 2011. Played it and thought back what I’d missed. It hit me again.
What could have been? Me, so young and alive, seeing the gals live. Which one would steal my heart? Their music touched my soul. Eclipsed by All About Eve in early November 89, gothic surrender.
Fate and chance put me in touch with Moira’s cousin. Tell her she did great songs I say.
And to Trish, hey I write too. But your songs are the best. May I use your words? I want to do them live as poems to share with everyone.
Maybe Trish and Moira will get back together and give me my gig? So many things have changed since 89 but so much remains the same. Years fall by too fast. 1987 to now, HLF only gets better.
From early second hand singles to now. What other band sang so poignantly about The Troubles? Yet they love like I do and feel joy and pain, mirror image here. Circle almost complete.
One day Moira sing…
read by me at gullivers manchester sep6 2012
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