Penal Company on the Falklands

A British Army veteran recounts the exploits of his rifle company in the Falklands War in a memoir of heroism, humor, and disaster.

In April of 1982, the Argentinian junta invaded the Falkland Islands. On leave at the time, the 2nd Battalion Parachute Regiment was recalled to join the task force to recover the Islands. With no parachutes, they made an 8,000-mile journey into battle on a North Sea ferry. Philip Neame was commander of a 100-strong rifle company with a reputation for troublemakers that earned them the nickname “Penal Company.”

After winning the first major land battle on the Falklands, 2 PARA was the only battalion to fight in a second. At Wireless Ridge, Penal Company rose above its reputation to play a decisive role. Yet in the final moments they suffered a deadly artillery barrage—from their own guns.

This searingly honest account explores the realities of war—the tightrope between success and disaster, comedy and tragedy; the strength of companionship and the solitude of fear. Above all, it is a tribute to a band of brothers who, taking their nickname as a badge of honor, fought, cursed, and laughed together, to win through on those ‘ringing plains of windy Troy.’