Nobody said a word, or risked a cough.
“UPLAND GOOSE must be ready to go not later than the third week of March, 1969. Ideally, the main assault exercise will be mounted in the first week of April. I expect pro-active inter-service co-operation at every level; and woe betide any officer who obstructs the preparations for UPLAND GOOSE. Officers and men should be informed that their performance in this exercise will have a material bearing on their future prospects, and careers. The exercise will be conducted as if it is for real; we fight with what we have got to hand, not the army, navy and air force we wish to have.”
He paused for reflection.
“The Prime Minister believes that the reason that ‘talks about talks’ about the future of the Falkland Islands have got nowhere, is that the Argentine Junta no longer takes seriously the threat of a task force sailing eight thousand miles, from the United Kingdom to the South Atlantic, to conduct large-scale opposed amphibious landings on islands that they have occupied, and fortified, in the last four-and-a-half years. Mrs Thatcher is of the view that if we do not break the ‘log jam’ now, then Argentine aggression will go unpunished and that a dangerous precedent will have been set in the context of the post-1962 world order.”
He looked around the table, his expression inscrutable, his eyes hard.
“I have laid out the risks of such an undertaking to Ministers in unambiguous, one might say, graphic terms but ultimately, we live to serve. That said, the Prime Minister has assured me that if UPLAND GOOSE succeeds in persuading the Argentines to come to the negotiating table and to engage in meaningful discussions over the future of the Falkland Islands Dependencies; that there will be no attempt to re-take the Malvinas,” the word tasted sour, “by force of arms. Moreover, in the unlikely event that military action – of some description is justified by circumstances we cannot foresee at this time – executive orders pertinent to it will not be issued until such time as Parliament has approved the same.”
He was winding up now.
“So, let me recap. Firstly, UPLAND GOOSE is not an inevitable prelude to an adventure in the South Atlantic; it is a tool in negotiations we hope that the United Nations will facilitate with the Argentine Government. Secondly, UPLAND GOOSE is a priceless opportunity for us to shake out the lethargy which has settled on us since the liberation of France last year.”
He renewed eye contacts around the table.
“Loose talk about going to war with the Argentine will be stamped on. There is nothing we can do about what politicians and others say; but we are a disciplined cadre. We are above such things. We must inculcate into our people an awareness that Argentine soldiers, sailors and airmen are people like us, men who have families, and people they love and who love them. Like us, not every Argentine is a model citizen with a peerless moral compass. UPLAND GOOSE will be designed to capture key objectives and to seize territory; not to kill enemy combatants. We have not fought these last few years to preserve our way of life just so we might besmirch it anew in foreign lands, gentlemen.”
Pep talk over the Chief of the Defence Staff turned to specifics.
“I expect the draft operational prospectus for UPLAND GOOSE to be on my desk one week hence, and all key planners to be available to brief Ministers and the Chiefs of Staff that day, the meeting location will be advised in due course.”
He sighed.
“One last thing,” he said, resignedly, “please remember at all times that if we ever embark upon an adventure like UPLAND GOOSE for real, it will almost certainly be a bloody thing for all concerned.”
[The End]
Author’s End Note
‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’ is Book 15 of the alternative history series Timeline 10/27/62. I hope you enjoyed it - or if you did not, sorry - but either way, thank you for reading and helping to keep the printed word alive. Remember, civilization depends on people like you.
Coming Next in the Timeline 10/27/62 Series:
Book 16: Armadas (War in the South Atlantic – Part I)
Release date: 27th October 2020.
Book 17: Smoke on the Water (War in the South Atlantic – Part II)
Release date: 27th April 2021.
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