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The Royal Marines Offered Me Hope
Featured Author:
Fred Jacques
Fred is a former Royal Navy Commando and served mostly with the Royal Marines. He saw service in many places abroad but was wounded in the Falklands War. He misses service everyday and wishes he was still serving like the rest of us! However, he has swapped his SLR for family life and works as a security Guard.
Fred is a member of the site and you’ll find him here.
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To follow on from my previous article – Royal Navy and Royal Marines – My Career Was A Roller Coaster, about being rejected for the Navy because of my age and going through to start a new life – well, after all the funny business it was then that I met with the Royal Marines on the Commando Air Squadrons and found a whole new challenge.
They offered me hope and I decided to transfer to the Marines. Doing the all-arms commando course and then starting a whole new life was really what I wanted do try and looking back I was happy I did – it’s all about timing; as with most things in life I suppose.
Life in the Forces fitted like a hand made glove and life had new meaning. Though I must admit that dad wasn’t too happy as he himself served as a 22year plus Matelot and thought I had let the side down. However, as time went on he accepted that I had made the right choice.
Things went swimmingly until 1982. I changed as a person, became more confident, felt professional and valued. I also did some travelling too and went to places I’d never imagined. Until the stuff hit the proverbial fan when the Argentine government decided they’d had enough of Margaret Thatcher so invaded the Falkland Islands. All hell broke lose at our camp and we just knew we’d be part of the initial invasion fleet – I was but I got injured and was medi-vaced out.
I struggled to gain fitness again that year, and more so subseqent years. The marines were great transferring me to Commachio Group to get me away from active commando units. I worked on the west coast in nuclear protection at Faslane and Coulport giving me the time to work on getting fit again. Unfortunately, as fast as I got fit I broke down again until in 1987 I was put to the medical board to assess my future military service.
I don’t know how it works now, but I was out in front of a very senior officer board of three high rankers. They told me I had two choices: 1. Civvy street or 2. Back to the Naval hospitals on a desk job. I had no time to look at what the options meant and had to give an instant reply. The thought of going back to the hospital after such a long time and not being involved in active service anymore scared me to death. So I chose the wrong option and went on for civvy street. In hindsight it was the wrong decision but at the time it seemed the right one.
This has been a choice I have regretted every since, however one must go on and people say we musn’t regret things otherwise it eats you up. At least I can say that I served and did what I did and don’t need to go on a Remembrance parade wearing fake medals like that recent Roger Day the fake SAS bloke.
I miss the closeness and companionship that can only come from service in the armed forces, and miss the daily challenge that it offers. Even if the same was to happen again I would go back any day of the week.
The opportunities that it offers far outway any disadvantages that one would think of, though personally I can not think of any.
It is a life that I would recommend to anyone and everyone as it is a life that nowhere else in the world could compare with.
