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This poem was written in April 1973 when David was 16 years of age.
Below is a detailed description of the attach on HMS Glamorgan on Saturday 12th June 1982:
"HMS GLAMORGAN: At 06:37 the following morning. Saturday 12th June 1982, GLAMORGAN was attacked with an M36 Exocet missile which was fired from an improvised shore-based launcher. The two MM38 Exocet missiles had been removed from the destroyer ARA Segui and secured on the launcher, a technically difficult task requiring reprogramming. The launcher was dubbed '1TB' (Instalacion de Tiro Berreta) by the Argentine personnel which approximately means in Argentine slang "trashy firing platform". Two MM38 Exocet missiles, their launcher, transporter, and the associated electronics trailer were assembled by the Argentine navy at Puerto Belgrano and flown by a C-130 Hercules transport aircraft to the Falkland Islands. A RASIT radar supplied by the Argentine Army tracked Glamorgan's movements.
Glamorgan was steaming at about 20knots (37km/h)some 18 nautical miles (33km) of shore. The first attempt to fire a missile failed. A second attempt was successful and a missile was launched, but it failed to find the target. The third attempt was more successful. The incoming Exocet missile was being tracked on both the bridge and operations room radar by the Principal Warfare Officer and Navigation Officer.
Before the missile impact, the ship was moving at high speed. After the ship executed a rapid turn away from the missile in the limited time available, a few seconds,the Exocet struck the port side adjacent to the hangar near the stern. The turn had prevented the missile striking the ship's perpendicularly and penetrating. Instead it hit the deck coaming at an angle, near the port Seacat launcher, skidded on the deck and exploded. This made a 10ft by 15ft hole in the hangar deck and a 5ft by 4ft hole in the galley area below, where a fire started.
The blast travelled forwards and sown, and the missile body, still travelling forwards, penetrated the hangar door, causing a fully fuelled and armed Wessex helicopter to explode and start a severe fire in the hangar. Fourteen crew member were killed and more wounded. The ship was under way again with all fires extinguished by 10:00."
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"Over 30 years later in September 2012 Christine Tinker the widow of Lieutenant David Tinker, was presented with the Elizabeth Cross and Memorial Scroll by the Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire, Algernon Heber-Percy.
The Elizabeth Cross is a commemorative medal given to the recognised next of kin of members of the British Armed Forces killed in action or as a result of a terrorist attack after the Second World War."
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