Rick Jolly
Encyclopedia
Surgeon-Captain Richard Jolly OBE
is a former Royal Navy medical officer who served in the 1982 Falklands War
. He still practices and gives lectures to medical establishments on his experiences.
Jolly went to medical school at Bart’s in London and qualified in 1969. While he was working as a houseman, a senior doctor suggested he join the Royal Naval Reserve as a Royal Navy doctor. He became medical officer to 42 Commando
RM, who were deployed in Belfast along with men of the 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, with whom he built a strong friendship.
In 24 years of service he completed two tours with the Fleet Air Arm
as a Flight Surgeon, Medical Officer recruitment / Officer training in the Dartmouth Training Ship HMS Bristol
, and at the Britannia Royal Naval College
.
. The facilities at Ajax Bay were very poor and despite dust, dirt, poor lighting & the presence of two unexploded bombs, only three of the 580 British soldiers and Marines wounded in action, died of their wounds.
After the war Jolly wrote the book The Red and Green Life Machine about his experiences.
He remains the only serviceman to be decorated by both sides after the conflict, where in received an OBE from the UK and Oficial Orden de Mayo from Argentina. While visiting Argentina in 1998 Jolly had sent ahead a list of Argentine casualties and asked the authorities there what had become of them. As a result, the Argentine Foreign Ministry discovered the truth about the battlefield medical care of their wounded, invited over fifty of them to the ceremony in Buenos Aires, and then appointed him as an Oficial (Officer) in the Orden de Mayo
(Order of May) in recognition.
Her Majesty the Queen personally authorized him to wear this "on all occasions" on behalf of the three hundred British Naval, Royal Marines & Army medics involved in the War.
With Denzil Connick
he campaigns for the recognition of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for all Falkland Veterans as well as writing the book (dictionary
) Jackspeak in aid of the South Atlantic Medal South Association
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
is a former Royal Navy medical officer who served in the 1982 Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
. He still practices and gives lectures to medical establishments on his experiences.
Jolly went to medical school at Bart’s in London and qualified in 1969. While he was working as a houseman, a senior doctor suggested he join the Royal Naval Reserve as a Royal Navy doctor. He became medical officer to 42 Commando
42 Commando
42 Commando Royal Marines is a battalion sized formation of the British Royal Marines and a subordinate unit within 3 Commando Brigade, the principal Commando formation, under the Operational Command of Commander in Chief Fleet....
RM, who were deployed in Belfast along with men of the 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, with whom he built a strong friendship.
In 24 years of service he completed two tours with the Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
as a Flight Surgeon, Medical Officer recruitment / Officer training in the Dartmouth Training Ship HMS Bristol
HMS Bristol (D23)
HMS Bristol is a Type 82 destroyer, the only vessel of her class to be built for the Royal Navy. Originally intended as the first of a class of new large destroyers to escort the CVA-01 aircraft carriers projected to come into service in the early 1970s, Bristol turned out to be a unique ship...
, and at the Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College is the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy, located on a hill overlooking Dartmouth, Devon, England. While Royal Naval officer training has taken place in the town since 1863, the buildings which are seen today were only finished in 1905, and...
.
Falklands War
As Officer Commanding (OC) Medical Squadron of the Commando Logistic Regiment RM, Jolly was Senior Medical Officer of 3 Commando Brigade RM and commanded the field hospital at Ajax BayAjax Bay
Ajax Bay is a settlement on East Falkland, in the Falkland Islands, It is on the north west coast, on the shore of San Carlos Water, a few miles from Port San Carlos. It was mainly a refrigeration plant, and was developed by the Colonial Development Corporation in the 1950s, which was also...
. The facilities at Ajax Bay were very poor and despite dust, dirt, poor lighting & the presence of two unexploded bombs, only three of the 580 British soldiers and Marines wounded in action, died of their wounds.
After the war Jolly wrote the book The Red and Green Life Machine about his experiences.
He remains the only serviceman to be decorated by both sides after the conflict, where in received an OBE from the UK and Oficial Orden de Mayo from Argentina. While visiting Argentina in 1998 Jolly had sent ahead a list of Argentine casualties and asked the authorities there what had become of them. As a result, the Argentine Foreign Ministry discovered the truth about the battlefield medical care of their wounded, invited over fifty of them to the ceremony in Buenos Aires, and then appointed him as an Oficial (Officer) in the Orden de Mayo
Order of May
The Order of May is one of the highest decorations in Argentina.The Grades are:*Collar *Grand Cross *Grand Officer *Commander *Officer *Knight - References :...
(Order of May) in recognition.
Her Majesty the Queen personally authorized him to wear this "on all occasions" on behalf of the three hundred British Naval, Royal Marines & Army medics involved in the War.
With Denzil Connick
Denzil Connick
Denzil Connick is the co-founder and secretary of the formed in 1997. He served with 3 PARA during the 1982 Falklands War and lost a leg during the Battle of Mount Longdon....
he campaigns for the recognition of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for all Falkland Veterans as well as writing the book (dictionary
Dictionary
A dictionary is a collection of words in one or more specific languages, often listed alphabetically, with usage information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other information; or a book of words in one language with their equivalents in another, also known as a lexicon...
) Jackspeak in aid of the South Atlantic Medal South Association
South Atlantic Medal
The South Atlantic Medal is a British campaign medal awarded to British military personnel and civilians for service in the Falklands War of 1982, between the United Kingdom and Argentina; 29,700 were issued...
.