Myles

Today we remember Surgeon Captain Rick Jolly OBE RN, the Royal Navy doctor who became one of the most respected medical officers in British military history and the only serviceman from the Falklands War to be decorated by both Britain and Argentina. Richard Tadeusz “Rick” Jolly was born in Hong Kong in 1946 to Polish parents who had endured Japanese internment during the Second World War. Educated at Stonyhurst College, he went on to study medicine at St Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical College in London, qualifying as a doctor in 1969. After working as a junior doctor, he joined the Royal Navy in 1972, beginning a career that would eventually place him at the centre of one of Britain’s most famous military campaigns. During his naval service, Jolly served with the Royal Marines, the Fleet Air Arm and in a variety of operational and training appointments. One of his most important pre-war roles was as Medical Officer to 42 Commando Royal Marines, gaining invaluable experience in field medicine and operational deployments. By 1982 he was serving as the Senior Medical Officer of 3 Commando Brigade, responsible for the medical support of thousands of Royal Marines and soldiers deployed to the South Atlantic. During the Falklands War, Jolly established and commanded the field hospital at Ajax Bay, housed inside a disused refrigeration plant overlooking San Carlos Water. The hospital quickly became known as the “Red and Green Life Machine”, named after the colours of the Royal Marines and Army personnel serving there. Working under constant pressure, often with limited supplies and under the threat of Argentine air attack, Jolly and his team treated more than 1,000 casualties, including around 300 Argentine wounded. Remarkably, of the 580 British battle casualties who reached Ajax Bay alive, only three later died and none died under Jolly’s direct care. Friend and foe alike received the same treatment, earning the respect of everyone who passed through the hospital. For his actions during the campaign, Rick Jolly was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). Years later, the Argentine government learned just how many of their soldiers had survived because of the work carried out at Ajax Bay. In 1999, they awarded him the Order of May, one of Argentina’s highest honours. This made him the only veteran of the Falklands War to be officially decorated by both sides of the conflict. When he sought permission from Queen Elizabeth II to wear the Argentine medal, she personally approved the request. Jolly remained in the Royal Navy until 1996, retiring as a Surgeon Captain after 24 years of service. In retirement he became a passionate advocate for veterans, helping to found the South Atlantic Medal Association and campaigning for greater recognition of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among former servicemen and women. He also wrote several books, including The Red and Green Life Machine, which remains one of the most important first-hand accounts of medical operations during the Falklands War. Surgeon Captain Rick Jolly died on 13 January 2018 at the age of 71. His legacy endures not only through the hundreds of lives he helped save but through the example he set of professionalism, courage and humanity in war. In a conflict defined by bravery on land, sea and air, Rick Jolly proved that sometimes the greatest act of service is not taking life but preserving it. Courtesy of FactSlap Borrowed from Facebook.