Groups and Single Decorations for Gallantry
‘In an enemy bunker on top of Mount Longdon having a brew’, Pettinger (left), Hunt (right). Shortly after this photo was taken enemy artillery opened up and partially buried them
D.C.M. London Gazette 8 October 1982:
‘Sergeant Pettinger is a Patrol Commander D (Patrol) Company 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment. On the nights of the 2nd/3rd June Sergeant Pettinger was Commander of one of a number of patrols tasked to gain information about enemy forces holding Mount Longdon.
Sergeant Pettinger’s mission was to recce routes onto Mount Longdon with the aim of placing a rifle company in the best possible position for a night assault later. This meant closing with the enemy who at times were only a few metres away in order to gain his information. This he did with great success on four occasions over the two nights, displaying a high standard of skill and coolness, knowing that capture would lead to the compromise of the battalion plans. The information gained led to him being able to produce accurate descriptions of routes onto the objective, detailed information on enemy strengths and locations, and on the night of 8 June to lead a platoon along the assault route in a rehearsal for the planned attack. Once again he closed with the enemy, gained further information, and cleared more routes, again with great coolness. On the night of 11th/12th June, Sergeant Pettinger acted as a guide for B Company for their part in the battalion night attack onto Mount Longdon and was able to place them in such a good starting position that the attack came as a complete surprise to the enemy. Once the battle had commenced he was a constant source of information and advice to the Company Commander, while acting with dash and determination during the many assaults against strong points on that night, killing at least three enemy. During the preparation for the attack on Mount Longdon Sergeant Pettinger completed six close target reconnaissances against the objective. He displayed the highest standards of professional skill, alertness, accuracy of reporting, coolness in the face of the enemy as well as courage during the actual assault.’
John Stuart Pettinger was born in Blackburn, Lancashire, and joined the Army in September 1968 at the age of 15 as a Junior soldier of The Parachute Regiment. He spent two years serving with the Infantry Junior Leaders Battalion at Oswestry, after which he completed ‘P Company’. Pettinger was posted to the 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment in early 1971, and he provides the following previously unpublished detailed and graphic account of his operational service:
‘I was initially due to serve with 2 Para, however the under 18 rule had just been imposed for troops in Northern Ireland (NI) which resulted in getting posted to 3 Para instead.
During 1972, after a very arduous physical and mental selection phase in South Wales, I joined D (Patrol) Company 3 Para, (also known as Patrol Company). I stayed with the Company several years and returned as a Sergeant in 1981 after various postings; including numerous tours in NI both on the border and in Belfast with the Company (Coy) and also as a Corporal instructing recruits at Browning Barracks, Aldershot for two years during 1976-78, which was both enjoyable and fulfilling. Additionally, I had two tours in Malaya and attended the Jungle Warfare Instructor Course.
In 1978 I attended the SAS selection and after a month of arduous training I had to withdraw due to injuries. However instead of being ‘Returned to Unit” (RTU’d) which was the normal action for injuries, I was kept on at Hereford, helping out on the Training Wing and was to await the next selection phase. After approximately a month I was directed to attend the selection for what was commonly known as ‘The Det’ or ‘14 Intelligence Company’ and now is officially named the Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR; part of the UK Special Forces). I passed the difficult selection phase and was deployed as an Operator for the next couple of years. Skills learnt from this work I utilised and taught later on, both with Patrol Coy and also in civilian life.
In 1981, as I re-joined 3 Para in Germany, the Patrols were reorganised as a Platoon (Pl), forming part of Support (Sp) Coy and was soon to be posted to Tidworth, as well as a further Northern Ireland deployment on the border. Over the next few months, my main task was to organise and deliver the training for the Patrol Platoon members in preparation for that NI deployment, which was a highly successful tour for the Platoon.
During the early part of 1982, when the Battalion (Bn) was based in Tidworth, the Patrols were directed to reform as a company, D (Patrol) Company, therefore more men suitable for Patrol Coy work were required. With another Patrol’s SNCO, we ran a selection
phase in South Wales for almost a month. Towards the end of that selection (April 2nd Bn at Tidworth and be ready to deploy the next morning.
), we were directed to return immediately to the
We were to discover that night that the Argentinian Forces had invaded and occupied the Falkland Islands and South Georgia. Nobody was quite sure quite where this was at this stage, but we were soon to find out.
Political wrangling and logistic preparation held us back until the 8th April, when we were to join SS Canberra, (a requisitioned cruise liner) at Southampton. We sailed the next day heading south. This was to be a long six-week voyage, where all basic skills were honed, blood given, and fitness training continued. We also received several intelligence briefings and lectures and were able to conduct some map studying; still not knowing quite where we were going.
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