Foston veteran’s memoir honours lost comrades from British ship HMS Coventry sunk during Falklands War
A veteran has shared a powerful memoir of his Falklands War experience as he paid tribute to lost friends.
Mark Whitney, a 61-year-old veteran who lives in Foston near Grantham, has published No War Hero: Survival in the South Atlantic, a deeply personal account of his experiences aboard HMS Coventry during the 1982 Falklands Conflict, shedding light on a pivotal moment in British military history.
Mark’s book, driven by a promise to honour his fallen comrade Stephen Tonkin, offers a raw and intimate portrayal of naval life during one of Britain’s most challenging modern conflicts.
Aged 18, Mark served as a tactical radio operator, witnessing the intense naval battles that shaped the war.
The manuscript, decades in the making, captures Mark’s journey from a young sailor to a survivor of one of the conflict’s most devastating naval incidents.
On May 25, 1982, HMS Coventry was attacked by Argentine aircraft, an event that would change Mark’s life forever.
"I wanted to ensure my mate’s story wasn’t forgotten," Mark explained.
Stephen Tonkin, just 22 years old, was among the 19 crew members who perished when the ship was hit by three bombs on the port side.
"He had his whole life ahead of him and I wanted him to be remembered."
Mark met Stephen while serving on HMS Coventry, where they became close friends working on the ship's 'ship’s rights party' (maintenance group), where they were assigned together despite having different roles – Mark as a radio operator and Stephen as a marine engineering mechanic.
Mark describes their friendship as very close – they would "get on like a house on fire" and would go out drinking together when the ship was deployed.
Mark’s book serves as a memorial to those lost, including a dedicated roll of honour.
Mark’s account begins with his early maritime training and follows his naval career through the Cold War period.
Eighteen months into his naval career, Mark – who was supposed to be returning to the UK for downtime and a family event in the Solent – was instead told he would be heading to the South Atlantic conflict.
He describes the journey to the Falklands as a mix of uncertainty and intense preparation, with sailors initially unsure about the conflict’s purpose.
The book reveals the harsh realities of naval warfare, from constant training exercises to facing potential chemical attacks.
"It was an exhausting journey, we didn’t stop en-route, we just replenished the ship time and time again so we could take as much weaponry and missiles as the ship could carry – we wanted to be ready," he said, though he added that at the time it was expected that the situation would be settled diplomatically.
It wasn’t all bad either, as Mark describes an amazing moment watching flying fish for the first time "gliding" through the ocean.
"That was magical and it got me thinking about the song Golden Brown from The Stranglers," remembers Mark.
However, he also recalls the moment Rear Admiral Sandy Woodward addressed the crew, starkly warning that some might not return home – a moment that crystallised the conflict’s gravity for the young sailor.
"At the same time body bags came on board… I wrote my last will and testament and got that off in the mail to my brother. I didn’t give him the heads-up; the letter just arrived and said keep hold of this in case it’s needed – not that I had an awful lot to bequeath to anybody," said Mark.
During the conflict, Mark’s role placed him on the ship’s bridge, witnessing missile launches and air attacks.
His vivid recollections capture the tension of naval warfare, including the sinking of HMS Sheffield on the British side and the controversial sinking of the Argentine’s General Belgrano.
Mark’s mess was under the ship’s state-of-the-art 4.5-inch gun, which would shell the Argentinian positions at night.
"It was like being in a tin can and someone was hitting it with a stick, it was so noisy," said Mark.
The day of the attack remains etched in Mark’s memory.
With the ship under intense aerial assault, Mark himself narrowly escaped death, jumping into the South Atlantic waters as HMS Coventry sank within 30 minutes.
Stephen, however, was not so lucky. Having recently been transferred to a new position in the engine room, he was in the line of fire of one of the bombs.
Mark, concerned for his friend, had at one point considered going into the ship to find him.
"They talk about survivors’ guilt but that thought is always with me… should I have gone down and tried to find him… but it would have been futile," he said, having learned later that the bomb didn’t initially explode after hitting, but did so within seconds or minutes while the engine room was talking to the bridge about the situation.
"It stays with me forever. Could I have got down there? But I don't think I’d have been coming back if I had."
The rescue operation that followed was fraught with danger and uncertainty, as Mark not only waited to hear if Stephen was among the survivors but his own family waited to hear about him.
Mark’s journey didn’t end with the conflict as he volunteered to return to the Falklands three years later.
The book also explores his ongoing connection with his fallen comrade’s family and the annual reunions that keep the memories alive.
Mark admits that for a good number of years he avoided reunions because "I didn’t feel like I wanted to remember what had happened or mix with people that had been involved with it, thinking of HMS Coventry."
But after 30 years, he said: "I thought, ‘What are you doing? You need to get off your backside and pay some respect.’"
From then forward, it was about connecting with his fallen comrade’s family.
He began attending reunions and now meets up with his friend’s family to raise a glass in remembrance.
Published via Amazon, the book has already sold 45 copies through Facebook groups and veteran networks.
Mark plans to sell more copies at the upcoming Falklands memorial service, continuing his mission to share the story of HMS Coventry’s crew.
The manuscript has received praise from John Hudson, the Ministry of Defence’s chief survival instructor, who encouraged Mark to publish the account.
Mark’s captain had also urged veterans to document their experiences, recognising the historical importance of their stories.
