[An t-Urr. Aonghas Mac a’ Ghobhainn] Bha mi fichead bliadhna san arm mar mhinistear airm agus an uair sin còig bliadhna deug mar mhinistear aig gnìomhachas na h-ola. Bha fhios agam gach latha gum biodh agam ri ’s dòcha rudan doirbh a ghiùlain agus seòrsa de mhìneachadh a thoirt dha na daoine a bha a’ coimhead airson beagan mìneachaidh, airson beagan solais mu thimcheall an rud a bha a’ tachairt. A dh’aindeoin sin, bha mi a’ faighinn cofhurtachd mhòr mi fhèin anns a’ chreideamh a bha seo nach dèan nì air bith ar sgaradh o ghràdh Dhè a th’ ann an Ìosa Crìost ar Dia-ne.
[Aithris naidheachd] Still the build up of troops and ships for the taskforce goes on, Britain’s largest liner the Queen Elizabeth the Second is preparing to sail with 3000 troops, men of the Ghurkas, the Scots guards and the Welsh Guards.
[An t-Urr. Aonghas Mac a’ Ghobhainn] 'S dh’inns an comanndair dhuinn an uair sin dè a bha a’ dol a thachairt mu dheidhinn nam Falklands, gum feumadh sinn sinn fhèin ullachadh airson cogadh. Ma tha thu a’ dol gu cogadh sam bith aig àm air bith dha do bheatha, theirig thusa sìos air a QE2. ’S e dòigh math dha-rìribh a th’ ann a dhol sìos gu cogadh!
[An t-Urr. Aonghas Mac a’ Ghobhainn] Cha tèid e às mo chuimhne-sa gu bràth an dòigh anns an seinneadh iad, nise cha robh fhios aca air mòran dhe na laoidhean a bh’ againn, eil fhios agad, cha mhòr nach cunntadh tu iad air do dhà làimh. Ach a’ chluais èisteachd a bha iad a’ toirt dhan an t-searmon an uair sin agus an t-àite a bha iad a' toirt dha, eil fhios agad, agus chan e sin a-mhàin. An rud a bha a’ tachairt gun robh thu gan toirt an uair sin 's bha thu a’ dèanamh ùrnaigh air an son cuideachd, bha thu a’ dèanamh ùrnaigh air an son uile. Fhios agad aig a’ cheart àm ged a bha sinn a’ dol sìos ann an sin mar rèisimeid nach tigeadh a h-uile duine air ais. Agus 's dòcha gur e rud a bha doirbh ri ghiùlain a bh’ ann gu sònraichte às dèidh dhan sin tachairt 's a' chuimhne a bha agad gun robh thu air an ùrnaigh a dhèanamh agus am fiosrachadh a bha thu a’ toirt dhaibh cuideachd air mhodh cho glic ’s a b’ urrainn dhut seo a chantainn riutha, gum feumadh sinn sinn fhèin ullachadh airson casualties. Ciamar a bha mi a’ dol a dh’ullachadh nan saighdearan airson a' bhlàir no an latha a dh’fheumadh iad a dhol a-steach dhan bhattle. Nise bha seirbheisean beaga againn shìos ann an sin, shìos air a’ Chuimrigh cuideachd, Maines, a’ sealltainn dhaibh cuideachd dè a thachradh nuair a dheigheadh cuideigin a mharbhadh. Bha procedure ann airson sin cuideachd, eadar emergency burial, temporary burial agus permanent burial agus mar sin 's dh’fheumadh tu sin a thoirt dhaibh agus co-dhiù thuirt an commandair rium feumaidh tu seo a shealltainn dhaibh, agus chan urrainn dhaibh a dhol a-steach ann an sin agus gun fhios no eòlas aca gum faodadh seo tachairt.
[An t-Urr. Aonghas Mac a’ Ghobhainn] Fhuair sinn radio message gun robh na paras air a dhol a-steach gu Goose Green agus gun robh uiread de chasualties air a bhith aca 's gun deach an commanding officer aca, H Jones, gun deach esan a mharbhadh. Uill 's ann an uair sin a thàinig e dhachaigh air daoine gun robh na daoine seo, nan Argentinianaich, gun robh iad ag iarraidh, fhios agad, sabaid a dhèanamh agus nach robh iad a’ dol a ruith air falbh cho furasta ’s a bha sinne a’ smaoineachadh a dhèanadh iad sin. 'S fhuair sinn an t-òrdugh a dhol a-steach an uair sin airson a bhattle. ’S e madainn na Sàbaid a bh’ ann agus chaidh sinn a-mach gu àite ris an can iad G oat Ridge, sin far an robh an assembly area againn. Nise bha sinn a’ smaoineachadh an toiseach nach robh fhios aig na h-Argentinianaich gun robh sinn ann ach bha na forward observation officers acasan bha iadsan gu math gleusta cuideachd 's bha fhios aca càite an robh sinn. Thòisich na shells a’ tighinn a-nall à sin fad an latha agus bha uair no dhà ann an sin bha dùil agam nach tiginn air ais.
[An t-Urr. Aonghas Mac a’ Ghobhainn] Thàinig an Iron Lady, Mrs Thatcher, agus thuirt ise, seo a' chiad uair a thachair seo ann an eachdraidh a-riamh, ma bha teaghlach sam bith ag iarraidh am mac no am bràthair a bha air am marbhadh shìos ann an sin a thoirt dhachaigh gun tachradh sin aig public expense. Nise dh’iarr na guards gun dèanadh sinn sin, gun toireadh iad a h-uile duine dhachaigh, eil fhios agad. Agus bha sin air a dhèanamh cho brèagha ’s a b’ urrainn dhut a bhith 's a bha na pìoban ann an sin a’ cluich The Flowers of the Forest, two minutes silence agus bha sinn air a h-uile càil a dhèanamh. Nise nuair a thàinig sinn dhachaigh, thàinig oirnn a dhol timcheall ann an sin air iomadh àite 's an nì ceudna a dhèanamh. Agus ’s e rud gu math doirbh a bha sin agus bha ann an seagh bha sinn air a bhith sinn fhèin a mar a chanadh tu cleachdte ris an rud a thachair agus bha eòlas againn air ’s gun do thachair e. Ach nuair a thàinig sinn dhachaigh an uair sin ann an August agus gidheadh dh’fheumadh sinn a dhol timcheall iomadh àite an uair sin a’ dèanamh nan tìodhlaigeadh a tha sin. Bha agad an uair sin ri dèiligeadh ris a' chaoidh ’s ris a' bhròn, eil fhios agad, a bh’ aig teaghlaichean nan gillean a bha sin agus an caoidh ’s am bròn a bh’ againn fhèin cuideachd, eil fhios agad. Agus tha mi a’ smaoineachadh a thaobh creideimh cha b’ urrainn dhòmhsa a bhith air a dhèanamh às aonais a’ chreideimh a bh’ agam, cha b’ urrainn dhomh.
[An t-Urr. Aonghas Mac a’ Ghobhainn] Tha mise nam choigreach mar ’s g’eil luchd cuairt às an t-saoghal agus coimheadaidh mi air ais air mo bheatha, na nithean a thachair agus na nithean nach b’ urrainn dhomh a bhith air a dhèanamh gu bràth mar a b’ e gun robh gràs Dhè còmhla rium ann an sin agus deas làimh Dhè còmhla rium aig na h-amannan anns an robh feum air.
Chaidh am prògram seo, Alleluia, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2009.
[Rev. Angus Smith] I was twenty years in the army as a minister of the army and then fifteen years as a minister in the oil industry. I knew each day that there would maybe be difficult things to face and some sort of explanation to be given to the people who were looking for a little understanding, for a little light surrounding what was happening. Despite that, I got great comfort myself in this faith that nothing at all can separate us from God’s love that is in Jesus Christ our God.
[News Bulletin] Still the build up of troops and ships for the taskforce goes on, Britain’s largest liner the Queen Elizabeth the 2nd is preparing to sail with 3000 troops, men of the Ghurkas, the Scots guards and the Welsh Guards.
[Rev. Angus Smith] And the commander then told us what was going to happen about the Falklands, that we had to prepare ourselves for war. If you are going to any war at any time in your life, you go to it on the QE2. It’s a great way to go to war!
[Rev. Angus Smith] I will never forget the way in which they would sing, now they didn’t know many of the hymns we had, you know, you could almost count them on your two hands. But the attention that they paid to the sermon then and the place they gave it, you know, and that was not all. What happened was you then took them and prayed for them as well, you were praying for them all. Knowing at the same time that although we were going down as a regiment that not everyone would return. And maybe it was something that was hard to bear especially after that happened and your memory that you had prayed and the information that you gave them too in as wise an approach that you could say this to them, that we had to prepare ourselves for casualties. How was I going to prepare the soldiers for the battle or the day that they needed to go into the battle. Now we had small services down there, down in Wales as well, Maine, showing them also what would happen if someone was killed. There was a procedure for that too, between an emergency burial, a temporary burial and a permanent burial and so on and you had to give them that and anyway the commander said to me you must show them this, and they can’t go in there without them knowing that this could happen.
[Rev. Angus Smith] We got a radio message that the paras had gone into Goose Green and that there had been so many casualties that their commanding officer, H Jones, had been killed. Well it was then that people realised that these people, Argentinians, that they wanted, you know, a fight and that they weren’t going to run away as easily as we thought they would. And we got the order then to go in for the battle. It was a Sunday morning and we went out to a place that they call Goat Ridge,. that’s where our assembly area was. Now we thought at first that the Argentinians didn’t know that we were there but their forward observation officers were very smart too and they knew where we were. The shells started coming across from there all day and there was one or two occasions when I thought that I wouldn’t return.
[Rev. Angus Smith] The Iron Lady, Mrs Thatcher, cameand she said, this is the first time in history that this happened, that if any family wanted their son or brother who had been killed down there to be taken home that that would happen at public expense. Now the guards asked that we do that, that they would take everyone home, you know. And that was done as beautifully as it could have been and the pipes were playing The Flowers of the Forest, a two minute silence and we had done everything. Now when we came home, we had to go round many places and do the very same thing. And that was a very hard thing and in a sense we ourselves had been used to what had happened and we knew about it and that it happened. But when we came home then in August, however, we had to go round many places then doing those funerals. You then had to deal with the grieving and with the sadness, you know, of those boys’ families and our own grieving and sadness too, you know. And I think with reagards to faith that I could not have done it without the faith that I had, I couldn’t have.
[Rev. Angus Smith] I am like a stranger as if a visitor in this world and I will look back on my life, the things that happened and the things that I could never have done if it wasn’t for God’s love being with me and God’s right hand being with me at the times when I needed it.
This programme, Alleluia, was first broadcast in 2009.
[An t-Urr. Aonghas Mac a’ Ghobhainn] Bha mi fichead bliadhna san arm mar mhinistear airm agus an uair sin còig bliadhna deug mar mhinistear aig gnìomhachas na h-ola. Bha fhios agam gach latha gum biodh agam ri ’s dòcha rudan doirbh a ghiùlain agus seòrsa de mhìneachadh a thoirt dha na daoine a bha a’ coimhead airson beagan mìneachaidh, airson beagan solais mu thimcheall an rud a bha a’ tachairt. A dh’aindeoin sin, bha mi a’ faighinn cofhurtachd mhòr mi fhèin anns a’ chreideamh a bha seo nach dèan nì air bith ar sgaradh o ghràdh Dhè a th’ ann an Ìosa Crìost ar Dia-ne.
[Aithris naidheachd] Still the build up of troops and ships for the taskforce goes on, Britain’s largest liner the Queen Elizabeth the Second is preparing to sail with 3000 troops, men of the Ghurkas, the Scots guards and the Welsh Guards.
[An t-Urr. Aonghas Mac a’ Ghobhainn] 'S dh’inns an comanndair dhuinn an uair sin dè a bha a’ dol a thachairt mu dheidhinn nam Falklands, gum feumadh sinn sinn fhèin ullachadh airson cogadh. Ma tha thu a’ dol gu cogadh sam bith aig àm air bith dha do bheatha, theirig thusa sìos air a QE2. ’S e dòigh math dha-rìribh a th’ ann a dhol sìos gu cogadh!
[An t-Urr. Aonghas Mac a’ Ghobhainn] Cha tèid e às mo chuimhne-sa gu bràth an dòigh anns an seinneadh iad, nise cha robh fhios aca air mòran dhe na laoidhean a bh’ againn, eil fhios agad, cha mhòr nach cunntadh tu iad air do dhà làimh. Ach a’ chluais èisteachd a bha iad a’ toirt dhan an t-searmon an uair sin agus an t-àite a bha iad a' toirt dha, eil fhios agad, agus chan e sin a-mhàin. An rud a bha a’ tachairt gun robh thu gan toirt an uair sin 's bha thu a’ dèanamh ùrnaigh air an son cuideachd, bha thu a’ dèanamh ùrnaigh air an son uile. Fhios agad aig a’ cheart àm ged a bha sinn a’ dol sìos ann an sin mar rèisimeid nach tigeadh a h-uile duine air ais. Agus 's dòcha gur e rud a bha doirbh ri ghiùlain a bh’ ann gu sònraichte às dèidh dhan sin tachairt 's a' chuimhne a bha agad gun robh thu air an ùrnaigh a dhèanamh agus am fiosrachadh a bha thu a’ toirt dhaibh cuideachd air mhodh cho glic ’s a b’ urrainn dhut seo a chantainn riutha, gum feumadh sinn sinn fhèin ullachadh airson casualties. Ciamar a bha mi a’ dol a dh’ullachadh nan saighdearan airson a' bhlàir no an latha a dh’fheumadh iad a dhol a-steach dhan bhattle. Nise bha seirbheisean beaga againn shìos ann an sin, shìos air a’ Chuimrigh cuideachd, Maines, a’ sealltainn dhaibh cuideachd dè a thachradh nuair a dheigheadh cuideigin a mharbhadh. Bha procedure ann airson sin cuideachd, eadar emergency burial, temporary burial agus permanent burial agus mar sin 's dh’fheumadh tu sin a thoirt dhaibh agus co-dhiù thuirt an commandair rium feumaidh tu seo a shealltainn dhaibh, agus chan urrainn dhaibh a dhol a-steach ann an sin agus gun fhios no eòlas aca gum faodadh seo tachairt.
[An t-Urr. Aonghas Mac a’ Ghobhainn] Fhuair sinn radio message gun robh na paras air a dhol a-steach gu Goose Green agus gun robh uiread de chasualties air a bhith aca 's gun deach an commanding officer aca, H Jones, gun deach esan a mharbhadh. Uill 's ann an uair sin a thàinig e dhachaigh air daoine gun robh na daoine seo, nan Argentinianaich, gun robh iad ag iarraidh, fhios agad, sabaid a dhèanamh agus nach robh iad a’ dol a ruith air falbh cho furasta ’s a bha sinne a’ smaoineachadh a dhèanadh iad sin. 'S fhuair sinn an t-òrdugh a dhol a-steach an uair sin airson a bhattle. ’S e madainn na Sàbaid a bh’ ann agus chaidh sinn a-mach gu àite ris an can iad G oat Ridge, sin far an robh an assembly area againn. Nise bha sinn a’ smaoineachadh an toiseach nach robh fhios aig na h-Argentinianaich gun robh sinn ann ach bha na forward observation officers acasan bha iadsan gu math gleusta cuideachd 's bha fhios aca càite an robh sinn. Thòisich na shells a’ tighinn a-nall à sin fad an latha agus bha uair no dhà ann an sin bha dùil agam nach tiginn air ais.
[An t-Urr. Aonghas Mac a’ Ghobhainn] Thàinig an Iron Lady, Mrs Thatcher, agus thuirt ise, seo a' chiad uair a thachair seo ann an eachdraidh a-riamh, ma bha teaghlach sam bith ag iarraidh am mac no am bràthair a bha air am marbhadh shìos ann an sin a thoirt dhachaigh gun tachradh sin aig public expense. Nise dh’iarr na guards gun dèanadh sinn sin, gun toireadh iad a h-uile duine dhachaigh, eil fhios agad. Agus bha sin air a dhèanamh cho brèagha ’s a b’ urrainn dhut a bhith 's a bha na pìoban ann an sin a’ cluich The Flowers of the Forest, two minutes silence agus bha sinn air a h-uile càil a dhèanamh. Nise nuair a thàinig sinn dhachaigh, thàinig oirnn a dhol timcheall ann an sin air iomadh àite 's an nì ceudna a dhèanamh. Agus ’s e rud gu math doirbh a bha sin agus bha ann an seagh bha sinn air a bhith sinn fhèin a mar a chanadh tu cleachdte ris an rud a thachair agus bha eòlas againn air ’s gun do thachair e. Ach nuair a thàinig sinn dhachaigh an uair sin ann an August agus gidheadh dh’fheumadh sinn a dhol timcheall iomadh àite an uair sin a’ dèanamh nan tìodhlaigeadh a tha sin. Bha agad an uair sin ri dèiligeadh ris a' chaoidh ’s ris a' bhròn, eil fhios agad, a bh’ aig teaghlaichean nan gillean a bha sin agus an caoidh ’s am bròn a bh’ againn fhèin cuideachd, eil fhios agad. Agus tha mi a’ smaoineachadh a thaobh creideimh cha b’ urrainn dhòmhsa a bhith air a dhèanamh às aonais a’ chreideimh a bh’ agam, cha b’ urrainn dhomh.
[An t-Urr. Aonghas Mac a’ Ghobhainn] Tha mise nam choigreach mar ’s g’eil luchd cuairt às an t-saoghal agus coimheadaidh mi air ais air mo bheatha, na nithean a thachair agus na nithean nach b’ urrainn dhomh a bhith air a dhèanamh gu bràth mar a b’ e gun robh gràs Dhè còmhla rium ann an sin agus deas làimh Dhè còmhla rium aig na h-amannan anns an robh feum air.
Chaidh am prògram seo, Alleluia, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2009.
[Rev. Angus Smith] I was twenty years in the army as a minister of the army and then fifteen years as a minister in the oil industry. I knew each day that there would maybe be difficult things to face and some sort of explanation to be given to the people who were looking for a little understanding, for a little light surrounding what was happening. Despite that, I got great comfort myself in this faith that nothing at all can separate us from God’s love that is in Jesus Christ our God.
[News Bulletin] Still the build up of troops and ships for the taskforce goes on, Britain’s largest liner the Queen Elizabeth the 2nd is preparing to sail with 3000 troops, men of the Ghurkas, the Scots guards and the Welsh Guards.
[Rev. Angus Smith] And the commander then told us what was going to happen about the Falklands, that we had to prepare ourselves for war. If you are going to any war at any time in your life, you go to it on the QE2. It’s a great way to go to war!
[Rev. Angus Smith] I will never forget the way in which they would sing, now they didn’t know many of the hymns we had, you know, you could almost count them on your two hands. But the attention that they paid to the sermon then and the place they gave it, you know, and that was not all. What happened was you then took them and prayed for them as well, you were praying for them all. Knowing at the same time that although we were going down as a regiment that not everyone would return. And maybe it was something that was hard to bear especially after that happened and your memory that you had prayed and the information that you gave them too in as wise an approach that you could say this to them, that we had to prepare ourselves for casualties. How was I going to prepare the soldiers for the battle or the day that they needed to go into the battle. Now we had small services down there, down in Wales as well, Maine, showing them also what would happen if someone was killed. There was a procedure for that too, between an emergency burial, a temporary burial and a permanent burial and so on and you had to give them that and anyway the commander said to me you must show them this, and they can’t go in there without them knowing that this could happen.
[Rev. Angus Smith] We got a radio message that the paras had gone into Goose Green and that there had been so many casualties that their commanding officer, H Jones, had been killed. Well it was then that people realised that these people, Argentinians, that they wanted, you know, a fight and that they weren’t going to run away as easily as we thought they would. And we got the order then to go in for the battle. It was a Sunday morning and we went out to a place that they call Goat Ridge,. that’s where our assembly area was. Now we thought at first that the Argentinians didn’t know that we were there but their forward observation officers were very smart too and they knew where we were. The shells started coming across from there all day and there was one or two occasions when I thought that I wouldn’t return.
[Rev. Angus Smith] The Iron Lady, Mrs Thatcher, cameand she said, this is the first time in history that this happened, that if any family wanted their son or brother who had been killed down there to be taken home that that would happen at public expense. Now the guards asked that we do that, that they would take everyone home, you know. And that was done as beautifully as it could have been and the pipes were playing The Flowers of the Forest, a two minute silence and we had done everything. Now when we came home, we had to go round many places and do the very same thing. And that was a very hard thing and in a sense we ourselves had been used to what had happened and we knew about it and that it happened. But when we came home then in August, however, we had to go round many places then doing those funerals. You then had to deal with the grieving and with the sadness, you know, of those boys’ families and our own grieving and sadness too, you know. And I think with reagards to faith that I could not have done it without the faith that I had, I couldn’t have.
[Rev. Angus Smith] I am like a stranger as if a visitor in this world and I will look back on my life, the things that happened and the things that I could never have done if it wasn’t for God’s love being with me and God’s right hand being with me at the times when I needed it.
This programme, Alleluia, was first broadcast in 2009.