All in the Same Boat - The untold story of the British ferry crew who helped win the Falklands War

by Warren FitzGerald

The crew of the Norland were having a whale of a time in 1982, ferrying passengers between Rotterdam and Hull. Especially the 'girls' in the catering Wendy, Frankie and Candy, all stewards and all gay men.So when their ferry was requisitioned by the government to transfer nine hundred paratroopers to Ascension Island for the war in the Falklands, the 'girls' jumped at the chance to be part of the crew. Shockingly, they were asked to carry on right into the heart of the Falklands, where they were to be the very first ship of the entire Task Force to make a landing.Untrained and unprepared, the crew faced heavy bombardment from the Argentinian air force. Miraculously, the Norland survived intact as many other ships were destroyed around it. And, just as miraculously, the paratroopers eventually looked on their camp catering staff as the heroes of their war. Written with the real-life protagonists, this book relates their incredible experiences in a war they never signed up for, while demonstrating how lasting bonds can be formed between the unlikeliest of people.

Genres: Biography

280 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 5, 2016

About the author

Warren was born in 1973. He lives in London. His first novel 'The Go-Away Bird' won an Amazon Rising Stars Award, was longlisted for the Authors' Club Best First Novel Award and was Waterstones' Book of the Month in October 2011.
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Reviews

[Daron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing true life story of how a crew serving the public on a North Sea ferry ended up going to war! This would make an amazing film, the characters are so funny I laughed out loud at some of the quips. The parachute regiment awarded a red beret and dedicated a bench in Aldershot to Roy 'Wendy' Gibson for his moral boosting piano playing onboard. Respect indeed.

[willowdog · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story told in conversational speech--7 former ferry workers tell the tale of their role in the Falkland War. After a promising gay start, the tale is basically a war story. Thought that there would be love boat stories. Didn't like the narrative. Question why he didn't make it into a narrative.