A giant penblwydd hapus must go out today to British Army veteran Simon Weston, who was born in Caerphilly (and raised in Nelson) on this day (8 August) in 1961.
Simon is rightfully celebrated not only for his military career but for his efforts to reduce the stigma around facial burn injuries.
Weston, who joined the Welsh Guards as a young man in 1978, suffered severe burns (49% of his body) and cuts (12%) on 8 June 1982. Just weeks into the ten-week undeclared war known as the “Falklands War”, Weston was aboard RFA Sir Galahad in Port Pleasant, off Fitzroy, close to the Falklands Islands. The ship, a Round Table-class landing ship logistics vessel, was set ablaze after being bombed by Argentine Skyhawk fighters as part of an air attack at Bluff Cove.
The bombing led to the Welsh Guards losing 48 men – 97 wounded. One of the wounded, of course, was Weston – he suffered severe burns, his face being burned beyond recognition. Following the event, Weston would endure years of reconstructive surgery (including 96 major operations), with skin from his own shoulders being used to reconstruct eyelids. Weston himself has admitted that his behaviour during this time was “terrible”, as he battled with resulting psychological trauma, suicidal tendences and heavy drinking.
It was following a goodwill tour of Australia (at the request of the Guards Association of Australasia) in 1986 – which led to large donations to children’s burns units – when Weston gained a sense of purpose. He began to feel “useful” and regained meaning in his life. Weston also became something of a celebrity, presenting his own radio show title “Face for the Radio” on BBC Radio Wales. He became a patron of a number of charities, especially those that support people living with disfigurements, and is the Lead Ambassador of the medical research charity ‘The Scar Free Foundation’. Currently, Weston is the Patron of the ‘Falkland Veterans Foundation’, ‘The Enham Trust’, ‘Allied Service Trust ‘and an ‘Ambassador for Changing Faces’. He has also appeared on ‘This Is Your Life’ and ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’
The pilot responsible for the bombing was Carlos Cachon who, to this day, is a friend of Weston – showing that forgiveness does indeed exist and that it can be a powerful tool in the battle for acceptance.
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Welsh Histories Magazine – August 2025
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Niklas is the founder, owner, manager, editor, writer, video creator, voice over artist, and so forth, of Welsh Histories. He is passionate about the preservation of Welsh culture; the rejuvenation of the Welsh language and the promotion of Welsh history. Niklas currently resides in Pune, Maharashtra, with his beloved wife.