Anniversary of the Battle of Goose Green today. One can only imagine what was going through the squadies minds when they heard the command: 'Fix Bayonets !'
Some good pics here. BBC News - A medic's pictures of the Falklands war Steven Hughes, now an orthopaedic surgeon, joined the army while at medical school and was the Regimental Medical Officer for The 2nd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment (2 Para) during the Falklands War. Here are some of his own pictures from the conflict.
BBC News - Veterans on the Falklands conflict and the islands' future The Falkland Islands are marking 30 years since the end of the war with Argentina. Britain liberated the UK territory from Argentine occupation on 14 June 1982. Simon Weston and Tony Banks served during the operation and spoke to BBC Breakfast about their experiences of the war, and gave their views on the future of the islands. BBC News - Falkland Islands mark end of 1982 war with Argentina The Falkland Islands will mark 30 years since the end of the war with Argentina later, with services at Port Stanley's cathedral and Liberation Monument.
Remembering those who did not return. Keith Indeed - Remembering Kenny Philips RM I was listening to Jeremy Vine today on radio 2 and I did laugh when he asked a former member of 2 Para what he was doing today 30 years ago: Ex-Para: 'I was running with the rest of the battalion' JV: 'Sorry?' Ex-Para: 'We were running into Stanley, we wanted to be the first unit in there and we was'
This is on Monday night. BBC - BBC Radio 2 Programmes - Is It Worth It? 30 years on from the Falklands conflict, Annie Nightingale considers the impact of the war through the song Shipbuilding. With music by Clive Langer and lyrics by Elvis Costello, the song captures perfectly the contractions of war where shipyard job were created for some whilst sending men and women off to fight, and in some cases die, in those self same ships. With original contributions from musicians Elvis Costello, Pat Kane, David Gray and Clive Langer. Journalist Paul Morley. Tynecastle shipyard workers Ian Rae and Dennis MacCoy. War veteran Andy Eakin and war widow Barbara MacAulay.
A daughter has collected a medal for the Welsh Guardsman father she never knew who died in the Falklands. Katie Gibby, 30, was presented with an Elizabeth Cross for Mark Gibby at a ceremony in Reading, Berkshire. He was one of 48 soldiers who died when the Sir Galahad troop ship was bombed by Argentine warplanes in June 1982. Read more BBC News - Falklands: Welsh Guardsman's daughter's Elizabeth Cross
Interesting article from Naval Institute Press Reagan Readied U.S. Warship for '82 Falklands War | U.S. Naval Institute Dave
i served in the RAF 1983 - 1996. i had two stints in the falklands, one in 1993 and the first in 1985. in 85 it was still very much a "war zone" everything about it still stank of war. my first day in Stanley was spent very briefly looking around the town itself. this included a brief, very brief, look around the few shops they had. i walked into one store, there were two people in the shop, both locals. as i walked in they were happily speaking in English together, but on seeing me walk in in uniform they instantly started talking in Spanish and through me a filthy look! Now, quite frankly, i had better things to do with my time. as a family man, 8000 miles from home, on the 24th december i didnt realy need to be there. These two "locals" couldnt have hit me harder if they'd slapped me in the face with a 12 bore! It was a very clear, very obvious snub to me, but importantly, it was a snub to the brits whod lost their lives in that god forsaken part of the world! My response to them was a clear one liner - "shove your spanish and shove your islands up your arse"! Never was that conflict about protecting the freedoms of 1800 islanders, it was only ever about bailing Thatcher out of a difficult domestic political situation, it was only ever about potential oil reserves and mineral reserves in the Antarctic! The Locals had been trading with Argentina for donkeys years, they didnt need the UK and from my experiences, covering nearly a year over two seperate tours, they were quite happy to have the Argentinians there. Dont get me wrong ... i know alot of the locals didnt want them there! But many did! the sad thing is 2 or 3 hundred brits and even more Argentinians lost their lives, all in the name of "Political Face saving". There are 2 types of wars. The Just and the Unjust. WW2 was "just"! The second Iraqui war and Afghanistan were and are "unjust". The Falklands was 100% purely political! Dont get me wrong. although i may not agree with the reasons for going to war, i will, and do, always support our soldiers, sailors and airmen. sometimes though its just hard to support the reasons fro the war. I did NP8901 in 78 79 and never heard a kelper once speak Spanish...they freakin hate them...I was also down there in 82 and ditto niet Spanish...I do agree however that the FI are mardy bastards....
I was just having some read about the Falklands war and came across the name Terry Peck. Looking for more information I stumbled about the message that his son, James Peck, has given back the UK citizenship and took the Argentine one instead: Falklands hero’s son becomes Argentine - Telegraph
Hi, Ref that post Originally Posted by pauldawn, Putting his personal feelings about whether it should have been taken back aside. I served as a Rapier Commander in the Falklands for 4 months in 1993 and found the locals very friendly. Maybe pauldawn happened on a couple of Argie visitors ? Regards, Mick D.
Hi everyone Quote: my first day in Stanley was spent very briefly looking around the town itself. this included a brief, very brief, look around the few shops they had. i walked into one store, there were two people in the shop, both locals. as i walked in they were happily speaking in English together, but on seeing me walk in in uniform they instantly started talking in Spanish and through me a filthy look! Now, quite frankly, i had better things to do with my time. as a family man, 8000 miles from home, on the 24th december i didnt realy need to be there. These two "locals" couldnt have hit me harder if they'd slapped me in the face with a 12 bore! It was a very clear, very obvious snub to me, but importantly, it was a snub to the brits whod lost their lives in that god forsaken part of the world! My response to them was a clear one liner - "shove your spanish and shove your islands up your arse"! Never was that conflict about protecting the freedoms of 1800 islanders, it was only ever about bailing Thatcher out of a difficult domestic political situation, it was only ever about potential oil reserves and mineral reserves in the Antarctic! The Locals had been trading with Argentina for donkeys years, they didnt need the UK and from my experiences, covering nearly a year over two seperate tours, they were quite happy to have the Argentinians there. Dont get me wrong ... i know alot of the locals didnt want them there! But many did! I just felt that I wanted to provide my own experiences of the Falkland Islands and their inhabitants. I (like Rockape 252) served there with the RAF. In my own case I served for two tours (1986 and 1987). I can truthfully say that during my time there I never came across any 'local' who was rude to me or or anti servicemen/women and particularly never heard anyone speaking Spanish. I was lucky enough to be able to visit most areas of the Islands including the less visited West Falkland (Goose Bay etc). This included spending two nights being put up by the locals at Goose Green/Darwen. They had contacted the RAF base stating that anyone who wanted to stay there as part of their R&R was welcome to do so. Three of us took them up on it and in 1987 we walked from Mount Pleasant to Goose Green. We were put up free of charge by the locals and spent both nights drinking (copious amounts as you can imagine) of alcohol with them. Also I visited the locals at the settlement at Bluff Cove (near to the Welsh Guards memorial). We were always made to feel welcome and were always looked after. Also, never did I ever come across anyone who even hinted that 'they were quite happy to have the Argentinians there'. I also do not recognise the Falklands as a 'godforsaken part of the world'. I may be (more than a little) odd in how I view the world but it was in parts a place of real beauty, unpolluted, full of wildlife etc etc. I suppose it depends on your perspective. I would like one day to go back as a tourist and revisit the islands again. Finally, this talk of the Falklands brings back certain memories. I was one of those involved in the recovery and returning home of the seven RAF personnel who were killed in the crash of Chinook HC1 ZA721 in February 1987. Just wanted to remember the seven men who died in that truly terrible crash, some of whom I knew: Stephen John NEWMAN Anthony Donald MOFFAT Andrew John JOHNS David John CHITTY Jeremy Charles MARSHALL Karl Mark MINSHULL Peter Jason WHITWELL Thanks Gary
Oh dear the tired old clapclap about the war being a plot to bail out Mrs T. Where such nonsense comes from has always baffled me. I remember listening to the Commons debate that Saturday morning. Every speaker was in favour of action. Perhaps in the minds of conspiracy fantasists like Pauldawn the Argies were paid by the Tory party to invade.
BBC News - Falklands invasion 'surprised' Thatcher The 1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands by Argentina took Margaret Thatcher by surprise, newly released government papers have shown. The then-prime minister only saw it was likely after getting "raw intelligence" two days before the Argentines landed. Papers released under the 30-year rule show Mrs Thatcher was acutely worried about retaking the islands. One historian said the documents were among the "most powerful material" declassified in the last three decades.
