Falklands War - The Untold Story

[Fang_Farrier]

 

[baboon6]

In 1992, the BBC commissioned a series of programmes to mark the tenth anniversary of the conflict - entitled War Stories. The first was by Captain Nick Barker, CO of HMS Endurance in 1981/1982. He discussed the politics of the Nott cuts and his overlooking strategic arguments, and the way that intelligence was ignored in early 1981, He then discusses the capture and recapture of South Georgia, and then talks about the Falklands themselves and how it had an impact of islanders' lives, before hearing a story of 3 Para's hard fight for Mount London.

For years I have tried to find it on YouTube, but with no success. Today I found it on the YouTube channel of Harry Barker - Captain Barker's son?



A story of arrogance, an obsession with secrecy, and a refusal to admit mistakes...

Thanks that is brilliant .

 

[Fang_Farrier]

 

[instinct]

View attachment 665559

View attachment 665566

I'm a little confused with the white ensign instead of a red one.

 

[bedended]

Morning All,
Forty years ago, from today's local 'comic'.

 

[merchantman]

I'm a little confused with the white ensign instead of a red one.

Perhaps both would be the preferred option, but only one flag pole and maybe not really something to quibble about. I'm not sure some in the RN know the difference between the MN and RN. I once attended a Trafalgar night dinner in Portsmouth which also, IIRC, marked the 25th anniversary of the Falklands war. During various speeches Atlantic Conveyor was referred to as HMS Atlantic Conveyor and the MN not mentioned at all.

 

[MOzanne]

Perhaps both would be the preferred option, but only one flag pole and maybe not really something to quibble about. I'm not sure some in the RN know the difference between the MN and RN. I once attended a Trafalgar night dinner in Portsmouth which also, IIRC, marked the 25th anniversary of the Falklands war. During various speeches Atlantic Conveyor was referred to as HMS Atlantic Conveyor and the MN not mentioned at all.

May be a complement.. The AC is designated under act of Parliament as a site of "Military Remains" see Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 (Public and General Measures 1986 c. 35)

 

[Yokel]

Has anyone heard from @Ninja_Stoker lately? His ship HMS Argonaut was hit on 21 May 1982 and badly damaged, and two men died. It is overshadowed by remembering the landings and the loss of Ardent, but that does not lesson the impact on the people who were there.

Does anyone know if he is alright?

 

[Yokel]

Yeovilton remember the ‘Falklands 1,400’ – and the 12 men who never returned - Royal Navy

Four decades ago 126 aircraft and 1,400 personnel from Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton in Somerset set off on the 8,000-mile voyage to the South Atlantic on Operation Corporate, to liberate the Falkland Islands.

All Yeovilton’s squadrons were brought to immediate readiness in the spring of 1982. The four resident Naval Air Squadrons, 800 & 801 NAS with Sea Harriers, 845 NAS with the Wessex 5 and 846 NAS with the Sea King Mk4, were joined by the newly-created 809 NAS (Sea Harrier) and 847 and 848 NAS (Wessex 5). Lynx helicopters from 815 NAS were already embarked in many of the surface ships, dispatched almost at once to the South Atlantic.

Twelve Sailors and Royal Marines from the Somerset base died in the conflict, and an avenue of 12 hornbeam trees and a Portland stone memorial commemorates their loss, alongside the sports pitches at the air station.

Barbara McAulay’s husband and brother were among the 1,400 Yeovilton personnel with the task force. Only her brother, Chief Petty Officer Peter Hammond, serving with 846 NAS returned.

Her husband Allan – known as Mac and also a chief – was assigned to HMS Ardent, maintaining the frigate’s Lynx. He was killed when the ship was bombed during the first day of the landings at San Carlos.

Mrs McAulay had been enjoying a rare break amid weeks of tension. She returned home from a day out in London to find “those familiar uniformed men” in her living room and her sister-in-law at the door.

“I said: ‘Is it Mac or Peter? And she said ‘Mac’,” she recalled.

Meanwhile 8,000 miles away her brother was told matter-of-factly by his commanding officer that Mac “hadn’t made it”.

Mr Hammond continued: “And then you get on with life. But later you sit there and ponder and ponder. The guilt complex is enormous.”

 

[mack_583]

Ref HMS Antelope, this service was held recently

Service marks 40th anniversary of Falklands War hero's death

A service was held at the Prescott Bridge and Memorial in Milngavie on Sunday ahead of the 40th anniversary of the death of a Falklands War hero.

www.glasgowworld.com

 

[The-hippie]

Apologies from a civvy, I've been following the thread.

I was looking for summat else & came across this in War Art (Cocroft et al, CBA Research Report 147. 2006) & saw this from Ajax Bay.

It's dated 1983 but it might be of interest.

 

[The-hippie]

Apologies from a civvy, I've been following the thread.

I was looking for summat else & came across this in War Art (Cocroft et al, CBA Research Report 147. 2006) & saw this from Ajax Bay.

It's dated 1983 but it might be of interest.

Apologies from a civvy, I've been following the thread.

I was looking for summat else & came across this in War Art (Cocroft et al, CBA Research Report 147. 2006) & saw this from Ajax Bay.

It's dated 1983 but it might be of interest.

 

[Sexton Blake]

Yeovilton remember the ‘Falklands 1,400’ – and the 12 men who never returned - Royal Navy

Four decades ago 126 aircraft and 1,400 personnel from Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton in Somerset set off on the 8,000-mile voyage to the South Atlantic on Operation Corporate, to liberate the Falkland Islands.

All Yeovilton’s squadrons were brought to immediate readiness in the spring of 1982. The four resident Naval Air Squadrons, 800 & 801 NAS with Sea Harriers, 845 NAS with the Wessex 5 and 846 NAS with the Sea King Mk4, were joined by the newly-created 809 NAS (Sea Harrier) and 847 and 848 NAS (Wessex 5). Lynx helicopters from 815 NAS were already embarked in many of the surface ships, dispatched almost at once to the South Atlantic.

Twelve Sailors and Royal Marines from the Somerset base died in the conflict, and an avenue of 12 hornbeam trees and a Portland stone memorial commemorates their loss, alongside the sports pitches at the air station.

Barbara McAulay’s husband and brother were among the 1,400 Yeovilton personnel with the task force. Only her brother, Chief Petty Officer Peter Hammond, serving with 846 NAS returned.

Her husband Allan – known as Mac and also a chief – was assigned to HMS Ardent, maintaining the frigate’s Lynx. He was killed when the ship was bombed during the first day of the landings at San Carlos.

Mrs McAulay had been enjoying a rare break amid weeks of tension. She returned home from a day out in London to find “those familiar uniformed men” in her living room and her sister-in-law at the door.

“I said: ‘Is it Mac or Peter? And she said ‘Mac’,” she recalled.

Meanwhile 8,000 miles away her brother was told matter-of-factly by his commanding officer that Mac “hadn’t made it”.

Mr Hammond continued: “And then you get on with life. But later you sit there and ponder and ponder. The guilt complex is enormous.”

126 aircraft?

Is that a typo? Gen question.

 

[Dwarf]

126 aircraft?

Is that a typo? Gen question.

Wiki is your friend.

British air services in the Falklands War - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

More than 126 a/c if you include helios and support from Ascension.

 

[Yokel]

126 aircraft?

Is that a typo? Gen question.

It does sound like a lot. There were 34 Sea Harriers in the UK, virtually all of which went South, plus the Jungly Wessex and Sea Kings - not sure how many aircraft that was. 3 Cdo Bde Air Squadron also went South - I think that they were Yeovilton based. Most frigates and destroyers carried Wasp or Lynx helicopters which were based at RNAS Portland - the Portland based squadrons moved to Yeovilton in 1999.

The two old ASW Wessex HAS1s may have been Portland based too.

Someone else can do the totting up...

In addition to the aircraft from Yeovilton, the task group also had ASW Sea Kings from RNAS Culdrose aboard the carriers and some RFAs, and other ASW Sea Kings that were stripped of sonar etc and used as 'Pinglies' in a utility role.

That is just the RN/RM aircraft!

 

[Harryc]

It does sound like a lot. There were 34 Sea Harriers in the UK, virtually all of which went South, plus the Jungly Wessex and Sea Kings - not sure how many aircraft that was. 3 Cdo Bde Air Squadron also went South - I think that they were Yeovilton based. Most frigates and destroyers carried Wasp or Lynx helicopters which were based at RNAS Portland - the Portland based squadrons moved to Yeovilton in 1999.

The two old ASW Wessex HAS1s may have been Portland based too.

Someone else can do the totting up...

In addition to the aircraft from Yeovilton, the task group also had ASW Sea Kings from RNAS Culdrose aboard the carriers and some RFAs, and other ASW Sea Kings that were stripped of sonar etc and used as 'Pinglies' in a utility role.

That is just the RN/RM aircraft!

3 Cdo Bde Air Sqn were based in Plymouth (Coypool) prior to deployment. On return from down south the squadron's Scouts were replaced by Lynx and we moved to Yeovilton.

 

[Union Jack]

Perhaps both would be the preferred option, but only one flag pole and maybe not really something to quibble about. I'm not sure some in the RN know the difference between the MN and RN. I once attended a Trafalgar night dinner in Portsmouth which also, IIRC, marked the 25th anniversary of the Falklands war. During various speeches Atlantic Conveyor was referred to as HMS Atlantic Conveyor and the MN not mentioned at all.

Strictly speaking a third ensign would have been required to honour the RFA crewman who lost his life, so I believe that the White Ensign was necessarily the best option. I should also say that I've never come across any lack of respect for the RN by the MN, and have always been particularly impressed by those who have chosen to demonstrate their specialist skills when serving with the RN.

Jack

 

[Wightsparker]

Apologies from a civvy, I've been following the thread.

I was looking for summat else & came across this in War Art (Cocroft et al, CBA Research Report 147. 2006) & saw this from Ajax Bay.

It's dated 1983 but it might be of interest.

Suspect one of the attachments might refer to the RAF Regiment Rapier detachment sited on the hill above Ajax Bay (and which used the Ajax Bay location for accommodation, messing etc)

 

[merchantman]

Strictly speaking a third ensign would have been required to honour the RFA crewman who lost his life, so I believe that the White Ensign was necessarily the best option. I should also say that I've never come across any lack of respect for the RN by the MN, and have always been particularly impressed by those who have chosen to demonstrate their specialist skills when serving with the RN.

Jack

I agree that a third ensign would be the ideal and that, given the location and circumstances, the white ensign is probably the best option particularly considering the ship was operating under military command at the time of her loss. I am not suggesting any lack of respect for the RN by the MN, they have a difficult and often dangerous job and they do it very well. What I suggested was that there sometimes appears to be a lack of understanding by some in the RN as to what the MN actually do. Some appear to believe the MN are a part of the RN and not a separate, commercial, operation.

 

[Yokel]

BBC: Liverpool marks 40th anniversary of Falklands ship loss (posted yesterday)

Liverpool's Lord Mayor Cllr Mary Rasmussen attended the service at the city's waterfront along with civic dignitaries and representatives from Atlantic Container Line, Cunard, the South Atlantic Medal Association and the Falklands Islands government.

Ex-medical officer of the Atlantic Conveyor, Dr Gordon Brooks, who was on board the vessel at the time, said: "It was my privilege and honour to serve alongside such men.

"On this anniversary, I remember those I tried to save, the heroes who didn't return, and my thoughts go out to those who still carry the burden of what befell them all those years ago."

Ms Rasmussen said the anniversary was an opportunity "to reflect on the selfless sacrifice made by the Cunard crew who volunteered to be part of the mission, as well as the Merchant Navy personnel who lost their lives".

Senior Vice President at Cunard, Angus Struthers, said it was "entirely fitting that we return to the Conveyor's homeport, and Cunard's spiritual home at Liverpool, to mark this important anniversary of lives lost in service".