The Falklands Conflict - 40 years ago

[cakeorwine]

It's as far from WW2 to the Falklands Conflict as it is from the Conflict to 2022.

Argentinian troops invaded on 2nd April. There was fighting between British troops and Argentinians before they had to surrender.

The islands were recaptured after a heavy loss of life. It was a battle with ships lost at sea, planes shot down and troops having to yomp over rugged terrain to engage a well fortified enemy.

I know it's talked about a bit but there hasn't been many films or TV dramas about it. I remember Tumbledown - about an officer returning from the battle on Mount Tumbledown - that was just 6 years after the conflict. I can't remember much else.

I do wonder what is going to happen this year. Will there be much made of it?

I am sure that people on here know veterans from the conflict. It seemed such a strange time. Fighting many 1000s of miles away. The headlines in the paper. The reporting from the fighting.

255 British forces troops were killed along with 775 wounded.
649 Argentinian troops were killed and 1,657 wounded
3 islanders were killed.

I wonder if anything will be done this anniversary year?

@Spookytooth

I'd just had DS and so was at home a lot and watched the report by a Gov rep every afternoon at ?3pm. It was scary but also slightly surreal. Terrible loss of life over a bit of rock, as if Chile isn't big enough already.

It was Argentina not Chile. Chile is a tiny country compared to Argentina

My dad was a submariner and had been out for the day with my mum, got home to a piece of paper through our door asking him to report to base immediately and this was in March before anything was known about Falkland's.

He rang my mum later in that night to say he was being deployed immediately and couldn't say where he was going only that it was down south !

Being a submariner you are used to not having any contact with them. He lost several close friends on HMS Sheffield.

@Spookytooth

I'd just had DS and so was at home a lot and watched the report by a Gov rep every afternoon at ?3pm. It was scary but also slightly surreal. Terrible loss of life over a bit of rock, as if Chile isn't big enough already.

Chile may have been an error in regard to Argentina

But Chile did perform a vital role in secrecy :

My brother fought in 2 para. He came back from the Falklands but didn’t from Iraq sadly. I hate war. I have fears over Ukraine this week. We shouldn’t be living with the fear of war.

My BIL was there (RN). My sis and him not long married. He wrote to her to say he couldn’t say where he was but he’d just seen his first wild penguin!
Mum and I were actually driving down to Plymouth to visit on mum’s birthday (2nd April) and the amount of forces personnel on the move was quite a sight to behold.
Thankfully BIL came back with nothing more serious than trench foot.

@Maggiesgirl

My DB has a totally been in every field of conflict from the Falklands to Afghanistan. He was awarded a Queens Medal just before he retired.

❤️