Reply With QuoteHappy Liberation Day!
Sacrifice that freed Falkland Islands remembered
Article: British Forces NewsOriginally Posted by British Forces News
Happy Liberation Day!
Oh yes, what a day.
I can recall getting ashore for the first time since we arrived.
Spent the day 'collecting' gizzits from the piles of Argentinian equipment and roaming Stanley looking for a bar.
[DW58] Yawns ... ... ... this is getting so boring. When is that stupid woman going to stop using The Falklands to distract the Argies from her woeful inadequacies as a leader?
Poor Terry Peck must be spinning in his grave - what an utter disgrace and embarrassment his son is.
Argentine leader says UK 'arrogant' over Falklands
The president of Argentina, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, has called Britain "arrogant" for refusing to negotiate on the Falklands.
She was speaking a day after UK Prime Minister David Cameron said the issue of sovereignty was non-negotiable.
President Fernandez called his refusal to hold talks on the sovereignty of the Falklands, or Malvinas, arrogant and bordering on stupidity.
Britain defeated an Argentine invasion of the islands in 1982.
The Falklands are at the centre of a territorial dispute dating back to the 19th Century.
Argentina has repeatedly requested talks on the islands' future sovereignty.
But most Falkland islanders wish to retain British sovereignty and 14 June is marked as Liberation Day in the capital, Port Stanley.
In the House of Commons on Wednesday Mr Cameron said "as long as the Falkland Islands want to be sovereign British territory, they should remain sovereign British territory - full stop, end of story."
'Crude colonial power'
James Peck is handed his identity card by Argentine President Cristina Fernandez
President Fernandez described his comments as an "expression of mediocrity, and almost of stupidity".
She said the British "continue to be a crude colonial power in decline".
But during Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell urged Mr Cameron to remind President Barack Obama that "the British government will never accept any kind of negotiations over the South Atlantic archipelago".
Earlier this week a British man became the first Falkland islander to choose Argentine citizenship.
James Peck was handed his national identity card by President Fernandez, during a ceremony to mark the 29th anniversary of the end of the Falklands War.
Mr Peck's father Terry was a member of the Falkland Islands Defence Force and died during the conflict.
Sandy Woodward, the retired admiral who led the British taskforce which set sail for the Falklands in 1982, told a newspaper earlier this week he feared the islands were "now perilously close to being indefensible".
He told the Daily Mail: "Twenty-nine years ago today, we re-claimed the Falklands for Britain in one of the most remarkable campaigns since the Second World War.
"The simple truth is without aircraft carriers and without the Americans, we would not have any hope of doing the same again today."
Follow link above for full story & Argentine propaganda video
Falkland man chooses Argentine citizenship
James Peck is now persona non grata now I'd hope.
I doubt he'll be too popular with the Kelpers, especially as his late Father is held in such high regard.
Volunteers move Foxtrot 4 Monument to new location
THIS is a monument to four Royal Marines and two sailors – and thanks to the efforts of today’s guardians of the Falklands Islands it now sits close to where they died.
Nearly thirty years after the crew of landing craft Foxtrot 4 were killed, the memorial honouring their sacrifice finally overlooks the spot were the boat went down in Choiseul Sound.
The craft from assault ship HMS Fearless had helped to evacuate the crew of stricken HMS Antelope just days earlier at great cost to itself.
Foxtrot 4’s reprieve was short-lived, however; she was fatally attacked by Argentine aircraft on June 8 1982, killing the six men aboard.
Their memory has been honoured every year first by Fearless and more recently by HMS Bulwark, which is home today to Foxtrot 4’s parent Royal Marines unit, 4 Assault Squadron; only a matter of days ago, Bulwark held a memorial service in the Channel.
But the owners of Lively Island in the Falklands also paid tribute to six men who assisted in the 1982 liberation by erecting a monument.
It was later discovered that the memorial didn’t overlook the sight where F4 went down.
So after planning permission was sought – and received – from the Falklands government, the decision was taken to move it to Bertha’s Beach – which does look out on to the right spot in Choiseul Sound, and is also more accessible spot.
A team from NEFI – Naval Engineering Falkland Islands, the team who provide support to HMS Clyde and visiting RN/RFA vessels – plus RAF personnel based on the South Atlantic outpost offered to help with the relocation.
The 20 engineers, led by CPO ‘Scouse’ Kofoed, gave up their own time to help with the project – which proved to be rather challenging.
“The team worked in 45kt winds on many occasions, working in full foul-weather clothing and ski goggles to protect our eyesight from the sandblast created by the wind,” said CPO Kofoed.
“The beach is ten miles from the depot where a lot of the materials had been stored – transporting the tons of bricks, cement, sand, water bowsers, tools and equipment across extremely inhospitable tracks, roads, beach and wasteland was a project within itself.”
When the Falklands weather became too severe, the engineers hunkered down in an Arctic tent, which struggled to cope with the elements (the wind especially). On the plus side, there were regular visits from penguins and other island wildlife to perk up morale.
Despite the challenges, the memorial was completed in time for a formal dedication by the islands’ military commander, Cdre Philip Thicknesse, in the presence of veterans of the 1982 conflict.
“The build is now complete, the rededication was a success. The F4 memorial is now bigger, better and more suitably sited than before. It will remain for future generations to remember the souls lost at sea,” said CPO Kofoed.
http://royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-eve..._move_falk.htm
An intoduction and a query on the Augusta 109's.
Hi all, newbie here. Can't beleive I've gone all this time without knowing of this thread's existence, some absolutely captivating reading in here.
Congrats to all contributors and a special mention to all the vets on here too, much respect to you guys on both sides.
Just a quick explanation for my fascination for the Falklands conflict.
Back in '82 I was 12 a twelve year old schoolboy, and this was my first war `experienced` live via the media and so would rush home at lunchtime and at four o'clock to find out what had been happening.
It was a similar kind of experience to watching the football scores come in at 4:45pm on a Saturday afternoon, but obvioulsy with a drastically more surreal and peverse tinge. I recall being truly heartbroken when the then defence minister John Knott would read out the ships what had been hit, and what units had been in combat the previous evening. It was an extremely sobering and humbling time, even to a 12 year old. I remember it like it was only last week.
My brother had just entered basic training with the Grenadier Guards at Pirbright barracks and the thought of him having to travel to the South Atlantic and fight the Argentine worried us all (Rather naively in hindsight, but hindsight is a wonderfull thing). His 6 month tour of NI reduced my Mom to a jibbering wreck, I can't imagine what full blown combat scenario's would have done to her....never mind him!!!
Operation Corporate has sort of been forgotten about what with the more recent troubles (which isn't a great suprise) but it makes me feel very sad that today's generation appear to view it as two or three month unimportant `skirmish` that happened nearly 30 years ago on an unimportant piece of rock. It wasn't. Just over 900 killed with around 2000 injured in that short time. That puts it bluntly into perspective for me.
Anyhows, enough about my personal thoughts but that kind of `fell out of me'.
What has always interested me is how the Hereford boys managed to `aquire' the 109's. Was it first come-first served or was it purely a hierachal type affair?
Not suprising that there is not alot of info out there but if anyone could shed some light on this topic I would be extremely grateful
Last edited by Woody29; 07-27-2011 at 10:35 AM. Reason: spelling
Just posted some interesting photos showing the crew and damage to HMS Argonaut.
Not taken by myself, posted by a crew member for general interest.
Posted to an album under my profile.
The 2 109s that came back did so painted up for use by 3 Cdo Bde Air Sqn (as it then was). AFAIK it was decided that they would go to H, in civvy colours, because there was no commonality with the RN/RM/RAF/Army helo fleet - making them pretty much undeployable. CT was sexy after Op Nimrod and there was still a very real PIRA threat on the mainland, as well as all the usual Middle Eastern nutters floating about. DLB put his hand up and they went to 8 Flt.
What has always interested me is how the Hereford boys managed to `aquire' the 109's. Was it first come-first served or was it purely a hierachal type affair?
Not suprising that there is not alot of info out there but if anyone could shed some light on this topic I would be extremely grateful
This is a cool thread I was only 14 when it happened I was an air cadet in Ont Canada and we cheered on the British through the whole campaign.
I made sure I watched the news everyday to see the footage,it was wild to see all the modern weapons being used at the time of the conflict and sad to see the British losses to. RIP
In all honesty it was so very sad to see losses on both sides, but kind of understand that back in 1982 as a schoolchild, the conflict was viewed in a much more jingoistic fashion.
I'm slightly confused within myself now as to whether that view and attitude sits too well with me.
I was 14 at the time. I kept track of the air-to-victories and the ships lost/hit. I remember being shocked at the loss of Sheffield, Ardent, Coventry and Antelope. Was very impressed with the Sea Harrier and the guts of the Argie pilots flying down bomb alley. Salute to all the men who served their country.
It may not be the right area of the forum to post this question , if I need to change it please let me know .
I'm in touch with Regalini ( "Roland " Officer in charge) during the conflict , he is looking forward to get in touch with RN Pilot Mortimer if someone could help us it will be very much appreciated .- Thank You -
Could try http://www.navy-net.co.uk as a place to start? As long as he's not looking to settle any scores
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