Falkland Islands

[Deleted member 16999]

Can't believe it was 35yrs ago.

Victory against the odds; total respect to all.
KIA: 255 Brit personnel, 3 Falkland civilians, c650 Argentinian
RIP all

 

[User62651]

Waste of young lives thanks to a tin pot dictator trying to improve their low popularity (Galtieri not Thatcher!).
Wonder how much it costs to keep them. History of the islands is interesting and Argies do have a valid claim to them, as do we.

 

[Tashyboy]

Can remember at the time when the argies invaded the Falklands, and most of Britain thought where?

Put the islands on the map for all the wrong reasons.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

And all of a sudden we learned of a place called South Georgia - a place that was British in it's own way

 

[chellie]

And all of a sudden we learned of a place called South Georgia - a place that was British in it's own way

And where I lived until I was around two and a half.

 

[Tashyboy]

And where I lived until I was around two and a half.

Dont tell me you are a penguin 😳

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Few guys at my club were fighting out there (and lost mates). First proper war in my lifetime and was intrigued watching it play out on TV

 

[srixon 1]

And where I lived until I was around two and a half.

What were your parents there for?

Had the pleasure of visiting South Georgia in December 1991 for a week. Stunningly beautiful place, the nature is amazing. Walking around the whaling stations was pretty amazing too. Looks like the whalers left last week as tools and stuff are still hanging up in the workshops.

 

[SocketRocket]

And all of a sudden we learned of a place called South Georgia - a place that was British in it's own way

You haven't read about Shackleton then?

 

[srixon 1]

Few guys at my club were fighting out there (and lost mates). First proper war in my lifetime and was intrigued watching it play out on TV

Was there myself Homer. Was grim at the time but have been back since and it is an OK place, but strange at the same time. Play golf with a guy that was on the Sheffield, and another work colleague still has shrapnel in his back from HMS Broadsword.

On a lighter note, another guy still thinks it funny that the stuff he borrowed from one of his mates is still in his locker on HMS Ardent. He says it's not lost as it is exactly where I left it. HMS Ardent was one of the ships that was bombed and subsequently sunk.

RIP to all those that were left behind.

 

[Kaizer_Soze]

Was there in 1994 (4 month RAF tour), 12 years after the war, was still littered with live minefields back then. Always remember it as a grim desolate place, although a few fond memories of Port Stanley. Wildlife was amazing.

 

[Khamelion]

Got told a few stories of things that went on, some I'll take with a pinch of salt, others which are funny I'll believe. To clarify funny, the story I was told was after the hostilities. An ex-soldier I worked with, had been taken up top of some mountain to erect/fix something to do with communications, he was dropped off by helicopter, when he was done, the helicopter came back for him, but instead of doing the hands signals to land the helicopter, he through bread at it like it was a seagull, the pilot thus gave him the vees, didn't land and left him up there for the night.

One, which I think is more urban legend, is about the young sailor on the bridge of one of the ships during the battle. One of the lookouts saw planes and announced to the bridge, all looked to the direction he had said and someone said "it looks like a Mirage", to which the young sailor said "Don't think so, they look bloody real to me"

 

[srixon 1]

Grytviken, December 1991