25th Anniversary of the Falklands war?

Question

Not been on for a while and there doesn't seem to be much on about the Falklands especially as this is the 25th anniversary year, 255 British Service Personal lost, I know it sounds small fry now with Iraq but at the time it was a big deal to the United Kingdom as as much as Leftys want to give the 8000 mile away crap it's still a peice of Britain and I'm proud that my Country could protect it's citizens.....I got down there in 94 and laid a reef and the hill were my Uncle was killed in a helicopter crash also left a Bottle of Newcy Brown for him..I'm Proud he did what he did and as Usual he will be in my thoughts on Rememberance Sunday......All I ask is give them a though as well...

Thanks for the feedback so far but don't be sorry for my loss. My Uncle gave me the determination to become a Soldier in 1994 I got to the Falklands as a Soldier and was proud to stand in front of the remorial stone as a member of the Special Air Serivce I stood proud in my Beret and knew my Uncle also SAS would have been proud of me......

Answer 1

News coverage for The 25Th anniversary has been on for the past week or two, there is also a remembrance service on in London to morrow(sun 17th) which will be covered by the BBC. Personal accounts have also been in many newspapers for the past week or two. Personally i myself don't watch them or read the stories in the newspapers as it brings back too many bad memories, but i do agree with you there should be more coverage, if only to educate those who weren't there.
I'm very proud to have served in the Falklands war and there is not a week goes by that i don't think of what happened and remember the dead on both sides and think how bloody lucky i am to be alive today. In my book they are given a thought probably every day.

Answer 2

Violator - "Leftys" did not want to give the Islands away. In fact the Labour Government of Jim Callaghan sent warships to the Falklands in the late 1970s to warn off the Argentinians when they considered invading then. Don't forget that is was the political ineptitude of the Thatcher Government which led to the Argentinians believing they could seize the islands.

Merlin - the "French Scum" you refer to were the people who gave us the codes to disable the Exocet missiles and lent the RAF Super Entardarde jets so that they could practice close combat with them.

Peter C - the Falklanders do want to stay British. But they were NOT British at the time of the war. The Thatcher Government had made this clear in the 1981 Nationality Act (one of the reasons why the Argentinians though the British had given up of the islands). The islanders only became British under the 1983 Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act.

JS (below). Your comment about the Navy is twaddle. The RN now has a far greater capability for Falklands type deployments that it had in 1982 - HMS ALBION, HMS BULWARK and HMS OCEAN, plus a number of new RFAs. In addition our submarines can now fire cruise missiles at land targets.

Answer 3

Many of us are critical of the Falklands War, but this does not reflect at all on those troops on both sides who bravely gave their lives.

The fact remains that the war should never have happened at all.

In Argentina, a struggling right wing government needed a patriotic gesture to gain support. Seeing the islands undefended, Galtieri sent his troops in, knowing full well that the British would recapture the islands and huge numbers of conscripted soldiers would die. That casualties were only about 300 Argentinian soldiers is tribute to the professionalism of the British troops and their regard for the rules of engagement.

In UK, a struggling right wing government needed a patriotic gesture to gain support. Despite intelligence from Buenos Aires that Argentina was likely to try an invasion, Thatcher left the islands practically undefended - in effect inviting invasion.
Regaining the islands restored Thatcher's popularity.

Please understand me. I believe that the Falkland Islands should remain British. Not out of some sentimentality over British soil, but because that is the wishes of the Falkland Islanders themselves. Their wishes should prevail above the views in London and Buenos Aires.

Once the invasion had taken place, we had no option but to re-capture and we should be proud of the armed forces who did this job so professionally.

I just get cross when politicians feel justified in sacrificing young men's lives to save their political careers. The war could have easily been prevented, and I believe that Thatcher and Galtieri have the blood of 900 young men on their hands.

Let's remember the Falklands War. Let's give the armed forces the credit they deserve and remember their sacrifices.

But let's start to consider that the politicians involved were little more than War Criminals.

Answer 4

The BBC with Hew Edwards will cover the Falkland's gathering in London today, Sunday 17th June 2007.

Think the main venue is Horse Guards Parade.

I think there is something very suspicious about the helicopter crash you mentioned in which a number of SAS were killed. I was never happy about it. Hope someone paid for that.

The reason I focus on the helicopter crash, is because at the time I was working as a telegrapher for a news agency here in London. We were seeing a lot of stuff from such as Chile and I remember that a lot of folk down there were not happy about this situation. The Yanks were enraged - they'd put up a load of wonga and Pinochet who was in on the deal had made available a site for the SAS to use in Chile somewhere down south.

One former CIA agent, name of Glass, with whom I had brief contact and who had himself managed to escape the clutches of some mad goons in Beirut, told me the whole thing smacked of the IRA. Not sure if this is entirely true but lots of back-handers and cheap parts turning up. If you see what I'm getting at. The word SABOTAGE was writ large a cross it.

Answer 5

I was on the SS Uganda. War isn't pretty but, I think, justifiable if you or your family (and the Islanders are part of the British family) are threatened.

As a feat of arms the campaign was outstanding. The sad thing is that it could not be repeated - the navy is being reduced to a rowing boat, the RAF are having to learn origami to make new planes and the army are protecting oil interests, sorry democracy, in the Gulf.

For right or wrong, it did happen. We went into the uncertainty and came out with honour - the troops that is - and I think it is fitting to commemorate the victory and to remember those we left behind, including those frightened kids Galtieri sacrificed to his political game.

Answer 6

And so you should feel proud the falklands might be a not a great place ( i was there in 2003) but it is still part of britian i'm proud of what everyone did in 82, i don't think its small beans compared to iraq or afgan more servicemen died in the falklands than both put together.

Answer 7

i was there in 82 when i was in the mob (rmc) and have been lucky to go back quite a few times as a civvy working for the british antartic survey, the locals are wonderfull people who really want to stay british and whats more they are proud to say they are british..
its allways sad to lose an oppo (ive lost a few) but i would sooner go in action than get run over by a bus !
ive been to a few get togethers lately and we have downed a good few beers. zeez that 25 years seems to have flown by so quick,
but my point is this, you cant trespass on our teratory without the gaurd dogs biting your *** !!


voice of reason
you are talking out of your backside !!!!!

Answer 8

Galtieri and Thatcher - two chips off the same block. I liked Borges description of the war as "two bald men fighting over a comb".
What happened to the men who saved Thatcher's political career -- many of them ended up homeless sleeping on the streets of London.

Answer 9

its been on the news for the last couple of weeks
in London from the invasion in 1982 to Fri 15th june , a day by day account.. be proud of your uncle... the argie scum invaded 1 of our islands.. a war that has a better cause than Iraq,, the fact our brothers were defenceless against the argies
remember the french (scum)would not let us use there air space..they took a detour of about 250 miles , a lot of fuel & time

Answer 10

if you look at my replies section you will see some troll that is giving clear links to the ships being blown in the Falklands and asking if it can happen again with the iranian forces...well basically any force so long as it happens again.

Am so very sorry for your loss......had several good mates on the Sheffield......that never came home..........my brother was lucky and did.

Regards always