This is our first time looking into the Falklands War of 1982, where Argentina's military junta invaded the British islands. This is an overview where we follow the two and a half months of conflict between the United Kingdom and Argentina, that changed the course of history. Also known as the first modern war. There is certainly more to the story than we learn here but this was a good single, video that gave us a foundation for the conflict. Let us know if you learned anything here and if you would like us to take a deeper dive into this. As always, our sincerest respects to the Militaries and anyone that lost relatives or friends during this. Thank you SO much for watching! If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our channel, it is the BEST way to support our channel and it's FREE! Also, please click the Like button. Thank you for your support!
The very effective Exocet missiles used by the Argentine aircraft, against UK ships, were made in France (awkward!). Argentina only had a limited supply - so the UK security services set up an agency to buy all the unsold missiles, so that Argentina could not purchase further supplies.
@@francisalderson4469 I appreciated her stoicism and her relentless spirit. The people who hated her were the ones who didn't want to work hard for what they had in order to obtain more. They wanted everything handed to them on a platter.
Irrespective of point of view , the feat of arms which was accomplished by british forces was incredible , thousands of miles from home , outnumbered , outgunned and on foot , british troops recaptured the Falklands and freed british subjects . The sight of british troops marching into Stanley dirty ,battle hardened ,armed to the teeth and quite frankly looking exactly what they were , one of the best disciplined professional fighting forces in the world. their conduct throughout was astonishing both in battle and in victory. They were a credit to Britain
On either side, a lot of those guys never really returned home. It was supposed to be a tactical war, an expression of Nationhood, the whole thing turned into a mess. They never really got back home, did they?
I am Argentinian. This war is still is a deep wound for us to heal. I thank you all (Natasha, Debbie and everyone in the comments) for the absolute respect you show. Let's never forget our heroes from both sides. Our goverments were ennemies, we are not.
Margret Thatcher was unpopular at the time and was going to lose the next election this got her reelected. We had a Polaris nuclear sub down there at the time of the invasion she could have just told you to withdraw or forced a withdrawal with a nuclear strike on Buenos Aires.
@@myaphextwin807Very true, the Argentinian player’s behaviour after a penalty shoot win against England in the 1998 WC in France whilst on a team bus outside the stadium was disgusting & pathetic. I say that as a Scot & it’s known when it comes to football & rugby we don’t support England too well. However, when it comes to conflict with adversaries we are always there with England.
Repatriation is a fairly modern concept, though. Witness the thousands of fallen soldiers from the US and Germany and Australia (etc) buried in France. You were buried where you fell, and it doesn't reflect well on us Brits that we wanted those poor boys to be buried elsewhere.
I am a veteran of the Falklands war and lost many friends. Today, I ask myself how we endured the conditions. We endured freezing weather with snow, hail and freezing rain. Our feet were constantly wet and many suffered trench / immersion foot. 20 years after the war, I revisited with several other veterans and we were still serving in the parachute regiment. Whilst visiting Goose Green cemetery where the Argentinian dead were buried a coach carrying their families arrived at the cemetery. Since we were in military fatigues they were nervous of us. I approached them and explained that we were veterans of the war and have come to pay our respects to our former enemy. This broke the ice and we hugged and shook hands with the families and had a group photo taken with them.There was nothing but respect.
Total respect for the very young soldiers and for the Argentinian families . NO RESPECT whatsoever for the Argentinian leaders, who brought on this war to try and persuade their people that they could regain popularity by winning.
@@Jill-mh2wn Amigo, los líderes argentinos aseguraron para la Argentina toda la plataforma continental (6.5 millones de km2) y aseguraron para ñas generación futuras de Argentina el territorio antártico, al acreditar plenamente que la Antártida es americana. Los británicos se instalaron en las Malvinas con un solo pretexto, a saber: garantizar la libre navegación del Atlántico Sur y el Pacífico Sur. Hoy ya no son garantes de nada, salvo de su propia integridad territorial y del Mar del Norte. La presencia de Estados Unidos en la base aeronaval de Ushuaia dice claramente que la presencia del Reino Unido en el Atlántico Sur ya no es necesaria. Sus días están contados.
I was a 19 year old Royal Marine down there with Four-Five Commando and fought at Two Sisters. I'm now friends with one of the Argentine mortar men who also fought there and did us considerable damage. Next month, July 2024, the son of an Argentine fighter-pilot who was shot down and killed over the Falklands is staying at mine for a few days: I'm very much looking forward to it. I've been back to the islands once since the war- it was very moving. Especially my visit to Two Sisters.
I was married to a Falklands Veteran (Scots Guards) who was 19 when he fixed bayonets and charged up Tumbledown .They werent fighting conscripts .. It affected him and he had what we now know as PTSD (then there wasnt any help) and sadly our marriage broke up . My father in law was a Para and fought at Goose Green.Lest we Forget Heroes all ❤
Many people think the Argentine troops were all conscripts. They weren't. I saw a TV programme where a British officer was talking about the battle for Mount Tumbledown. He was a fairly junior officer at the time but he said he saw very senior officers engaged in hand to hand combat which really bears witness to how bad it was. I also know someone who was the 1st Gulf War and somebody else also Scots Guards Officer (just missed Falklands) and both suffer from PTSD. Its better treated now but its still not great. Both suffered marriage breakdowns and you clearly know only too well how that affects families.
@@brianthesnail3815 Many conscripts from Argentina were brought in BUT also Argentinian Special Forces were there at the end. That just created more casualties on both sides. Bosnia, Gulf and Sierra Leone are just many times that British Forces have protected the UK from afar and saved many foreigners lives without a thank you!
He will be reporting for duty and waiting orders from God, he is and will always be a hero just like all the guys who went to war for our country Great Britain and I am Scottish, and was a member of the RCT, or as he would no dought point out Rickshaws Carts and Taxies.
@@brianthesnail3815 I was at Mount Tumbledown in 1990. In 1982 the Argentines had their 5th Marine Battalion stationed there. I saw their equipment scattered around the place.
Interestingly the hill that the Gurkhas were tasked to take had been abandoned when the Argentinian troops realised who was heading towards them. The Gurkhas reputation precedes them
I’ve read a book by an ex-SAS soldier who was with the Paras that the Argentines were retreating from the Scots Guards until they encountered the forward positions of the Gurkhas. Their reputation is so FIERCE even to Argentines that they turned around and headed back towards the Scots Guards ! The reputation of the Gurkhas prevented them from getting to physically prove it to the cautiously reluctant Argentine soldiers. That says a lot.
I heard somewhere that the Argentines were told by their officers, that if the Gurkhas captured them they would kill & eat them (obviously not true) but it put the fear of God into them. Not sure how accurate this is, but you don't mess with the men from Nepal.
Interesting anecdote: All but one helicopter that was aboard the Atlantic Conveyor were burned up and destroyed. The one that wasn't was a Chinook that happened to be airborne at the time. This lone Chinook made it to the Falkands and flew non stop for months ferrying supplies and wounded here and there. All the while going with minimal maintenance. Many of its parts timing out (expiring past their replacement hours). It never once broke down. It only recently (as in last year) was retired from active service!
as a soldier who served from 1979 until 2010 and who served in not only that war but the two gulf conflicts i can tell you it was a horrendous experience and one i would never want to experience again but it was worth it to free the Falkanders
Exactly why I stopped my two sons following me into the army. The way we left Afghanistan was a kick in the teeth to the muckers. One mucker lost his lower leg after taking a round, for what. It was all political chess. Time we only deployed to protect our own shoreline
I served with the British army in the Green Howards, Yorkshire’s finest! And given the chance I’d do it all over again. But I totally agree with your comments about the guards and that many twits think they are just ceremonial soldiers and not a fighting force. As in this video says they were deployed to the Falklands and they like other regiments fought like lions to bring this war to an end. I always remember when I went to the recruiting office as a young man and and 6 ft 3 and the recruiting officer told me that there was no vacancies for the Green Howards so I got up and said that you have my number and to let me know when they are recruiting as it’s the Green Howards or nothing as I knew some friends who were in the regiment and I wanted to follow them. He was bluffing as I thought but still tried to push me for the Guards but I didn’t want all that pomp and ceremony and all that polishing! But I did my time with the regiment then joined the reserves afterwards until I seriously damaged my spine in an accident on exercise and that was my military service finished. But I was proud to serve my country and my Queen and to serve alongside some of the best soldiers in the world and been part of one massive family.
There is a humorous story concerning the Gurkhas, the Paras and the Argentinian forces. After the surrender the Paras told the Argentinian forces that when a Gurkha smiled at them it meant they want to eat them. They then told the Gurkhas that they should smile more at the Argentinians as they was scared of them.
1806: First British invasion of Buenos Aires Criolla Victory !!! 1807: Second British invasion of Buenos Aires Criolla Victory !!! 1845 - 1850: War of Parana Criolla Victory !!! ........ ...... ......... ................
I served in the Falklands on HMS Cardiff, we liberated the Falkland islanders but we also gave Argentina 'Democracy', the chance to vote for a President.
If you think so... it seems you know much about argentine history... you should write a book about it... an encyclopaedia, just for not leaving a single word outside. Funnny people the british... always "liberating" the world... i don't know how did you people become an empire by doing such acts of kindness with other peoples... kinda contradictory... isn't? It would be very interesting to know how many other "gifts" you people gave to Argentina... just to know how grateful the whole country should feel about UK's soldiers... nobody should not to pay the gratitude owed to others... right? Give me your bank account to send you your share. Greetings
@@bfc3057 The British victory kicked the last of the support for the Junta from under them. Furthermore, all the other military dictatorships in Latin America fell shortly after.
My Dad fought in this war, he retired shortly after and has never been the same since he came home. Every now and again little things slip out when he’s had a drink and from what he has said it was horrific. It’s a war that is rarely spoken of, but I take him to the Arboretum every year so he can remember those who gave their lives.
Ladies: you may wish to know about Trudi McPhee. Trudi McPhee grew up on the Falkland Islands, she’s the sixth generation of her family to live there. As a child, she loved the place so much that she never wanted to go on holiday, so when Argentina invaded, Trudi’s reaction wasn’t fear, but anger. Although she'd been told directly by the Argentine military not to help British soldiers, when the local chief of police asked her and other farmers for help, she said yes. In an area with no roads, the volunteers' knowledge of the boggy ground conditions proved invaluable in moving supplies, troops and medics across the island. During the battle for Mount Longdon, Trudi wore white gloves to lead a convoy of vehicles, at night, over rough ground. Her determination to help in any way she could took her close to the frontline.
Why did Britain get involved in two wars in Europe WW1 nothing to do with Britain Europe loved WW1 so much they sat back & watched Germany mass arms for WW2 all europe send the UK is illegals migrant criminals & free loaders why people want to holiday in countries that hate them beggars believe 13,000 ex serviceman homeless in Britain google it while the UK house illegals in hotels migrant criminals free loaders & terrorist
Interesting story. I believe there is also another story of an islander leading British soldiers under direct fire over unfamiliar ground to within 20 metres of the Argentine positions. An example of extraordinary bravery.
@@johnburns4017She helped the British forces and guided them overland, wearing white gloves worn at night, so they could see her hand signals and follow her through the boggy terrain
My favourite story about the Falklands is the story of Rick Jolly, a heroic surgeon who saved many lives and was awarded for his bravery by both sides, a very rare accomplishment.
I was lucky enough to meet Rick Jolly when I was in the Royal Navy. Big fella, big personality. He was still serving as a doctor at the time, and he treated me for a minor injury during my basic training. Told me that if he could complete his 30-miler on a broken ankle, I could continue with my injury. Typical Royal Marine!
A solid bloke, his promise was if you made it to his field hospital breathing, you'd leave it breathing, whether British or Argentinian. He pretty much lived up to that in the Falklands.
I have a signed copy of his book "The Red and Green Life Machine - the dairy of the Falklands field hospital" Red and grèn referring to the Airborne and Royal Navy/Marine medics.
As a Falklands veteran, thank you for offering your honest perspective and comments. However far away and insignificant this conflict may have seemed for many people....even some in Britain, at the time. Never forget that brave young men died, on both sides. To them, this conflict was as real and final as any full scale war. Ladies, you are so right when you state that: "War sucks". It does. By the way, I disagree with the commentator's statement that the Argentine forces were mostly conscripts. True....some were. But, the Argentine 5th Marine regiment holding Tumbledown were tough, highly trained professional soldiers who fought like demons for every yard of that bloody mountain.
all this war was a plan from usa and uk!! they fooled us into war so argentina lost all the right to claim over the islands! UPI ARCHIVES MAY 29, 1988 Lehman says U.S. aid enabled Britain to win Falklands
LONDON -- Former Navy Secretary John Lehman disclosed that American military aid given London during the 1982 Falklands war was extensive and said Britain would have lost without it, the BBC-TV confirmed Sunday. 'Britain would have had to have withdrawn from the Falklands' if the United States had cut off the aid, said Lehman, Navy secretary from 1981 to 1987 usa and uk been training ukraine army since 2013!....same two countries wondering when usa and uk gonna stop foooking the world in the ass!.....im happy for putin and russia they didnt fell into the trap as argentina and ukraine
I had left the Army by the time this started, but one of my brothers was still in. Many of my old mates were still in and some of them went to the Falklands. My respect to you. A lot of boys from my brothers Regiment The Welsh Guards were killed on the Galahad, without stepping foot on the Island. Respect to any British military that gave their lives anywhere in the world, pity the Government don't give the same respect.
I was demobbed from the army in 1978, and I know that my old Battery was sent down there in '82 to do the business. Just the thought that all those lads I served with, drank with, laughed, cried and froze with on Brecon Beacons (other uninhabitable God-forsaken shitholes are available) and who I know would have given me their blood should I need it, went there and faced what we have since been shown in the media, makes my heart sink. Some, I believe, never came back. To them all, still with us or long gone, I salute you all with a pint ......... I believe it's my round lads
I was 17 and in the Territorial Army at the time of this war. What a lot of people don't realise is that we were ready for this war to escalate into a full out war with Argentina. We were told to be ready to ship out, initially to Germany to relieve our regular troops out there and then possibly on to the Falklands. We were so proud of our guys out there. I hope we never have to repeat these epic displays of British Grit and Determination.
I was 24 & had already been medically retired from the army due to an injury but I followed every minute of this event. Despite some tragic losses it showed we still had the british bull dog spirit to see it through until the object was achieved in a short period of time as wars go. We now have good relations with Argentina.
I was ex regular RAF Armourer, now going through college as a mature student getting more qualified, financing myself partly by being a TA REME Craftsman attached to ACOY 4QLR Infantry, and we were on standby to go. However, I’d served as groundcrew on a Phantom squadron’s flight line in Germany for a couple of years, and I knew what our aircrew said about the Harrier squadrons when they went up against each other on exercise. Even though they were subsonic, the Harriers could get the better of the supersonic Phantoms by ‘VIFFing’ (vectoring in forward flight) ie they were much moreso manoeuvrable in comparison. Eg. Harrier spots Phantom catching up at great rate of knots, Harrier pilot, reduces speed and vectors out of the way sideways. Phantom can’t slow down, overshoots the Harrier, Harrier gives him a blast of 30mm Aden gun cannon shells up his arse or launches a heat seeking Sidewinder missile up his jet exhaust. I was confident that the Harriers would soon gain air superiority in dog fights and then be able to ground attack enemy positions to support the ground force. So it proved as no Harrier was lost in combat, whereas the Argentinian Air Force lost plenty.
Well said, military my whole life as child and wife, now 53 and crippled 😂 ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ This is an ending sig. That's added to all posts to inform you that I've got brain damage and a lot of other issues. It's not part of the post I'm making or replying to. It's a warning if you want to try and reply and chit chat, as I'm in bed 24/7 most days, ADHD & OCD are not fun when you can't get to the park with your granddaughter to burn off energy. I'm 53, nearly 54 female, who once lived an exciting life. WARNING ⚠️! (* gives direction, typo fixed and words missed/added. I have brain damage as I died in hospital in august 2016, and it gave me mild brain damage. Also got EDS x2, ADHD, PTSD, EUPD, HCM, OCD etc. with the rest of the alphabet Google medical acronyms, it will help, oh, and that was before I medically died (coughed my spleen up in Aberdeen royal infirmary and bled to death).
I'm from the UK and was out in Dublin last year, I started talking to an Argentinian, he said the defeat was the best thing that happened to Argentina, as it led to their democracy. One person's perspective, of course. 👍
1806: First British invasion of Buenos Aires Criolla Victory !!! 1807: Second British invasion of Buenos Aires Criolla Victory !!! 1845 - 1850: War of Parana Criolla Victory !!! ........ ...... ......... ................
I can’t find any trace of this ‘War of Parana’ but it appears you have to go back to 1845 to find a Creole victory. As it’s clearly so significant to you I have to wonder why you don’t make a video about it to enlighten those of us who remain in ignorance.
@@liberalhyena9760 Basically Britain made small fairly insignificant attempts to see if south American ex colonies of Spain were vulnerable to taking. It was a side project, but the area was stable and well protected so it wasn't worth pursuing.
I turned 18 during the Fallklands, and while not deployed to the Islands I was involved in support of it. Thank you for the way you tackled this. If I may I will end with the prayer, "at the going down of the Sun, and in the morning WE WILL REMEMBER THEM."
The unknown pet of this war is that Chile stepped up its tensions with Argentina to help the Uk. They also let the SAS to go through Chile to attack them.
@@RonP51 USA helped with tanker aircraft on loan as Brits didn't have enough tankers to stage out from Ascension Island but other than that and Chilean help pretty much everyone else stayed out and none joined in direct fighting.
I remember seeing the task force leave Portsmouth and screaming "GO GET 'EM ROYALS!" as a ship lined with marines passed by. Now, every november I bow my head and remember my friend Brian, who fell, standing to his duty when HMS Glamorgan was hit. He didn't want to die, of course he didn't, but he would be the first to repeat the British forces mantra, "If you can't take a joke, you shouldn't have joined".
One interesting aspect of the Falklands War was "Operation Black Buck" The longest bombing run in history. Seven Royal Air Force missions to attack Stanley Airport with Vulcan bombers. It was not entirely an unqualified success, but it did manage to damage the runway, and the logistics and planning behind the mission was amazing. Might be worth you looking into?
When they invaded, the royal marines put up an excellent fight, when the Argentines brought up armoured vehicles we surrended. Rex Hunt (the governor of the islands) went outside to start talks and immediately told the Argentine general in no uncertain terms he was on British territory, he wasn't invited and told him and all his men to leave. At that point the marines were surrounded at government house which was under direct fire and Rex Hunt was taking cover under a large wooden desk. Yes this maybe the 1st so called technical war, but many British troops had to take positions with the bayonet.
Small but interesting note; the UK never actually declared war on Argentina as politically it could have escalated into something bigger so it was only ever described as a ‘conflict’.
Same with the war in Afghanistan, which is why anytime someone was killed it was official seen as a murder and the military police had to investigate it.
Do you need to declare a war if you’re the one being invaded? I would have thought Argentina were the ones to ’declare’ anything as they were the aggressor.
Not a clue; I’m not particularly well versed in the etiquette of when you should or shouldn’t declare war! I was just shy of 14 years old at the time and, like many young lads of the time, was glued to the news and it was something that was very carefully stressed by all the politicians of the time that it was a conflict. The international community was spending a lot of time trying to get a peaceful solution but Maggie was having none of it but I suspect that, as the world looked on, we were trying to demonstrate that we were not overly escalating a territorial dispute.
As much as I like Whistler's presentations, if I recall correctly, the 'Iron Lady' moniker was given to Thatcher for her non-negotiable diplomacy style, partcularly in her dealings with the Soviet leadership. Regardless of what people thought of her, she was certainly the strongest Prime Minister for the UK since Churchill in WW2.
There is a world of difference between strength and bloody mindedness. Eventually even Thatcher's own party realised the distinction and dumped the witch.
@@mikelheron20Over European issues in the end. Pity, as she was of middle class roots, worked hard and wasn't an Eton boy's network man as so many of her cabinet were.
I remember this so well. My brother was on HMS Hermes the flagship he was 17 when the ship left Portsmouth and 18 when the ship came home. I was 10 at the time and never forget welcoming him home. No one ever mentions the land mines the Argentinian laid out there. Another brother of mine was helping to still clear them with the Royal Engineers in 1987. All three of my brothers have served I the military, I an so proud of them.
I remember the day well: I was 15 and bunked off school, got the train from London to Portsmouth to see Hermes and Herald arrive back. Years later, I joined up, and actually served in Herald in 1997. When I deployed to the Falklands in 1994, and there were many uncleared landmine areas still fenced off - hats off to your brother, I would never have had the nerve for mine clearance!
Further to my comment elsewhere on this post. I was a friend of the brother of Major Steve Hambrook who lost part of his leg when he went into an area that was reported to be clear of mines. Major Hambrook was a very well respected and decorated sapper. I knew and worked with his son (also Steve). I was with Major Hambrook's brother, Frank watching television when it was announced that he had been blown up by a mine. Frank rushed off immediately to go and comfort his mother. The late Major Hambrook's military career is well worth reading. He served for many years after his amputation.
My brother was RN but couldn't go as the Navy had him on a course and refused to let him go. His friends were there, boys I'd known since they were knee high to a grasshopper,. They all came back but suffered ptsd and one of them was still suffering badly many years later. His ship was hit but not sunk and he had to put out there fires on his friends who had been injured and were alight. I can't imagine the hell it was and I thank everyone who served (and those who still serve)
My Dad fought in the Falklands, he was in 2 Para B company. I was 6 years old and remember him going to War. A very bloody War a lot of bayonet fighting, he came home🙂. RIP Lads 🇬🇧🇬🇧
You girls are one of the only ones that bother to rewind 5 secs after your comments, allowing us and you to regain momentum. Thank you it makes sense and is much appreciated. It also shows you are paying attention and absorbing the information. Well done 👏 ✔️ 👍 👌 😀
The american military said to the british, it was absolute lunacy to try and launch this operation and it was doomed to failure. They dont know the british.
Greatest respect for the British Forces especially the Marines, Gurkhas and Paras who yomped/tabbed 56miles across extreme, rough terrain carrying over 36kg in their bergens and their L1A1 assault rifle which added another 4.3kg (9.5lb). This was a huge, mammoth feat in itself, but to have to fight after such a long trek shows how well trained the British forces are. Respect to all combined forces who served in this conflict and who continue to serve today to protect our freedoms.
@@bobbower2011 Ive been there myself so know exactly first hand how hard it is to travel over the terrain. At times the landscape and rock formations look like a different planet on a movie set. Every time I go back I am humbled at what was accomplished, by all the regiments, land air and sea. This is why it is important for everyone who has the opportunity to visit Falklands to try and visit all the war memorials lest we forget the sacrifices of that conflict.
A friend of mine told me that he overheard Argentinian prisoners speaking Welsh to the Bitish Army guys who were holding them prisoner. Patagonia (Southern Argentina) was heavily settled by invitation, and Welsh is still spoken there today.
That way they could not use Welsh as a code as they did in WW11, too many Welsh speakers on the other side. It is one of the places that Welsh is spoken out side Wales.
A friend of mine worked at the University of Aberystwyth and told me about a situation that arose. The University needed to recruit someone with fluent Welsh. The newspaper advert was placed in Welsh and the application form was all in Welsh. A young woman applied and was invited to an interview conducted entirely in Welsh. She handled the interview excellently and her Welsh was clearly faultless so she got the job. On her first day in post, she was asked to translate some English documents into Welsh but she said that she was sorry, she couldn't do that. She could translate them into Spanish if that was any good, but she didn't speak English as she was from Patagonia! The university had to send her on day release to learn English for the first year of her employment. True Story.
I was a member of the 3rd battalion parachute regiment, i was deployed to the Falklands in 1982 to retake the Island it was a bloody aggressive affair. the rivalry between the Royal Marines & the Parachute regiment is still very real 🙂
2 friends from 3 Para, survived the attack of Mount Longdon. They were 17 and 18. Three of their friends, did not survive, all aged 17 when deploying to the Falklands, with Neil Grose having his birthday on the first day of the battle, but losing his life, then next day. Always remembering, Neil, Jason Burt and Ian Scrivens
Our maths teacher, Mr Reid, was American. He told us how difficult it would be as the Argentines used many American aircraft. After the American (and French) aircraft failed to down a single Harrier in AA combat the US ordered hundreds of Harriers. He kept his mouth shut after that.
There were two Harrier variants - the Sea Harrier and the GR3. Sea Harriers (operated by the Royal Navy - although with some RAF contingent) tended to undertake CAP (Combat Air Patrols) whilst the GR3s were operated by the RAF and undertook the Ground Attack role. The Argentine Air Defences were very modern for the time with their radar capabilities, thus resulting in a number of ground attack aircraft being downed. The RAF also flew the well known, Vulcan but also operated other aircraft types in supporting roles, which we rarely get to know about.
@@lennon28280 The sidewinder was one of the best anti-air missiles of the day certainly but the harrier was certainly a thing and could do many things no aircraft could do that's why the US Marines used them until 2006.
@@Flintlockon The Argentine pilots were not afraid of the harries but of the excellent American missiles that were useless in Vietnam but in the cold of the South Atlantic they did the job and very well, it is for this reason that the Argentine Mirages, much better planes than the harries, but without counting air-to-air missiles they used to fly high while the harries flew low, there was almost no air combat, but I assure you that an Argentine mirage armed with air-to-air missiles destroyed those heavy and unmaneuverable harriers, I don't care how long they used it in the United States, they were always mediocre planes, they are not like the F35.
@@lennon28280 They were used because they could do things no other planes could do and one thing they could do was land on an aircraft carrier or an open field or a school playground the mirage was an airstrip only craft so they had different capabilities. It was used by the US Marines because it was the best in the world for there purposes which is why they used it and it is because of the harriers innovation which was unique in the world that no other nations had an equivelent too that the F-35 exists thats why the UK was a partner in the F-35 program from the start. A VTOL fighter jet was an engineering marvel at the time and it's performance in air to air combat was a blueprint for modern air combat as the most advanced jets in the world are worse dogfighters than jets of the past and the joint technology of the payload makes the air platform. The F-35 is the most modern plane in service and it is a successor to the harrier not the mirage which was outclassed by the missile technology. The harrier was far more versatile in it's operations thats why the mirages were blown out of the sky 3-1. The US military is the most powerful and advanced in the world and they used the harrier because of what it could do that other planes could not and any shortcomings were overcome with missile technology which was the point. The harrier could destroy the mirage easily with sidewinders and also do things the mirage was completely incapable of. It was the start of a new type of air combat doctrine even having a gun on a modern fighter jet in most cases is a waste of weight and space. The mirage was a relic of outdated doctrine the harrier was the inspiration for the most modern fighter jet that currently exists. The harrier was always intended to operate with the new missile technology thats why they had them and the mirages fell out of the sky. Even though the US military had jets far better than the mirage in every single way they still used the harrier and that is for a reason. thats all there is to it.
Having served on the bridge of hms Hermes as a only just 18 year old it was a very frightening time however everyone who served during the war was very proud of what they did whichever side they were on it’s a shame about the lives that were lost and the amount of vets still suffering now , fair winds and following seas to those still on patrol .
Argentina didn't formally declare independence from Spain until 1816, didn't ratify their constitution until 1853, so it's always baffled me that they refer to the Falklands/Malvinas as 'sovereign' territory.
Always remember this because we lost a Colonel on the battlefield. Colonel H Jones ran into machine gun fire as his men were pinned down. The machine guns were taken out but he paid with his life. The message went across the radio airwaves "Sunray is down".
I wouldn't know, but I do not think it is good manners to talk so negatively about someone who gave his life for his country regardless of whether he was liked or not. Learn some manners.@@drew2324
What a pompous flippant lighthearted race through the basic facts, disgusting!, where was the telling of the gruelling march across the island or the 8000 mile flights of the vulcan bombers from England requiring multiple in flight refuels. Perhaps he had a tight schedule to get through his monologue eh?
@drew2324 (Comment from about a month ago). Maybe some of 2 Para didn't have a high regard of their Colonel but at least this was one Rupert who didn't command from a long way behind his Troops.
Simon Weston, a Welsh guard on the Sir Galahad, was horrifically burned when the ship was attacked. He endured endless reconstructive surgery and became a national hero.
I'll never forget the emotional reception the crowds gave on the Return of the task force into Portsmouth all the fire tender boats sending up columns of water, and virtually every single boat proudly escorting the fleet in... it still makes me tear up at the thought.. a little like the emotion you get at 'The Last Night of the Proms'
I'm a former British Soldier who served in the Falklands in '94 and '96 with extensive training on Argentine ORBAT and their history. One thing that wasn't made clear, the Argentine airforce were operating at extreme range, with expired safety equipment. While they were the enemy their bravery must be admired
Wow ! Hats off to you my friend ! My parents are friends of Simon Weston's parents who is probably the most high profile survivor of this conflict. My brother in law served in the RAF and he was sent there aged 19 ! He suffers still with PTSD to this day. He won't go into to detail but he basically went out with a stretcher recovering parts/bits or corpses. He's 61 and still on medication today. I was 18 and sitting watching things on the TV at home in Newcastle. My best mate went to school with the Navigator who was shot down and displayed on Argentinian TV. A very needless waste of lives
Great video. There are loads of documentaries on this conflict. I remember watching one about the islanders and what they went through during the occupation - this might be worth a watch. The islanders are forever grateful to their liberators and look after the war graves with great care and respect. They always welcome back any veterans with love and affection.
Two and half months, of my young life.. I spent my 18th birthday on a boat getting ready to land on a beach and fight a war... I came home changed forever. I think about my friends who naver came home every day. The fighting was brutal and the conditions were horrendous. I feel a great deal of pitty for the Argentinian troops. But I can never forgive them for what they did to my friends.
Thank you for your service. I say this on every post by a serviceman because I don't feel that in our era we properly appreciate what you do as members of the public. Thank you, and rest in peace to your friends who gave their lives for our country.
@@paulwatts5019 Please, I'm fed up of that line been thrown around on internet comments, it cheapens the sentiment. Also, someone claiming to have done this or that on a youtube comment can not be proven, they could be anyone. Not that I am saying what the OP is not true, some people are emotional reaction farmers.
My dad was part of the garrison stationed on the island when the invasion happened (he is one of the ‘cabbage heads’ to the left of the flag at 20:22), and he returned to the Falklands 2 months later with the rest of the British Forces. I have so much respect for all who served there, but especially NP-8901.
My father served in this conflict. He served on a landing ship called HMS Intrepid. He rarely spoke of it but opened up about it more before he passed away last year! He lost several friends during this conflict and quietly suffered with PTSD for most of his adult life as a result.
My grandfather never spoke of his time during WW2. My father told me that after my grandfather had been injured he had been sent back to help repatriate the bodies of our fallen soldiers throughout Europe and Africa. Not until I'd been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan did it sink in why he refused to bring the topic up. It is so hard to explain to loved ones what we see or what we had to do. I'd point out what we had to do is why we were still here. I watch so many soldiers who talk about their service from those men of WW2 to modern service on posts on UA-cam. I personally don't want to relive the experience, hat off to your relative for finding the heart to discuss what he went through
Fun fact; The Falklands has a Zimbabwean community. Specialists from the African country came over to help them clear the mine fields, and they received such a warm welcome and liked the place so much that many of them brought their families over and stayed. The Falklands celebrates Zimbabwean independence day.
@@unamedjoe830 Not racism in any way shape or form. Zimbabwe is a cautionary tale of utterly corrupt government going from a country which was the breadbasket of Africa to a country which serves one man's greed eventually selling off everything to a foreign interests.
Britain wasn't entirely alone, Chile offered covert support allowing British special forces to infiltrate Argentina from southern Chile, to track and report on Argentinian airforce sorties to attack the Falklands. Also allowing pilots in distress to land and be safe.
Agreed. Chile's assistance to Britain is often overlooked. I believe their air force received some Canberra PR9 recon aircraft shortly after the war - perhaps as a thank you, maybe ?
Chile has it's own dispute with Argentina over territory (seeing a pattern here), so they were more than happy to help. Also Regan gave "covert" support via satellite imagery etc, and opened NATO stores to the UK - the Sea harriers were using the very latest Sidewinders.
Not widely reported obviously was that many Exocet missiles actually hit their targets but failed to detonate. The French who made that system refused to help Argentina properly calibrate the targetting.
My Dad was a RAAF Mirage III pilot at the time and they apparently gave every bit of information over that they could to the RAF and RN. They even flew missions at specific profiles pretending that from RAAF Williamtown they were defending Norfold/Lord Howe Islands and sharing feedback with the RAF.
Somewhere out there is a radio story about the Vulcan bomber that bombed the Port Stanley runway to disable the Argentine air force’s use of it. The 16,000 mile mission nearly failed, with the final outbound inflight refuelling leaving the aircraft with possibly not enough fuel to make the next refuelling rendezvous. The crew were informed and given the option to abandon the mission but they refused and continued in the knowledge they were likely to die after the raid. Amazingly they just made the first return journey refuelling rendezvous and survived.
I was 17 a few days after Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands. I was gripped by the unfolding news story in a way that I never had been by anything before, and I followed the conflict daily from start to finish. The video you watched referred to the Sir Galahad, a ship which was hit by an Argentinian air strike. One of the soldiers on board was Welsh Guard, Simon Weston. He was the most seriously injured serviceman to survive, receiving 46% burns during the resulting fire. The BBC did a series of documentaries about him, covering his repatriation to the UK, and his long journey to physical and mental recovery, and made gripping, if sometimes harrowing, viewing. He eventually met the Argentinian pilot who had hit the Sir Galahad. His story is fascinating, if somewhat controversial - some felt that it was a step too far meeting the ‘enemy’, but his comment was that he wanted to see if the man who caused his injuries, and the death of many of his colleagues, had ‘life in his eyes’, and the meeting was an important step for him in coming to terms with what had happened. Many of the videos on here would be too long for you to react to, but there are some shorter ones which tell his story. The whole conflict, and Simon’s story in particular, still resonate strongly with me.
My father fought in the Falklands when he was just 18. He never talks about it, and the only time even a whisper peeps out is when hes been on the bend for a few hours with a couple pints of beer in him. I cant even imagine how hard they must've fought and I hugely respect all who served and all those who lost their lives.
@@jdjsjffjdkxyfd622 It would have been criminal to send our troops armed with plastic weapons. However, I think you’ll find his weapons were only partially plastic. The bits of them that mattered were high tensile steel.
One of the interesting political sidelights on the Falklands War was that the Foreign Secretary at the time, Lord Carrington, took full responsibility for not seeing it coming and decided that the only honorable thing to do at the time was to resign. Even at the time it was rare for any politician to take responsibility for what they had done, never mind what they had little chance of foreknowing. I respected him for that.
He did see it coming and raised it as a danger that by removing the patrol ship down there as part of cost cutting would send the wrong message. He took responsibility for not fighting harder to retain the patrol. He was a decent man.
@@terryreeves4290exactly, they were told before it happened but Thatcher waited. She wanted glory, not giving a toss about the lives that would be lost
@@robertmortimer4837 Lord Carrington was not Secretary of State for Defence, John Nott was, and he took the decision to reduce the Navy, which included removing HMS Endurance. John Nott also wanted to resign, but Thatcher wouldn't let him, I suppose he contributed to the mess, and he would have to be around to take the sh## if the forces did not achieve the aim of returning the Islands to UK sovereignty.
Gracias por interiorizarse por esta guerra Deberían reaccionar al video de como se desarrollo la batalla aérea de Argentina🇦🇷 Un abrazo desde Argentina😘😘😘😘
Interesting fact: That submarine which sank the Belgrano (HMS Conqueror) was (and is) the only Nuclear submarine to have ever sunk anything in battle. They did so using 1940s vintage torpedoes because they didn't trust the modern ones. Which take us to the second interesting fact: The Belgrano was formerly the USS Phoenix, which had survived pearl harbour
And, allegedly, at a function in Washington, the Japanese ambassador congratulated the British ambassador on doing what his countrymen failed to do at Pearl Harbour. If it’s true I enjoyed the Japanese ambassadors humour.
Yeah torpedos made in the 2nd world war but designed in the 20s, crazy. They had guided modern torpedos but didnt trust them yet. The third torpedo launched hit one of the other argy boats right at the very end of its run just by chance, didnt explode but they knew due to later finding marks on its hull
@@jeztaylor6308 Just to be clear for everyone, HMS Conqueror was built in Birkenhead (Birken'ead as we say it) but the ARA General Belgrano, formely the USS Phoenix was built in Camden, New Jersey US.
It was sunk outside the exclusion zone that had been delineated by the Brits around the islands, which goes to prove that hollow words are one thing and war is something else.
A Scottish MP wasted great effort and much time attempting to get the captain of the submarine tried for war crimes. His efforts came to naught since the head of the Argentine Navy agreed that the Belgrano was positioning itself for an attack on the Task Force.
I was so proud of our troops back then. I watched this unfold on TV as a kid. it was heralded as a great victory, which it was. I recently watched a documentary about the war that was the view from the Argentinian side. It was so, so sad. Their guys were stitched up so badly by their leaders. This one guy said they were so painfully cold and hungry, and that when he and his buddies surrendered, they feared the worst, but were treated really well by our guys. One of them said he couldn't believe how fit and strong the Para's were. He said they looked like Rambo. All in all, it needed to be done. War is a terrible thing. Nothing romantic about it. My nephew just did a tour on the Falklands, and I'm so proud of him. I hope he never has to go to war. Shame our governments are quietly eroding the freedoms that our troops fought for.
Yes it's very sad their young men were stitched up by a dictatorship, just as the young men of Russia were stitched up and murdered by Putin in the invasion of Ukraine. Never surrender to the bully
1st time viewer of your channel, thoroughly enjoyed it ladies. Interesting to hear your perspective of the Falklands War. Many here in the UK are extremely proud of our lads who fought & died there, proving once again that our elite regiments are highly respected worldwide. Looking forward to seeing more of your content. 👍🏼🙏🏼👍🏼🇬🇧
The cherry berries versus cabbage heads thing is very much an expression of British humour. If you are ever in the UK and are insulted you should take it as a compliment. It’s a sign that we like you.
"Cherry Berries" and "Cabbage Heads" were not the worst British Army nicknames. I remember reading an article written by a journalist visiting the garrison after liberation and the new Mount Pleasant airfield, etc., installed. She noticed as she joined an Army patrol around the island that the squaddies referred to the locals as "Stills" and she asked what that meant. It was explained that they originally called them "Bennies" after Benny, an educationally challenged character on a popular TV soap opera called Crossroads, who always wore a woolly hat, come rain or shine and even indoors. The Army started receiving complaints and issued standing orders that troops were not to refer to the local people as "Bennies", so they started calling them "Stills" instead. In squaddie logic, they're still Bennies even if you're not allowed to call them that.
I was there when the regimental part one orders displayed such that ALL personnel are to refrain calling the locals "Bennies". With the squaddie sense of humour as it is, "stills" was soon quickly replaced as their nickname. Have to admit the locals hated "stills" even more. lol
Thank you my former wife was from the Falkland islands and I fought in the Royal Navy Task Force. I found your film well balanced and it was very interesting to see and hear your reactions .....Well Done ...or as we say in the Royal Navy ....bravo Zulu .
There was a Big difference at the armies. The argentine army was formed mainly by conscripts. Of course, is important the numbers but the British sent the best of the best. Marines and special forces. Air Force: The argentinan Air force used a jet of the 50s only the French missiles were considered a danger but were a dozens. While the British used the new Harrier. The difference at navies was amazing. So was a Matter of time that the British Will win. At the end, the argentinian military junta make a suicide move.
Check out 'Operation Black Buck' the Vulcan bomber raid on the Falklands that took out the runway - The longest distance bombing raid in history, nail biting and mind-boggling choreographed mid-air refuelling involving a lot of Vulcans and air tankers swapping fuel between each other just to enable one plane to reach the target.
@@brianthesnail3815 - that's the whole point. The raids by the Vulcan never once stopped the Argentines from using the airfield as they wished. A senior British officer I know has had frequent contact with officers in Argentina, the former enemy of course, and they attest to this. Even the RAF's own photographs do not show the airfield out of action, although one published RAF photograph might have been doctored, its differing to the same photograph in the official record. Furthermore, it is now well-known that the Argentines cleverly made the airfield look (from aerial photographs) as if it had been damaged as that suited their counter-intelligence.
The Dire Straits hit "Brothers in Arms" was inspired by the Falklands War. An inclusive song for vets from both sides. A very emotional song every listen. Still a very common funeral song, particularly for military veterans of many nations.
I was in the Royal Australian Navy at the time crossing the Pacfic Ocean to Hawaii for RIMPAC82, our task force sailed in circles while we waited for direction from the Prime Minister Malcolm Frazer, whether we assisted with the exclusion zone - we resumed our course to RIMPAC - We were a combimed force of Australian & New Zealand ships Regards Tom (Navy Cook)
tell me, why did you see it appropriate to take the side of the british here? those islands are right off Argentina and thousands of miles from britain. I support Argentina
@@phreshkandy478 Australia and New Zealand are part ot the Commonwealth, and both have the British Monarch as head of state. They also susbcribe to the doctrine that the islanders should decide for themselves who their rulers are.
My father fought in this war, the stories he used to tell were amazing yet scary, there were some very lucky breaks for both him and his men and the rest of the forces. For instance a group of 50 Royal Marine commandos were dropped off 10 miles north of an Argentinian position. They ran the full ten miles along a cliff, the cliff was littered in claymore which all went off, yet out of the smoke the marines came. The soldiers they approached realising not one was injured instantly surrendered. The reason none were killed or injured was due to the frigid cold, it had cracked the casing of the claymores placed the the Argentinians so went they went off they had no explosive power but instead billowed out smoke. Like I said there were some very lucky breaks.
I was in my twenties when the Falklands war broke out. As a Brit I remember vividly watching the progress on TV. I remember watching all the ships leaving the UK, all the families on the dock waving goodbye, not knowing if they would see their loved ones again. I had a cousin in the Navy, a logistics officer, who also went out to the Falklands. It was a tense time, with news reports every night about what had been happening that day. When the war ended and the soldiers and sailors came home, the welcome was tremendous and so emotional. I remember watching on TV, tears streaming down my face at the emotion of it all. One of the saddest parts was that the Argentinians used young men with no training and sent them to be fodder and be killed.
When the Argentinian Marines realised that the British would retake the Islands the went back and swapped them with thousands of kids. There were still some Argentinian Special Services left but generally conscripts were treated as cannon fodder by Argentina. Ironically the only Junta leader who opposed the Invasion by Argentina was the Head of the Air Force whose Forces took the British on. The Navy ran away and the Army swapped its professionals for conscripts or cannon fodder.
This was a war that could have been stopped right at the beginning and saved a good many lives. The Americans wanted the Falklands handed over to the Argentinians....compeletly ignoring the wishes of all but one Falklander. To reinforce this the yanks refused to lone the Brits an aircraft carrier. This causing the Brits to send down an airforce with no supersonic jets. At the same time the French refused to give the Brits the codes necessary to stop the Exocette missiles and the Belgians refused to sell ammunitian to the UK. Great bunch of friends who just a decade later were expecting British support to sort out a couple of Gulf wars.
The Falklands are beautiful. I’ve spent 2.5 years living there and working there. My Grandmother is a Falkland Islander with my family in one form or another being there since the 1840s. The islanders get lost in the argument between UK and Argentina. The Islanders want to be a UK overseas territory.
I couldn't agree more. During my long service in the Royal Navy, I had the privilege of completing two South Atlantic patrols, which included time alongside in East Falkland as well as anchoring off the stunning South Georgia island (I was also able to see the awesome icy volcanic South Sandwich islands). The wildlife and nature is incredible, and the local population are a real credit.
As a Brit, being 12 at the time, thank you for covering this. There was a girl in my class whose older brother went on the task force and he came back safe and sound.
You might like Jeremy Clarkson's documentary about the British commando raid to St.Nazaire in WWII. It's called "The Greatest Raid of All". It has interviews with veterans who took part in it. Clarkson has also made another one about the Victoria Cross.
Important to note that this war had to be concluded quickly, the winter in the Falklands begins in June/July and is brutal. High winds and snow can drop temperatures dramatically. Having served at Mount Pleasant alongside the Gurkhas after the war, I can attest to their professionalism, and reputation as one of the best units in the world.
@johnmcintyre5309 I had three uncles who served with the Gurkas in WW2, in Burma, north Africa, Italy and France. One of them said "I don't know what they do to the enemy but they terrify me" They won Victoria Crosses in every conflict.
My friend was in the Paras and fought in the Falklands. He said it was so cold, they walked across a field and found out after it was mined. None went off due to the cold. RIP to all who fought and died there.
Apparently the Gurkhas were highly disappointed that they never got the chance to fight. The Argentinians found out they were about to attack Stanley........2 hours later, came the Argentine surrender. Also, you could look-up the exploits of Lt Mills squad during the invasion of South Georgia, the only time an infantry squad has forced a warship to retreat. Mark Felton covered the story, "Mills Marauders, Last Stand On South Georgia". Incidentally, when the Argentinians disarmed his squad, one of them had 2 fire-axes concealed about his person.
There is a video of a British Gurkha officer passing on word about Stanley being surrended. The RGR guys cried and the Officer said something along the line of "You'd think I'd told them their mothers were dead..."
The South Georgia story certainly is fascinating. My favourite bit was when they finally surrendered to the Argentinians, their captors were highly suspicious and wanted to know where the rest of them were. They couldn't believe so much havoc was caused by so few men. They were also then grateful that the British informed them that the quayside they'd just moored their ship to and on which the conversation was taking place was booby-trapped to the hilt, and would the Argentinians like it defused before it went off?
This was a war the whole world told us brits to avoid as it was impossible to win. We may be a small nation but we produce the best soldiers in the world, numbers me nothing. Most wars in British history that we've won we've been out numbered. Fighting runs through our blood🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Interesting fact for Natasha & Debbie - The last surviving ship from the attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941, was sunk in the Falklands conflict. The USS Phoenix (US battleship) was sold to Argentine in 1951 and was renamed the General Belgrano, which was the first ship sunk by British forces in 1982.
A WW2 era battleship sunk by a modern (at the time) nuclear powered submarine with torpedoes that were using WW2 technology, the Mk8, 'cos the modern 1982 torpedo the Tigerfish had reliability issues with regard to guidance. The sub's skipper decided to go with old and trusted tech as opposed to more potentially effective tech that still had teething issues. HMS CONQUERER was the first nuclear submarine to sink another warship in combat.
Although the U.S. played no direct part in the Falklands, they did put Britain to the top of the list to receive the latest version of the Sidewinder air to air missile which greatly helped the sea harriers defend the ships in "Bomb Alley". Also a good book is the biography of Admiral Sir Sandy Woodward called 100 hundred days which largely tells the story of the Falklands from his perspective and his early career in submarines. Its also where I learned the great motto used in the submarine service "Think! Think or Thwim!" :)
The sidewinder missiles were already in British hands but were supposed to held for NATO use. By the time that the US agrteed to their use in the South Atlantic, they were already aboard HERMES and INVINCIBLE.
The US also rented a couple of channels on their military satellite communications network which was necessary for The Admirality to communicate with the task force. They also agreed if it was requested for a US Navy carrier battle group to be seconded to the Royal Navy. This last one never happened.
@@jimcook1161 The Offer of an Aicraft Carrier, NOT a Carrier Group, was from ex General Alexander Haig (Foreign Secretary USA), given without permission or consultation. Sidewinders were seconded from the US Military deliveries, again by Haig who had a fight with Casper Weinberger who was the Secretary of Defence. Haig won that "discussion".
I was at University during the Falklands conflict and do remember it well. 19 years ago I visited Buenos Aires, Ushuaia and the Falkland Islands on my way to Antarctica. I visi😊ted the war memorials in all 3 locations and was so moved by each. The Falklands are so rural and peaceful it's hard to believe this war happened. R I P to all who lost their lives
I never made it to the Falklands but I did Buenos Aires and Ushuaia several times and visited the war memorial there. It was very poignant and reminds us all there are no victors.
the overland attack was suppose to be by vehicles, but the vechicles were lost when one of the ships got sunk. Fortunately, a quick 20 mile hike overland with full kit is a staple training routine of the commandos
The "vehicles" you refer to were Chinook helicopters, lost when the MV Atlantic Conveyor was sunk. Any vehicles other than helicopters would have been useless as there were very few roads/tracks and the terrain was far too rocky, boggy and hilly for any land vehicles.
Glad you like the name HMS Invincible, the carrier as are the newest submarines you watched in another video, was built in my home town Barrow in Furness, and launched by Queen Elizabeth. I was at school during that time. News journalist Brian Hanrahan (1949-2010) quoted, after harriers took off from the Hermes and due to reporting restrictions 'I am not allowed to say how many planes joined the raid, but I counted them all out, and I counted them all back' this came a well known saying over the years. One of the more remembered soldiers is Simon Weston who was on the Sir Galahad, with his platoon of Welsh guards, he was badly burned after the ship was bombed. He survived with 46% burns.
Remember the launch of Invincible and the Harrier popping up from behind the bridge. It was gone when I went in the yard Sept '80, first ship I worked on was HMS Manchester, and HMS Trafalgar hunter killer sub down in the dock (where the DDH is now. I remember a lot of anger in the yard when HMS Sheffield went down, as a lot of the older guys had built her.
The name the Iron Lady was actualy coined by the Russians and not from this conflict. A Soviet journalist dubbed her the "Iron Lady", a nickname that became associated with her anti communist, uncompromising politics and leadership style.
I'm Argentinian yet half British on my mum's side. My granny was Scottish but my grandfather (who fought as a VOLUNTEER in the Second World War for England) was born and raised in Argentina, and still, always, until the days before his death, supported that the Malvinas Argentinas. Despite the time, in which many treated him badly for being "English", he always supported Malvinas Argentinas. Today I have enherited an English First and Last Name, and I even lived in England for a while. But my grandfather and his ideals always lead me to defend what is ours. And really, trying to bring us all together. When I lived in England (during my secondary school years) I realized that all my contemporaries didn't care at all about the Argentine demand for the ""Falklands"". The claim lives more in us than in them, without a doubt. And I plan to follow in my grandfather's footsteps defending that claim (from wherever I can) until the day I die. I must add that I am extremely proud to be part British (Scottish and English), so I must clarify that this mindset has nothing to do with some sort of rebellion against my roots. Every time I find some new information of where my family lived and where they worked, I fill up with joy. So please don't take this comments as any anti-Brit stupidity. Since living in Manchester, I found that the Argentines and the British are so similar it hurts 😂 If we spoke the same language and lived a bit closer to eachother we'd be best friends. Sharing tea and mate, or Fernet-Cola/wine and beers.
Total Respect to anyone who took part in that conflict. I had friends, both Army and Navy who were down there. The Cargo Vessel, The Atlantic Conveyor was from my home City of Liverpool and most of the lads that were killed in the Exocet Missile attack were from here, there is a memorial in the grounds of Our Lady and St Nicholas Church, near the Waterfront 🖤
My late brother in Law was the other captain of the Atlantic conveyor who docked and went on leave just before the ship was called into service. We were all glad that he wasn't there, but sadly, he died a short time later of a collapsed heart valve and died on my sisters lap in the back garden.
@@johngardiner6800 How very sad my friend, you think you may have gotten a free pass and then that happens. I am a firm believer that it`s already decided for you. Sometimes I really regret not following in my Fathers footsteps and joining The Merchant Navy, he sailed in The North Atlantic Convoys in WW2.
My father, a merchant navy captain in charge of a bulk cargo container ship, was tasked just after the war with delivering the construction vehicles required to build a new airport on the Falkland Islands. It was his last voyage before he retired. He told me several interesting things, including that there had been quite a lot of contact between the islanders and Argentina before the war, where they did shopping and sent any children who qualified for higher education. This ended due to the war. There had been a British ship bringing British products to the islands once a month, but this service was discontinued just before the war. It seems likely that had the Argentinians not attacked in 1982, and had they had a more democratic regime, eventually, the inhabitants might have eventually thrown their lot in with them, as the British Foreign Office wished. By attacking, the Argentinians set this process back by decades.
Exactly this. In the 60s-70s there was a _ton_ of trade between the islands and Argentina. Almost all the fuel on the islands, and decent fraction of other stuff came from the mainland. All that stopped and (understandably) never returned due to the lack of trust. But it is now basically impossible for the UK government to cede or otherwise fail to defend those islands, because if they did they would not be the government for much longer afterwards due to backlash they'd get from the public. Imo it's unlikley anyone alive today will ever see a resolution satisfactory to everyone regarding the Falklands. All thanks to Galtieri being a very silly boy.
@@MareSerenitis And forgetting that the Falkland Islands had been a Crown possesion for MANY long decades before Argentina was EVEN a Country, they were a part of the Spanish conquistedor invasion of South America, and largely unpopulated land until the Spanish developed the place and Northern, South American natives began to trickle down. Argentinas ONLY reason for claiming the Islands is - they are convinced the SPANISH owned the place (which they NEVER did ! at ANY point in time in history)........ AND they are "only" three hundred miles from Argentina.(about the length of the entire UK from top to bottom.) What exactly do you mean by "satisfactory result" there WAS one - THEY illegally invaded a Sovereign part of the UK simply to keep a despotic and murderous military regime in power...and they were rightly, summarily evicted. There is another point that the Junta had in mind that never gets discussed too....in that OUR closer proximity to Antarctica gives US a good sized chunk of the oil and mineral deposits of the land mass....and Galtieris lot wanted dibs.
Margaret Thatcher " loved " !!???? Just saying...coming from South Wales....miners, steelworkers, ect. I wouldn't say she was loved.....hot here anyway. Great reaction, needs to be recognised & acknowledged....ar the time there was talk of thd Argentinians had children in their ranks...14 Yr old! That is barbarick. Love & light always 💜🏴🌻
I was a stoker on the hospital ship Uganda. I have never forgotten how what our troops went through. Makes you soooo proud to be British. Only the UK could have achieved this. Had my 20th birthday down south. An awful day😢😢😢
People in the comments omit to point out that if the Falklands were ceded to Argentina they would control the whole of the South Atlantic...a facist state controlling shipping. In the same way that we can never allow Spain to be in control of Straights of Gibralter....the gateway to the Mediterranean. We are a trading island nation that depends upon trade by sea & our nation has gauranteed the free passage of shipping on the open sea for many centuries. Also missing is the bomb run of the beautiful British aircraft called the Vulcan. Flying 4000.miles to bomb & crater the runways at Punta Arenas on the mainland....it was the longest bimb-run recorded up untill the Gulf Wars so many years later. Hats off to those brave, brave young men who fought & died so very very far from home. R.I.P.
Rivalry between the British services and units is very much alive and well. We all take the proverbial out of each other but when the time comes we'll cover each other's backs. There is a book about some National Service (conscript) Royal Marines in the 1950s, their instructor tells them; "You'll hear a lot about the Parachute Regiment, mostly from the Parachute Regiment." Pongos (soldiers) and Bootnecks (Royal Marines) sleep under the stars. Matelots (sailors) use the stars to guide them across the oceans. Crab Air (the Royal Air Force) use stars to grade hotels. Surgeon Commander Rick Jolly, Royal Navy, was the senior medical officer. His team looked after the injured soldiers of both sides to good effect. He was decorated for his efforts by both the UK and the Argentine governments.
My dad served quite a few tours in Northern Ireland and was blown up by the IRA at a checkpoint, yet he always said fighting in the Falklands was the worst thing that happened to him because he had to shoot young conscripts, he never came to terms with that
Gosh that's awful. Assuming he's still around I'd like to thank him for his service. There aren't enough good men in this country, he's definitely one of them.
@@tommysherman7155I think hus dad was a para, the paras had 3 battalions, 2 and 3 para went to the Falklands. 2 and 3 para had served in Belfast and Londonderry prior to the Falklands war. Therefore it's highly likely that his father spoke truthfully.
I'm similar to Debbie's age, so it was my first experience of war and understanding that people had died. I remember the names of the aircraft carriers, the ships that were lost, but one thing that makes me a little emotional is one of the BBC reporters being on HMS Hermes- 'I'm not allowed to tell you how many aircraft took part in the raid, but I counted them all out and I counted them all back' It became quite a famous war report, but it really stuck with me as a child, because I knew none of them, that day anyway, had been lost. Thank you as always, for your respect.
I am a veteran and was in the Falklands, was a hard place, was winter with sub zero temperature and blizzards for 6 weeks. Any animal that could fly, swim or hide had dissappeared, was just us humans running around. There were a lot of mines so moving around was treacherous, and we lived in wood huts. The locals were awesome, so grateful for our help. We have it so cushy here in the UK.
This is a great video for those who don't know much about the conflict. There were some true heros - in particular, Dr Rick Jolly a naval surgeon, awarded gallentry medals from BOTH the UK and Argentina. There are several short videos on him, a true hero saving life in the chaos of war
I’d not heard of him the first report I look up he’s on. A helicopter line being transferred to a ship and rescues 2 sailors from the sea no wet suit just army kit. I’m off to find his book. What an amazing man
The incredibly complex operation to bomb the runway at Port Stanley using life-expired Vulcan bombers ripe for retirement is described in detail by Rowland White in his book Vulcan 607. I suspect the attacks on the runway were less about asset denial and more about demonstrating the Royal Air Force's ability to attack Buenos Aires at will, should the need arise. The missions were flown from Ascension Island and involved a large number of Victor tankers transferring fuel to the Vulcan and to each other in order to deliver the bombs to the runway and get every aircraft safely back to Ascension. It was a close run thing with elements of blind luck intervening. The book is a fascinating read and is highly recommended. There are some good videos explaining the operations on UA-cam.
Read about Operation Black Buck and see why it was deemed both an operational failure and success. The RAF made the claim you outlined, the navy and Royal Marine Commandos refuted it. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Black_Buck but there's bound to be a UA-cam video about it somewhere.
As an aircraft enthusiast, the Vulcan continues to be my favourite aircraft of all time. Even though it saw barely any conflict, it was a revolutionary aircraft of its time and proved itself in both Operation Black Buck as well as during military exercises against the USA (Operation Skyshield). Well worth a reaction of its own, and I could listen to an audio clip of the 'Vulcan Howl' on loop for hours.
@@DavrosHams I've published some of the best audio of Vulcans over the years. Everything's labelled an "icon" these days, but the Vulcan really is iconic!
I've been to the Falklands twice. The first time was in 2006 on HMS Liverpool, a Type 42 Destroyer and sister ship to HMS Sheffield and HMS Coventry. I was actually reading David Hart Dyke's book, Four Weeks in May, on my way down there. David Hart Dyke was Commanding Officer of HMS Coventry in 1982. It's a very gripping read. The Falkland Islands are a beautiful, but barren place. The problem for the Royal Navy was that the Argentine aircraft would fly in low, and be lost amongst the clutter so be hard to pick up on radar. This meant they were hard to see, and therefore hard for the missiles to pick them up and take them out. Whilst there we replaced the Ensign on HMS Antelope. The Royal Navy has a policy to keep the flag flying on as many sunk vessels as possible. The second time I was there was in 2006 on HMS Dragon, a Type 45 Destroyer that were the successor to the Type 42's. These have far better radars that can pick up stuff in the clutter. Britain did not seek, nor want, that conflict. But we damned well finished it. HMS Conqueror, with two torpedoes, sank an elderly cruiser. Those torpedoes also sent the rest of the Argentine navy back into harbour, from whence they never returned. It's a loss of life, like that most conflicts, was futile and unnecessary. It has also, sadly, spoiled relations between them and us since. It's a great shame, as only 40 years they had been Allies and sent us food and supplies when we faced annihilation from Nazi Germany. It's a shame that our relationship has deteriorated, and continued to do so, since.
Very well said. You rarely hear about the embargo that the Argentines have placed on any vessel visiting their ports that have previously had any involvement with the Falklands. Makes refuelling a bit challenging, when Brazil followed suit.
I was in Spanish territory during the Falkland's conflict and as an English 17 year old on holiday with my family am afraid this didn't go down too well. We would walk down streets and would receive dirty looks and worse and even had food thrown at us by the waiter at a restaurant. Having said that that this was nothing compared to the suffering of the Falklanders and the young soldiers etc on both sides of the conflict. I remember sitting around the radio listening to broadcasts every chance we got trying to follow what was happening and being mortified at the loss of our ships personnel and soldiers at Goose Green. All we could think of was that the Falklanders needed to be rescued and that the conflict could escalate into a full blown war. Thank you both for the sensitivity you showed when dealing with this subject. It is still a very sensitive issue for both the British and Argentine's (Especially for those of us that were around then) The Falklander's vote should be respected I think and they should be left to get on with their lives as they see fit.
Rex Hunt apparently called in the marine commander and suggested a token resistance for half an hour followed by an honourable surrender to save getting anybody killed. The commander agreed with him but on the way out was heard to comment to his second "Bugger that, lets make their bloody ears ring".
The Para's marched with 80lb backpacks 56 miles in 3 days over boggy, mountainous terrain and then fought a 16hr battle for Goose Green at the end of it. They suffered horrifically with foot rot because of the damp, boggy conditions and inappropriate footwear for the conditions.
@@Tango27800 2 Para fought at Goose Green. My mate was next to H Jones when he got killed. My mate is know was 762 as he got shot in the mouth with a 7.62 round on Wireless Ridge later in the war. 2 Para were the only Regiment to fight two land battles on the Falklands. 3 Para fought at Mount Longdon and took the heaviest loss of the war.
@@HerewardtheWake-ri1hya Chap I knew was the Adjutant of 2 para Captain David Wood. We were both in the same Air Training Corp Squadron. RIP David. Sadly lost his life on Goose Green.
@@HerewardtheWake-ri1hy Is it true that H was killed when the Argies flew a white flag as if to surrender, and then shot him as he approached them? That was what was reported in the UK at the time.
Maybe not made clear in the original video, the Falklands were British for thirty years before Argentina even existed. So there was no valid Argentinian claim.
Not to forget the efforts of the RAF and the very extended efforts of the Vulcan bomber crews. Regardless, too many lives were lost on both sides because of a fascist dictator trying to deflect his terrible economic (and much worse) impact on the amazing Argentinian people. You never win a war - you lose less badly.
This is our first time looking into the Falklands War of 1982, where Argentina's military junta invaded the British islands. This is an overview where we follow the two and a half months of conflict between the United Kingdom and Argentina, that changed the course of history. Also known as the first modern war. There is certainly more to the story than we learn here but this was a good single, video that gave us a foundation for the conflict. Let us know if you learned anything here and if you would like us to take a deeper dive into this. As always, our sincerest respects to the Militaries and anyone that lost relatives or friends during this. Thank you SO much for watching! If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our channel, it is the BEST way to support our channel and it's FREE! Also, please click the Like button. Thank you for your support!
The very effective Exocet missiles used by the Argentine aircraft, against UK ships, were made in France (awkward!). Argentina only had a limited supply - so the UK security services set up an agency to buy all the unsold missiles, so that Argentina could not purchase further supplies.
I was there. It was no sinecure.
This is a good basic overview for people who don't know much about it. I hated Thatcher then and still do.
I loved Mrs Thatcher, and still do
@@francisalderson4469 I appreciated her stoicism and her relentless spirit. The people who hated her were the ones who didn't want to work hard for what they had in order to obtain more. They wanted everything handed to them on a platter.
Irrespective of point of view , the feat of arms which was accomplished by british forces was incredible , thousands of miles from home , outnumbered , outgunned and on foot , british troops recaptured the Falklands and freed british subjects . The sight of british troops marching into Stanley dirty ,battle hardened ,armed to the teeth and quite frankly looking exactly what they were , one of the best disciplined professional fighting forces in the world. their conduct throughout was astonishing both in battle and in victory. They were a credit to Britain
Well said
Couldn’t say it better myself
Best forces in the world.
On either side, a lot of those guys never really returned home. It was supposed to be a tactical war, an expression of Nationhood, the whole thing turned into a mess. They never really got back home, did they?
@@gabbermensch I've met, worked with, and served with more than a few Falkland's veterans, and every one of them are still on those islands.
I am Argentinian. This war is still is a deep wound for us to heal.
I thank you all (Natasha, Debbie and everyone in the comments) for the absolute respect you show.
Let's never forget our heroes from both sides. Our goverments were ennemies, we are not.
What a true gentleman you are. I feel exactly the same. Governments make wars and the people suffer at their hands. Good day to you, Sir.
Margret Thatcher was unpopular at the time and was going to lose the next election this got her reelected.
We had a Polaris nuclear sub down there at the time of the invasion she could have just told you to withdraw or forced a withdrawal with a nuclear strike on Buenos Aires.
Maradona and his mates would never show the same sentiment
Governments divide people and create war. I remember and respect the dead on both sides of the war.
@@myaphextwin807Very true, the Argentinian player’s behaviour after a penalty shoot win against England in the 1998 WC in France whilst on a team bus outside the stadium was disgusting & pathetic. I say that as a Scot & it’s known when it comes to football & rugby we don’t support England too well. However, when it comes to conflict with adversaries we are always there with England.
The fact that the Argentine Junta Government refused the repatriation of hundreds of their own dead soldiers, is still disgusting to me.
Their reasoning was that they were already in Argentine soil.
They would not even repatriate any of their living soldiers, the British transported their prisoners to Argentina on the SS Canberra.
It is disgusting 😢
@@Rickkennett143 The Islands never belonged to Argentina, nor were they of any value to them except for Propaganda purposes
Repatriation is a fairly modern concept, though. Witness the thousands of fallen soldiers from the US and Germany and Australia (etc) buried in France. You were buried where you fell, and it doesn't reflect well on us Brits that we wanted those poor boys to be buried elsewhere.
I am a veteran of the Falklands war and lost many friends. Today, I ask myself how we endured the conditions. We endured freezing weather with snow, hail and freezing rain. Our feet were constantly wet and many suffered trench / immersion foot. 20 years after the war, I revisited with several other veterans and we were still serving in the parachute regiment. Whilst visiting Goose Green cemetery where the Argentinian dead were buried a coach carrying their families arrived at the cemetery. Since we were in military fatigues they were nervous of us. I approached them and explained that we were veterans of the war and have come to pay our respects to our former enemy. This broke the ice and we hugged and shook hands with the families and had a group photo taken with them.There was nothing but respect.
Total respect for the very young soldiers and for the Argentinian families .
NO RESPECT whatsoever for the Argentinian leaders, who brought on this war to try and persuade their people that they could regain popularity by winning.
@@Jill-mh2wn Amigo, los líderes argentinos aseguraron para la Argentina toda la plataforma continental (6.5 millones de km2) y aseguraron para ñas generación futuras de Argentina el territorio antártico, al acreditar plenamente que la Antártida es americana.
Los británicos se instalaron en las Malvinas con un solo pretexto, a saber: garantizar la libre navegación del Atlántico Sur y el Pacífico Sur. Hoy ya no son garantes de nada, salvo de su propia integridad territorial y del Mar del Norte.
La presencia de Estados Unidos en la base aeronaval de Ushuaia dice claramente que la presencia del Reino Unido en el Atlántico Sur ya no es necesaria.
Sus días están contados.
I was a 19 year old Royal Marine down there with Four-Five Commando and fought at Two Sisters. I'm now friends with one of the Argentine mortar men who also fought there and did us considerable damage.
Next month, July 2024, the son of an Argentine fighter-pilot who was shot down and killed over the Falklands is staying at mine for a few days: I'm very much looking forward to it.
I've been back to the islands once since the war- it was very moving. Especially my visit to Two Sisters.
Tal cual como es como usted dice el respeto es todo soy argentino de buenos aires le mando un gran saludo a la distancia
Respect
I am a Royal Marine veteran of the war and even after 41 years I would do it all again, Thank you for the video ladies!
Respect 🇬🇧👍🏼
Well said, Glen, and thank you for your service.
Thank you for your service.
thank you, sir!
You may know a Mr Ricky Strange
I was married to a Falklands Veteran (Scots Guards) who was 19 when he fixed bayonets and charged up Tumbledown .They werent fighting conscripts ..
It affected him and he had what we now know as PTSD (then there wasnt any help)
and sadly our marriage broke up .
My father in law was a Para and fought at Goose Green.Lest we Forget
Heroes all ❤
Many people think the Argentine troops were all conscripts. They weren't. I saw a TV programme where a British officer was talking about the battle for Mount Tumbledown. He was a fairly junior officer at the time but he said he saw very senior officers engaged in hand to hand combat which really bears witness to how bad it was. I also know someone who was the 1st Gulf War and somebody else also Scots Guards Officer (just missed Falklands) and both suffer from PTSD. Its better treated now but its still not great. Both suffered marriage breakdowns and you clearly know only too well how that affects families.
@@brianthesnail3815 Many conscripts from Argentina were brought in BUT also Argentinian Special Forces were there at the end. That just created more casualties on both sides. Bosnia, Gulf and Sierra Leone are just many times that British Forces have protected the UK from afar and saved many foreigners lives without a thank you!
It is said that the UK gave the technology of the Harrier jump jet vertical take off planes to the USA in exchange for support and weapons,
He will be reporting for duty and waiting orders from God, he is and will always be a hero just like all the guys who went to war for our country Great Britain and I am Scottish, and was a member of the RCT, or as he would no dought point out Rickshaws Carts and Taxies.
@@brianthesnail3815 I was at Mount Tumbledown in 1990. In 1982 the Argentines had their 5th Marine Battalion stationed there. I saw their equipment scattered around the place.
Interestingly the hill that the Gurkhas were tasked to take had been abandoned when the Argentinian troops realised who was heading towards them. The Gurkhas reputation precedes them
I’ve read a book by an ex-SAS soldier who was with the Paras that the Argentines were retreating from the Scots Guards until they encountered the forward positions of the Gurkhas. Their reputation is so FIERCE even to Argentines that they turned around and headed back towards the Scots Guards ! The reputation of the Gurkhas prevented them from getting to physically prove it to the cautiously reluctant Argentine soldiers. That says a lot.
Ayo Gorkali!
I heard somewhere that the Argentines were told by their officers, that if the Gurkhas captured them they would kill & eat them (obviously not true) but it put the fear of God into them. Not sure how accurate this is, but you don't mess with the men from Nepal.
Gurkhas definitely have a well deserved reputation. To be honest, I’d run. They’re just badass
@@davidmorgan5312 There's a documentary on what it takes to even get selected to join the Ghurkas, it's fecking brutal!
Interesting anecdote: All but one helicopter that was aboard the Atlantic Conveyor were burned up and destroyed. The one that wasn't was a Chinook that happened to be airborne at the time. This lone Chinook made it to the Falkands and flew non stop for months ferrying supplies and wounded here and there. All the while going with minimal maintenance. Many of its parts timing out (expiring past their replacement hours). It never once broke down. It only recently (as in last year) was retired from active service!
Bravo November
@@jamesadams8558 That's the one!
Both Chile and the US (plus others) assisted Britain in a covert manner.
BN flew in every conflict up to being recently retired and now stands proudly at the RAF museum Cosford.
That is fascinating! Thank you.
as a soldier who served from 1979 until 2010 and who served in not only that war but the two gulf conflicts i can tell you it was a horrendous experience and one i would never want to experience again but it was worth it to free the Falkanders
Exactly why I stopped my two sons following me into the army.
The way we left Afghanistan was a kick in the teeth to the muckers. One mucker lost his lower leg after taking a round, for what.
It was all political chess.
Time we only deployed to protect our own shoreline
Thankyou both for your service.
@@sharky09000 🙏, most of us don't want thanked. Thank you for the sentiment
your a amazing man
I served with the British army in the Green Howards, Yorkshire’s finest! And given the chance I’d do it all over again. But I totally agree with your comments about the guards and that many twits think they are just ceremonial soldiers and not a fighting force. As in this video says they were deployed to the Falklands and they like other regiments fought like lions to bring this war to an end.
I always remember when I went to the recruiting office as a young man and and 6 ft 3 and the recruiting officer told me that there was no vacancies for the Green Howards so I got up and said that you have my number and to let me know when they are recruiting as it’s the Green Howards or nothing as I knew some friends who were in the regiment and I wanted to follow them. He was bluffing as I thought but still tried to push me for the Guards but I didn’t want all that pomp and ceremony and all that polishing! But I did my time with the regiment then joined the reserves afterwards until I seriously damaged my spine in an accident on exercise and that was my military service finished. But I was proud to serve my country and my Queen and to serve alongside some of the best soldiers in the world and been part of one massive family.
There is a humorous story concerning the Gurkhas, the Paras and the Argentinian forces. After the surrender the Paras told the Argentinian forces that when a Gurkha smiled at them it meant they want to eat them. They then told the Gurkhas that they should smile more at the Argentinians as they was scared of them.
@GingerBricksMinifigsMadhouse tbo The Gurkhas probably thought it was bloody hilarias too
Fake story
@@fc6738 fake user
@@sellma111 don't describe yourself
1806: First British invasion of Buenos Aires
Criolla Victory !!!
1807: Second British invasion of Buenos Aires
Criolla Victory !!!
1845 - 1850: War of Parana
Criolla Victory !!!
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I served in the Falklands on HMS Cardiff, we liberated the Falkland islanders but we also gave Argentina 'Democracy', the chance to vote for a President.
Thank you for your service ♥️🫡
Yep a lot of ppl don't realise that👍thank you for your service
If you think so... it seems you know much about argentine history... you should write a book about it... an encyclopaedia, just for not leaving a single word outside.
Funnny people the british... always "liberating" the world... i don't know how did you people become an empire by doing such acts of kindness with other peoples... kinda contradictory... isn't?
It would be very interesting to know how many other "gifts" you people gave to Argentina... just to know how grateful the whole country should feel about UK's soldiers... nobody should not to pay the gratitude owed to others... right?
Give me your bank account to send you your share.
Greetings
@@bfc3057 Total bollocks.
@@bfc3057 The British victory kicked the last of the support for the Junta from under them. Furthermore, all the other military dictatorships in Latin America fell shortly after.
My Dad fought in this war, he retired shortly after and has never been the same since he came home. Every now and again little things slip out when he’s had a drink and from what he has said it was horrific. It’s a war that is rarely spoken of, but I take him to the Arboretum every year so he can remember those who gave their lives.
Ladies: you may wish to know about Trudi McPhee.
Trudi McPhee grew up on the Falkland Islands, she’s the sixth generation of her family to live there. As a child, she loved the place so much that she never wanted to go on holiday, so when Argentina invaded, Trudi’s reaction wasn’t fear, but anger. Although she'd been told directly by the Argentine military not to help British soldiers, when the local chief of police asked her and other farmers for help, she said yes. In an area with no roads, the volunteers' knowledge of the boggy ground conditions proved invaluable in moving supplies, troops and medics across the island. During the battle for Mount Longdon, Trudi wore white gloves to lead a convoy of vehicles, at night, over rough ground. Her determination to help in any way she could took her close to the frontline.
Why did Britain get involved in two wars in Europe WW1 nothing to do with Britain Europe loved WW1 so much they sat back & watched Germany mass arms for WW2 all europe send the UK is illegals migrant criminals & free loaders why people want to holiday in countries that hate them beggars believe 13,000 ex serviceman homeless in Britain google it while the UK house illegals in hotels migrant criminals free loaders & terrorist
Interesting story. I believe there is also another story of an islander leading British soldiers under direct fire over unfamiliar ground to within 20 metres of the Argentine positions. An example of extraordinary bravery.
Who was she helping?
@@johnburns4017She helped the British forces and guided them overland, wearing white gloves worn at night, so they could see her hand signals and follow her through the boggy terrain
My favourite story about the Falklands is the story of Rick Jolly, a heroic surgeon who saved many lives and was awarded for his bravery by both sides, a very rare accomplishment.
I was lucky enough to meet Rick Jolly when I was in the Royal Navy. Big fella, big personality. He was still serving as a doctor at the time, and he treated me for a minor injury during my basic training. Told me that if he could complete his 30-miler on a broken ankle, I could continue with my injury. Typical Royal Marine!
A solid bloke, his promise was if you made it to his field hospital breathing, you'd leave it breathing, whether British or Argentinian. He pretty much lived up to that in the Falklands.
I have a signed copy of his book "The Red and Green Life Machine - the dairy of the Falklands field hospital" Red and grèn referring to the Airborne and Royal Navy/Marine medics.
He saved many argentineans soldiers too,he was a hero for both sides, he wad awarded by argentina too.
@@iangregory3719 Excellent book! But it has changed title to "Doctor For Friend and Foe". I liked the old title better.
As a Falklands veteran, thank you for offering your honest perspective and comments. However far away and insignificant this conflict may have seemed for many people....even some in Britain, at the time. Never forget that brave young men died, on both sides. To them, this conflict was as real and final as any full scale war. Ladies, you are so right when you state that: "War sucks". It does.
By the way, I disagree with the commentator's statement that the Argentine forces were mostly conscripts. True....some were. But, the Argentine 5th Marine regiment holding Tumbledown were tough, highly trained professional soldiers who fought like demons for every yard of that bloody mountain.
Thank you for your service and fighting for our people
all this war was a plan from usa and uk!! they fooled us into war so argentina lost all the right to claim over the islands!
UPI ARCHIVES MAY 29, 1988
Lehman says U.S. aid enabled Britain to win Falklands
LONDON -- Former Navy Secretary John Lehman disclosed that American military aid given London during the 1982 Falklands war was extensive and said Britain would have lost without it, the BBC-TV confirmed Sunday.
'Britain would have had to have withdrawn from the Falklands' if the United States had cut off the aid, said Lehman, Navy secretary from 1981 to 1987
usa and uk been training ukraine army since 2013!....same two countries wondering when usa and uk gonna stop foooking the world in the ass!.....im happy for putin and russia they didnt fell into the trap as argentina and ukraine
I had left the Army by the time this started, but one of my brothers was still in. Many of my old mates were still in and some of them went to the Falklands. My respect to you. A lot of boys from my brothers Regiment The Welsh Guards were killed on the Galahad, without stepping foot on the Island. Respect to any British military that gave their lives anywhere in the world, pity the Government don't give the same respect.
I was demobbed from the army in 1978, and I know that my old Battery was sent down there in '82 to do the business. Just the thought that all those lads I served with, drank with, laughed, cried and froze with on Brecon Beacons (other uninhabitable God-forsaken shitholes are available) and who I know would have given me their blood should I need it, went there and faced what we have since been shown in the media, makes my heart sink. Some, I believe, never came back. To them all, still with us or long gone, I salute you all with a pint ......... I believe it's my round lads
Exactly. Many of the ARG were highly motivated even being conscripts And many were well trainned
I was 17 and in the Territorial Army at the time of this war. What a lot of people don't realise is that we were ready for this war to escalate into a full out war with Argentina. We were told to be ready to ship out, initially to Germany to relieve our regular troops out there and then possibly on to the Falklands. We were so proud of our guys out there. I hope we never have to repeat these epic displays of British Grit and Determination.
Dito - former RMP TA.
I was 24 & had already been medically retired from the army due to an injury but I followed every minute of this event. Despite some tragic losses it showed we still had the british bull dog spirit to see it through until the object was achieved in a short period of time as wars go. We now have good relations with Argentina.
I was ex regular RAF Armourer, now going through college as a mature student getting more qualified, financing myself partly by being a TA REME Craftsman attached to ACOY 4QLR Infantry, and we were on standby to go.
However, I’d served as groundcrew on a Phantom squadron’s flight line in Germany for a couple of years, and I knew what our aircrew said about the Harrier squadrons when they went up against each other on exercise. Even though they were subsonic, the Harriers could get the better of the supersonic Phantoms by ‘VIFFing’ (vectoring in forward flight) ie they were much moreso manoeuvrable in comparison. Eg. Harrier spots Phantom catching up at great rate of knots, Harrier pilot, reduces speed and vectors out of the way sideways. Phantom can’t slow down, overshoots the Harrier, Harrier gives him a blast of 30mm Aden gun cannon shells up his arse or launches a heat seeking Sidewinder missile up his jet exhaust.
I was confident that the Harriers would soon gain air superiority in dog fights and then be able to ground attack enemy positions to support the ground force.
So it proved as no Harrier was lost in combat, whereas the Argentinian Air Force lost plenty.
Ditto. Sobering days in The Honourable Artillery Company.
Well said, military my whole life as child and wife, now 53 and crippled 😂
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This is an ending sig. That's added to all posts to inform you that I've got brain damage and a lot of other issues. It's not part of the post I'm making or replying to.
It's a warning if you want to try and reply and chit chat, as I'm in bed 24/7 most days, ADHD & OCD are not fun when you can't get to the park with your granddaughter to burn off energy. I'm 53, nearly 54 female, who once lived an exciting life.
WARNING ⚠️! (* gives direction, typo fixed and words missed/added. I have brain damage as I died in hospital in august 2016, and it gave me mild brain damage. Also got EDS x2, ADHD, PTSD, EUPD, HCM, OCD etc. with the rest of the alphabet Google medical acronyms, it will help, oh, and that was before I medically died (coughed my spleen up in Aberdeen royal infirmary and bled to death).
Thank you ladies for not decrying Britain as many do even in Britain. God Bless.
I'm from the UK and was out in Dublin last year, I started talking to an Argentinian, he said the defeat was the best thing that happened to Argentina, as it led to their democracy.
One person's perspective, of course. 👍
glad you said this. nice one thanks :)
1806: First British invasion of Buenos Aires
Criolla Victory !!!
1807: Second British invasion of Buenos Aires
Criolla Victory !!!
1845 - 1850: War of Parana
Criolla Victory !!!
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......
.........
................
I can’t find any trace of this ‘War of Parana’ but it appears you have to go back to 1845 to find a Creole victory. As it’s clearly so significant to you I have to wonder why you don’t make a video about it to enlighten those of us who remain in ignorance.
@@liberalhyena9760 Basically Britain made small fairly insignificant attempts to see if south American ex colonies of Spain were vulnerable to taking. It was a side project, but the area was stable and well protected so it wasn't worth pursuing.
I turned 18 during the Fallklands, and while not deployed to the Islands I was involved in support of it. Thank you for the way you tackled this.
If I may I will end with the prayer, "at the going down of the Sun, and in the morning WE WILL REMEMBER THEM."
♥️♥️
The unknown pet of this war is that Chile stepped up its tensions with Argentina to help the Uk. They also let the SAS to go through Chile to attack them.
Rather a long video but it does help 'feel out' the Chilean help to Britian during this war.
ua-cam.com/video/7DVy3D2eglE/v-deo.html
Any country in North or South America could not become involved in this war because of various treaties. Otherwise Canada would have be involved
Lindybeige video
People should never forget what the people of Chile did for us. Unfortunately many seem to have.
@@RonP51 USA helped with tanker aircraft on loan as Brits didn't have enough tankers to stage out from Ascension Island but other than that and Chilean help pretty much everyone else stayed out and none joined in direct fighting.
I remember seeing the task force leave Portsmouth and screaming "GO GET 'EM ROYALS!" as a ship lined with marines passed by. Now, every november I bow my head and remember my friend Brian, who fell, standing to his duty when HMS Glamorgan was hit. He didn't want to die, of course he didn't, but he would be the first to repeat the British forces mantra, "If you can't take a joke, you shouldn't have joined".
One interesting aspect of the Falklands War was "Operation Black Buck" The longest bombing run in history. Seven Royal Air Force missions to attack Stanley Airport with Vulcan bombers. It was not entirely an unqualified success, but it did manage to damage the runway, and the logistics and planning behind the mission was amazing. Might be worth you looking into?
Indeed. Never been tried before. The logistics were astounding.
It is no longer the longest bombing mission in history.
It was superceded by missions over Iraq.
@ The point being it WAS
Beaten to it. Operation Black Buck and the Vulcan bombers.
It was an awesome swansong for an awesome plane with a unique howl.
ua-cam.com/video/jcEhZ2p4s9o/v-deo.html
When they invaded, the royal marines put up an excellent fight, when the Argentines brought up armoured vehicles we surrended. Rex Hunt (the governor of the islands) went outside to start talks and immediately told the Argentine general in no uncertain terms he was on British territory, he wasn't invited and told him and all his men to leave. At that point the marines were surrounded at government house which was under direct fire and Rex Hunt was taking cover under a large wooden desk. Yes this maybe the 1st so called technical war, but many British troops had to take positions with the bayonet.
Small but interesting note; the UK never actually declared war on Argentina as politically it could have escalated into something bigger so it was only ever described as a ‘conflict’.
I think it was termed as self defence under some UN charter or other so it wasn't legally a war
Compare with Russia and Ukraine.
Same with the war in Afghanistan, which is why anytime someone was killed it was official seen as a murder and the military police had to investigate it.
Do you need to declare a war if you’re the one being invaded? I would have thought Argentina were the ones to ’declare’ anything as they were the aggressor.
Not a clue; I’m not particularly well versed in the etiquette of when you should or shouldn’t declare war! I was just shy of 14 years old at the time and, like many young lads of the time, was glued to the news and it was something that was very carefully stressed by all the politicians of the time that it was a conflict. The international community was spending a lot of time trying to get a peaceful solution but Maggie was having none of it but I suspect that, as the world looked on, we were trying to demonstrate that we were not overly escalating a territorial dispute.
As much as I like Whistler's presentations, if I recall correctly, the 'Iron Lady' moniker was given to Thatcher for her non-negotiable diplomacy style, partcularly in her dealings with the Soviet leadership. Regardless of what people thought of her, she was certainly the strongest Prime Minister for the UK since Churchill in WW2.
There is a world of difference between strength and bloody mindedness. Eventually even Thatcher's own party realised the distinction and dumped the witch.
@@mikelheron20Over European issues in the end. Pity, as she was of middle class roots, worked hard and wasn't an Eton boy's network man as so many of her cabinet were.
I remember this so well. My brother was on HMS Hermes the flagship he was 17 when the ship left Portsmouth and 18 when the ship came home. I was 10 at the time and never forget welcoming him home. No one ever mentions the land mines the Argentinian laid out there. Another brother of mine was helping to still clear them with the Royal Engineers in 1987. All three of my brothers have served I the military, I an so proud of them.
I remember the day well: I was 15 and bunked off school, got the train from London to Portsmouth to see Hermes and Herald arrive back. Years later, I joined up, and actually served in Herald in 1997. When I deployed to the Falklands in 1994, and there were many uncleared landmine areas still fenced off - hats off to your brother, I would never have had the nerve for mine clearance!
@@dominicbuckley8309 thank you for your lovely comment Dominic 😊
Further to my comment elsewhere on this post. I was a friend of the brother of Major Steve Hambrook who lost part of his leg when he went into an area that was reported to be clear of mines. Major Hambrook was a very well respected and decorated sapper. I knew and worked with his son (also Steve). I was with Major Hambrook's brother, Frank watching television when it was announced that he had been blown up by a mine. Frank rushed off immediately to go and comfort his mother. The late Major Hambrook's military career is well worth reading. He served for many years after his amputation.
My brother was in the Royal Engineer's in the eighties, he joined the army straight from school.
My brother was RN but couldn't go as the Navy had him on a course and refused to let him go. His friends were there, boys I'd known since they were knee high to a grasshopper,. They all came back but suffered ptsd and one of them was still suffering badly many years later. His ship was hit but not sunk and he had to put out there fires on his friends who had been injured and were alight. I can't imagine the hell it was and I thank everyone who served (and those who still serve)
My Dad fought in the Falklands, he was in 2 Para B company. I was 6 years old and remember him going to War. A very bloody War a lot of bayonet fighting, he came home🙂. RIP Lads 🇬🇧🇬🇧
really ok what was is name by uncle dave abols was in 2 para at goose green
Jim Ferguson, aka Fergy👍
@@paulmcdonough1093 Jim Ferguson, aka Fergy.
My respect and thanks to him.
@@forthfarean thankyou, that means a lot🙂
You girls are one of the only ones that bother to rewind 5 secs after your comments, allowing us and you to regain momentum. Thank you it makes sense and is much appreciated. It also shows you are paying attention and absorbing the information. Well done 👏 ✔️ 👍 👌 😀
The american military said to the british, it was absolute lunacy to try and launch this operation and it was doomed to failure. They dont know the british.
Les dimos una paliza le hundimos barcos fragatas viva la aviación argentina
Thanks for this. I served on HMS Intrepid during the conflict
@@geoffsmith9924 las Malvinas son argentinos
@@pablofrediani2348 Like your servicemen. I was doing my duty. Sad loss es both sides
@@geoffsmith9924 las Malvinas son argentinas
Greatest respect for the British Forces especially the Marines, Gurkhas and Paras who yomped/tabbed 56miles across extreme, rough terrain carrying over 36kg in their bergens and their L1A1 assault rifle which added another 4.3kg (9.5lb). This was a huge, mammoth feat in itself, but to have to fight after such a long trek shows how well trained the British forces are. Respect to all combined forces who served in this conflict and who continue to serve today to protect our freedoms.
Yes, well said. It's not well-known how tough the trek was. Total admiration for our well-trained troops and their determination and courage.
@@bobbower2011 Ive been there myself so know exactly first hand how hard it is to travel over the terrain. At times the landscape and rock formations look like a different planet on a movie set. Every time I go back I am humbled at what was accomplished, by all the regiments, land air and sea. This is why it is important for everyone who has the opportunity to visit Falklands to try and visit all the war memorials lest we forget the sacrifices of that conflict.
A bit less when the L1A1 magazine mysteriously ejects itself after the barest tap
My husband is a veteran of The Royal Signals and did a few tours of the Falklands. Thank you ladies for your respect while watching this video.
The outcome of this war, delivered an unstoppable wave of democracy across South America.
Tell that to any Costa Rican or Columbian you meet.
@@usernamesreprise4068 Silly Billy!
Yeah, the drugs cartels in those countries also had a rather large say in what happened & still happens today.
@@usernamesreprise4068 Costa Rica is in Central and not south America
@@edpzz OHHH WELL thats alright then .......PHEW lets say Venezuela then or maybe some "other" democracy eh
A friend of mine told me that he overheard Argentinian prisoners speaking Welsh to the Bitish Army guys who were holding them prisoner. Patagonia (Southern Argentina) was heavily settled by invitation, and Welsh is still spoken there today.
That way they could not use Welsh as a code as they did in WW11, too many Welsh speakers on the other side. It is one of the places that Welsh is spoken out side Wales.
A friend of mine worked at the University of Aberystwyth and told me about a situation that arose. The University needed to recruit someone with fluent Welsh. The newspaper advert was placed in Welsh and the application form was all in Welsh. A young woman applied and was invited to an interview conducted entirely in Welsh. She handled the interview excellently and her Welsh was clearly faultless so she got the job. On her first day in post, she was asked to translate some English documents into Welsh but she said that she was sorry, she couldn't do that. She could translate them into Spanish if that was any good, but she didn't speak English as she was from Patagonia! The university had to send her on day release to learn English for the first year of her employment. True Story.
I was a member of the 3rd battalion parachute regiment, i was deployed to the Falklands in 1982 to retake the Island
it was a bloody aggressive affair. the rivalry between the Royal Marines & the Parachute regiment is still very real 🙂
Thankyou for your service! Your efforts are not forgotten.....
2 friends from 3 Para, survived the attack of Mount Longdon. They were 17 and 18. Three of their friends, did not survive, all aged 17 when deploying to the Falklands, with Neil Grose having his birthday on the first day of the battle, but losing his life, then next day. Always remembering, Neil, Jason Burt and Ian Scrivens
My best m8's dad was a Sgt in 3 para and fought in the Falklands. We were stationed in Tidworth at the time.
Aren't marines just men that are too fat for a parachute?
@@idlehands1238 Go ask one and see what the response is.
Our maths teacher, Mr Reid, was American. He told us how difficult it would be as the Argentines used many American aircraft. After the American (and French) aircraft failed to down a single Harrier in AA combat the US ordered hundreds of Harriers. He kept his mouth shut after that.
There were two Harrier variants - the Sea Harrier and the GR3. Sea Harriers (operated by the Royal Navy - although with some RAF contingent) tended to undertake CAP (Combat Air Patrols) whilst the GR3s were operated by the RAF and undertook the Ground Attack role. The Argentine Air Defences were very modern for the time with their radar capabilities, thus resulting in a number of ground attack aircraft being downed. The RAF also flew the well known, Vulcan but also operated other aircraft types in supporting roles, which we rarely get to know about.
And the British used the very efficient US Sidewinder missiles on their Harriers, because the plane itself wasn't much of a thing.
@@lennon28280 The sidewinder was one of the best anti-air missiles of the day certainly but the harrier was certainly a thing and could do many things no aircraft could do that's why the US Marines used them until 2006.
@@Flintlockon The Argentine pilots were not afraid of the harries but of the excellent American missiles that were useless in Vietnam but in the cold of the South Atlantic they did the job and very well, it is for this reason that the Argentine Mirages, much better planes than the harries, but without counting air-to-air missiles they used to fly high while the harries flew low, there was almost no air combat, but I assure you that an Argentine mirage armed with air-to-air missiles destroyed those heavy and unmaneuverable harriers, I don't care how long they used it in the United States, they were always mediocre planes, they are not like the F35.
@@lennon28280 They were used because they could do things no other planes could do and one thing they could do was land on an aircraft carrier or an open field or a school playground the mirage was an airstrip only craft so they had different capabilities. It was used by the US Marines because it was the best in the world for there purposes which is why they used it and it is because of the harriers innovation which was unique in the world that no other nations had an equivelent too that the F-35 exists thats why the UK was a partner in the F-35 program from the start. A VTOL fighter jet was an engineering marvel at the time and it's performance in air to air combat was a blueprint for modern air combat as the most advanced jets in the world are worse dogfighters than jets of the past and the joint technology of the payload makes the air platform. The F-35 is the most modern plane in service and it is a successor to the harrier not the mirage which was outclassed by the missile technology. The harrier was far more versatile in it's operations thats why the mirages were blown out of the sky 3-1. The US military is the most powerful and advanced in the world and they used the harrier because of what it could do that other planes could not and any shortcomings were overcome with missile technology which was the point. The harrier could destroy the mirage easily with sidewinders and also do things the mirage was completely incapable of. It was the start of a new type of air combat doctrine even having a gun on a modern fighter jet in most cases is a waste of weight and space. The mirage was a relic of outdated doctrine the harrier was the inspiration for the most modern fighter jet that currently exists. The harrier was always intended to operate with the new missile technology thats why they had them and the mirages fell out of the sky.
Even though the US military had jets far better than the mirage in every single way they still used the harrier and that is for a reason. thats all there is to it.
Having served on the bridge of hms Hermes as a only just 18 year old it was a very frightening time however everyone who served during the war was very proud of what they did whichever side they were on it’s a shame about the lives that were lost and the amount of vets still suffering now , fair winds and following seas to those still on patrol .
Argentina didn't formally declare independence from Spain until 1816, didn't ratify their constitution until 1853, so it's always baffled me that they refer to the Falklands/Malvinas as 'sovereign' territory.
Always remember this because we lost a Colonel on the battlefield. Colonel H Jones ran into machine gun fire as his men were pinned down. The machine guns were taken out but he paid with his life.
The message went across the radio airwaves "Sunray is down".
From what I was told and I don't have reason to disbelieve then there were a great number of 2para that didn't hold that guy in any high regard.
I wouldn't know, but I do not think it is good manners to talk so negatively about someone who gave his life for his country regardless of whether he was liked or not. Learn some manners.@@drew2324
What a pompous flippant lighthearted race through the basic facts, disgusting!, where was the telling of the gruelling march across the island or the 8000 mile flights of the vulcan bombers from England requiring multiple in flight refuels.
Perhaps he had a tight schedule to get through his monologue eh?
My comment about your lack of respect was removed?@@drew2324
@drew2324 (Comment from about a month ago). Maybe some of 2 Para didn't have a high regard of their Colonel but at least this was one Rupert who didn't command from a long way behind his Troops.
Simon Weston, a Welsh guard on the Sir Galahad, was horrifically burned when the ship was attacked. He endured endless reconstructive surgery and became a national hero.
@@carlos30071I've heard exactly the same thing about him as well
@@carlos30071 psychological trauma.
Have you ever met Simon?
As this talk about Simon, his ears must be burning again
@@bfc3057 pot kettle black
I'll never forget the emotional reception the crowds gave on the Return of the task force into Portsmouth all the fire tender boats sending up columns of water, and virtually every single boat proudly escorting the fleet in... it still makes me tear up at the thought.. a little like the emotion you get at 'The Last Night of the Proms'
Argentina picked a fight with Britain. And it back fired on the arginine leadership.. Britain bonds together when threatened.
I'm a former British Soldier who served in the Falklands in '94 and '96 with extensive training on Argentine ORBAT and their history. One thing that wasn't made clear, the Argentine airforce were operating at extreme range, with expired safety equipment. While they were the enemy their bravery must be admired
Not really. Capable flyers but after you pull a few crispy sailors out of the sea it's difficult to admire them..
Wow ! Hats off to you my friend ! My parents are friends of Simon Weston's parents who is probably the most high profile survivor of this conflict. My brother in law served in the RAF and he was sent there aged 19 ! He suffers still with PTSD to this day. He won't go into to detail but he basically went out with a stretcher recovering parts/bits or corpses. He's 61 and still on medication today. I was 18 and sitting watching things on the TV at home in Newcastle. My best mate went to school with the Navigator who was shot down and displayed on Argentinian TV. A very needless waste of lives
Thankyou for your service Jason. 👍👍
Former UDR soldier, turned RAF; absolutely right!-Argentinians were operating from afar.
@@Tankaroonies Not as far as us….
Great video. There are loads of documentaries on this conflict. I remember watching one about the islanders and what they went through during the occupation - this might be worth a watch. The islanders are forever grateful to their liberators and look after the war graves with great care and respect. They always welcome back any veterans with love and affection.
Two and half months, of my young life.. I spent my 18th birthday on a boat getting ready to land on a beach and fight a war... I came home changed forever. I think about my friends who naver came home every day. The fighting was brutal and the conditions were horrendous.
I feel a great deal of pitty for the Argentinian troops. But I can never forgive them for what they did to my friends.
Thank you for your service and efforts.
Thank you for your service. I say this on every post by a serviceman because I don't feel that in our era we properly appreciate what you do as members of the public. Thank you, and rest in peace to your friends who gave their lives for our country.
@@paulwatts5019 Please, I'm fed up of that line been thrown around on internet comments, it cheapens the sentiment. Also, someone claiming to have done this or that on a youtube comment can not be proven, they could be anyone. Not that I am saying what the OP is not true, some people are emotional reaction farmers.
Sorry for your losses ❤
My dad was part of the garrison stationed on the island when the invasion happened (he is one of the ‘cabbage heads’ to the left of the flag at 20:22), and he returned to the Falklands 2 months later with the rest of the British Forces. I have so much respect for all who served there, but especially NP-8901.
My father served in this conflict. He served on a landing ship called HMS Intrepid. He rarely spoke of it but opened up about it more before he passed away last year! He lost several friends during this conflict and quietly suffered with PTSD for most of his adult life as a result.
respect to your father.
I thank your Father for his service.
My grandfather never spoke of his time during WW2. My father told me that after my grandfather had been injured he had been sent back to help repatriate the bodies of our fallen soldiers throughout Europe and Africa.
Not until I'd been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan did it sink in why he refused to bring the topic up.
It is so hard to explain to loved ones what we see or what we had to do. I'd point out what we had to do is why we were still here.
I watch so many soldiers who talk about their service from those men of WW2 to modern service on posts on UA-cam.
I personally don't want to relive the experience, hat off to your relative for finding the heart to discuss what he went through
Fun fact; The Falklands has a Zimbabwean community. Specialists from the African country came over to help them clear the mine fields, and they received such a warm welcome and liked the place so much that many of them brought their families over and stayed. The Falklands celebrates Zimbabwean independence day.
Did you honestly expect them to return to Africa, honestly?
@@Salfordian Projecting a touch of Racism there bud...
@@unamedjoe830 Not sure why you had to bring the race card into this when I was just asking a simple question or perhaps you prefer censorship
I'm sure they will consider themselves as a Rhodesian community
@@unamedjoe830 Not racism in any way shape or form. Zimbabwe is a cautionary tale of utterly corrupt government going from a country which was the breadbasket of Africa to a country which serves one man's greed eventually selling off everything to a foreign interests.
Britain wasn't entirely alone, Chile offered covert support allowing British special forces to infiltrate Argentina from southern Chile, to track and report on Argentinian airforce sorties to attack the Falklands. Also allowing pilots in distress to land and be safe.
Agreed. Chile's assistance to Britain is often overlooked. I believe their air force received some Canberra PR9 recon aircraft shortly after the war - perhaps as a thank you, maybe ?
Chile was grateful to Britain for helping gain its independence from Spain. So, helped Britain during the conflict.
Chile has it's own dispute with Argentina over territory (seeing a pattern here), so they were more than happy to help.
Also Regan gave "covert" support via satellite imagery etc, and opened NATO stores to the UK - the Sea harriers were using the very latest Sidewinders.
Not widely reported obviously was that many Exocet missiles actually hit their targets but failed to detonate.
The French who made that system refused to help Argentina properly calibrate the targetting.
My Dad was a RAAF Mirage III pilot at the time and they apparently gave every bit of information over that they could to the RAF and RN. They even flew missions at specific profiles pretending that from RAAF Williamtown they were defending Norfold/Lord Howe Islands and sharing feedback with the RAF.
Somewhere out there is a radio story about the Vulcan bomber that bombed the Port Stanley runway to disable the Argentine air force’s use of it. The 16,000 mile mission nearly failed, with the final outbound inflight refuelling leaving the aircraft with possibly not enough fuel to make the next refuelling rendezvous. The crew were informed and given the option to abandon the mission but they refused and continued in the knowledge they were likely to die after the raid. Amazingly they just made the first return journey refuelling rendezvous and survived.
I was 17 a few days after Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands. I was gripped by the unfolding news story in a way that I never had been by anything before, and I followed the conflict daily from start to finish. The video you watched referred to the Sir Galahad, a ship which was hit by an Argentinian air strike. One of the soldiers on board was Welsh Guard, Simon Weston. He was the most seriously injured serviceman to survive, receiving 46% burns during the resulting fire. The BBC did a series of documentaries about him, covering his repatriation to the UK, and his long journey to physical and mental recovery, and made gripping, if sometimes harrowing, viewing. He eventually met the Argentinian pilot who had hit the Sir Galahad. His story is fascinating, if somewhat controversial - some felt that it was a step too far meeting the ‘enemy’, but his comment was that he wanted to see if the man who caused his injuries, and the death of many of his colleagues, had ‘life in his eyes’, and the meeting was an important step for him in coming to terms with what had happened. Many of the videos on here would be too long for you to react to, but there are some shorter ones which tell his story. The whole conflict, and Simon’s story in particular, still resonate strongly with me.
I was lucky to meet Simon on Cardiff railway station. A lovely guy.
My father fought in the Falklands when he was just 18. He never talks about it, and the only time even a whisper peeps out is when hes been on the bend for a few hours with a couple pints of beer in him.
I cant even imagine how hard they must've fought and I hugely respect all who served and all those who lost their lives.
how sad for your father, to have fought children with plastic weapons
@@jdjsjffjdkxyfd622 What a very sad comment Maybe you should just sit down and wind your neck in
@@jdjsjffjdkxyfd622 fn fal and L1A1 are great weapons, fool
Buy him a pint from me please!
@@jdjsjffjdkxyfd622 It would have been criminal to send our troops armed with plastic weapons. However, I think you’ll find his weapons were only partially plastic. The bits of them that mattered were high tensile steel.
One of the interesting political sidelights on the Falklands War was that the Foreign Secretary at the time, Lord Carrington, took full responsibility for not seeing it coming and decided that the only honorable thing to do at the time was to resign. Even at the time it was rare for any politician to take responsibility for what they had done, never mind what they had little chance of foreknowing. I respected him for that.
He did see it coming and raised it as a danger that by removing the patrol ship down there as part of cost cutting would send the wrong message. He took responsibility for not fighting harder to retain the patrol. He was a decent man.
@@robertmortimer4837 Agree absolutely. It is a pity that Thatcher never shouldered her part of the blame..
@@terryreeves4290 like idiots like Trump and Johnsone do? Today's politicians are not for for purpose
@@terryreeves4290exactly, they were told before it happened but Thatcher waited. She wanted glory, not giving a toss about the lives that would be lost
@@robertmortimer4837 Lord Carrington was not Secretary of State for Defence, John Nott was, and he took the decision to reduce the Navy, which included removing HMS Endurance. John Nott also wanted to resign, but Thatcher wouldn't let him, I suppose he contributed to the mess, and he would have to be around to take the sh## if the forces did not achieve the aim of returning the Islands to UK sovereignty.
Gracias por interiorizarse por esta guerra
Deberían reaccionar al video de como se desarrollo la batalla aérea de Argentina🇦🇷
Un abrazo desde Argentina😘😘😘😘
Interesting fact: That submarine which sank the Belgrano (HMS Conqueror) was (and is) the only Nuclear submarine to have ever sunk anything in battle. They did so using 1940s vintage torpedoes because they didn't trust the modern ones. Which take us to the second interesting fact: The Belgrano was formerly the USS Phoenix, which had survived pearl harbour
And, allegedly, at a function in Washington, the Japanese ambassador congratulated the British ambassador on doing what his countrymen failed to do at Pearl Harbour. If it’s true I enjoyed the Japanese ambassadors humour.
Built at Lairds shipyard - Birken'ead 👍
Yeah torpedos made in the 2nd world war but designed in the 20s, crazy. They had guided modern torpedos but didnt trust them yet. The third torpedo launched hit one of the other argy boats right at the very end of its run just by chance, didnt explode but they knew due to later finding marks on its hull
@@jeztaylor6308 Just to be clear for everyone, HMS Conqueror was built in Birkenhead (Birken'ead as we say it) but the ARA General Belgrano, formely the USS Phoenix was built in Camden, New Jersey US.
It was sunk outside the exclusion zone that had been delineated by the Brits around the islands, which goes to prove that hollow words are one thing and war is something else.
The General Belgrano was originally the USS Phoenix which survived the Pearl Harbour attack.
A Scottish MP wasted great effort and much time attempting to get the captain of the submarine tried for war crimes. His efforts came to naught since the head of the Argentine Navy agreed that the Belgrano was positioning itself for an attack on the Task Force.
Ironically as the USS Phoenix she was known as the luckiest ship in the navy.
@@pureholyit was until it met The Royal Navy.
Fue un crimen de guerra
I was so proud of our troops back then. I watched this unfold on TV as a kid. it was heralded as a great victory, which it was. I recently watched a documentary about the war that was the view from the Argentinian side. It was so, so sad. Their guys were stitched up so badly by their leaders. This one guy said they were so painfully cold and hungry, and that when he and his buddies surrendered, they feared the worst, but were treated really well by our guys. One of them said he couldn't believe how fit and strong the Para's were. He said they looked like Rambo. All in all, it needed to be done. War is a terrible thing. Nothing romantic about it. My nephew just did a tour on the Falklands, and I'm so proud of him. I hope he never has to go to war. Shame our governments are quietly eroding the freedoms that our troops fought for.
Can you share a link of the vid you watched? Thanks.
Yes it's very sad their young men were stitched up by a dictatorship, just as the young men of Russia were stitched up and murdered by Putin in the invasion of Ukraine. Never surrender to the bully
I went there last year. It's beautiful and the people are friendly. Also they're happy to be British.
1st time viewer of your channel, thoroughly enjoyed it ladies. Interesting to hear your perspective of the Falklands War. Many here in the UK are extremely proud of our lads who fought & died there, proving once again that our elite regiments are highly respected worldwide. Looking forward to seeing more of your content. 👍🏼🙏🏼👍🏼🇬🇧
The cherry berries versus cabbage heads thing is very much an expression of British humour. If you are ever in the UK and are insulted you should take it as a compliment. It’s a sign that we like you.
Sweet!! We get insulted A LOT! 😆
You missed out the tick tocks, guards
@@1Selous 1st Battalion Welsh Guards and the 2nd Battalion Scots Guards (1WG & 2SG). Great bunch of guys.
The paras also call the Gurkhas tree frogs. I don’t know why.
Unless we don't like you, then we'll insult you.
"Cherry Berries" and "Cabbage Heads" were not the worst British Army nicknames. I remember reading an article written by a journalist visiting the garrison after liberation and the new Mount Pleasant airfield, etc., installed. She noticed as she joined an Army patrol around the island that the squaddies referred to the locals as "Stills" and she asked what that meant. It was explained that they originally called them "Bennies" after Benny, an educationally challenged character on a popular TV soap opera called Crossroads, who always wore a woolly hat, come rain or shine and even indoors. The Army started receiving complaints and issued standing orders that troops were not to refer to the local people as "Bennies", so they started calling them "Stills" instead. In squaddie logic, they're still Bennies even if you're not allowed to call them that.
I was there when the regimental part one orders displayed such that ALL personnel are to refrain calling the locals "Bennies". With the squaddie sense of humour as it is, "stills" was soon quickly replaced as their nickname. Have to admit the locals hated "stills" even more. lol
I can definitely believe that ..typical squaddie humour . I remember a guy who was just always called " Not So" ... his surname was Manley
@@colinraine8245 - children can be so cruel...
@@davemac1197 not children .. banter amongst squaddies
@@benhall6665none of us care anymore it's become a joke between us.
Thank you my former wife was from the Falkland islands and I fought in the Royal Navy Task Force. I found your film well balanced and it was very interesting to see and hear your reactions .....Well Done ...or as we say in the Royal Navy ....bravo Zulu .
There was a Big difference at the armies. The argentine army was formed mainly by conscripts. Of course, is important the numbers but the British sent the best of the best. Marines and special forces.
Air Force:
The argentinan Air force used a jet of the 50s only the French missiles were considered a danger but were a dozens. While the British used the new Harrier.
The difference at navies was amazing.
So was a Matter of time that the British Will win.
At the end, the argentinian military junta make a suicide move.
@@raidensergi2378 very much concur with your comments sergi
Check out 'Operation Black Buck' the Vulcan bomber raid on the Falklands that took out the runway - The longest distance bombing raid in history, nail biting and mind-boggling choreographed mid-air refuelling involving a lot of Vulcans and air tankers swapping fuel between each other just to enable one plane to reach the target.
This is something you must watch girls. "Operations Black Buck Falklands' Most Daring Raid."
A great feat of flying, to be sure, but of little value to Operation Corporate, in truth.
@@lestermay5878 Not sure about that. It stopped the Argentine using the runway. If they had secured that the Harriers would have had no chance.
@@brianthesnail3815 - that's the whole point. The raids by the Vulcan never once stopped the Argentines from using the airfield as they wished. A senior British officer I know has had frequent contact with officers in Argentina, the former enemy of course, and they attest to this. Even the RAF's own photographs do not show the airfield out of action, although one published RAF photograph might have been doctored, its differing to the same photograph in the official record. Furthermore, it is now well-known that the Argentines cleverly made the airfield look (from aerial photographs) as if it had been damaged as that suited their counter-intelligence.
The Dire Straits hit "Brothers in Arms" was inspired by the Falklands War.
An inclusive song for vets from both sides. A very emotional song every listen. Still a very common funeral song, particularly for military veterans of many nations.
So was the Queen song 'Las Palabras de Amor'. Queen had successfully toured Argentina in 1981
I was in the Royal Australian Navy at the time crossing the Pacfic Ocean to Hawaii for RIMPAC82, our task force sailed in circles while we waited for direction from the Prime Minister Malcolm Frazer, whether we assisted with the exclusion zone - we resumed our course to RIMPAC - We were a combimed force of Australian & New Zealand ships Regards Tom (Navy Cook)
i remember the australians asking if we needed any support,
NZ sent a frigate to replace a British warship which was then sent to the Falklands. I think it was patrolling in the Indian ocean at the time.
tell me, why did you see it appropriate to take the side of the british here? those islands are right off Argentina and thousands of miles from britain. I support Argentina
@@phreshkandy478 Australia and New Zealand are part ot the Commonwealth, and both have the British Monarch as head of state. They also susbcribe to the doctrine that the islanders should decide for themselves who their rulers are.
@@phreshkandy478 So the islanders wishes have no bearing on the matter?
Really good video and comments especially about it was just their war. It was so difficult. Thanks for the video.
Proud of our soldiers and the sacrifices they made, and continue to make. Mental, physical and emotional sacrifices to secure our freedom. Respect.
My father fought in this war, the stories he used to tell were amazing yet scary, there were some very lucky breaks for both him and his men and the rest of the forces. For instance a group of 50 Royal Marine commandos were dropped off 10 miles north of an Argentinian position. They ran the full ten miles along a cliff, the cliff was littered in claymore which all went off, yet out of the smoke the marines came. The soldiers they approached realising not one was injured instantly surrendered. The reason none were killed or injured was due to the frigid cold, it had cracked the casing of the claymores placed the the Argentinians so went they went off they had no explosive power but instead billowed out smoke. Like I said there were some very lucky breaks.
I was in my twenties when the Falklands war broke out. As a Brit I remember vividly watching the progress on TV. I remember watching all the ships leaving the UK, all the families on the dock waving goodbye, not knowing if they would see their loved ones again. I had a cousin in the Navy, a logistics officer, who also went out to the Falklands. It was a tense time, with news reports every night about what had been happening that day. When the war ended and the soldiers and sailors came home, the welcome was tremendous and so emotional. I remember watching on TV, tears streaming down my face at the emotion of it all. One of the saddest parts was that the Argentinians used young men with no training and sent them to be fodder and be killed.
When the Argentinian Marines realised that the British would retake the Islands the went back and swapped them with thousands of kids. There were still some Argentinian Special Services left but generally conscripts were treated as cannon fodder by Argentina. Ironically the only Junta leader who opposed the Invasion by Argentina was the Head of the Air Force whose Forces took the British on. The Navy ran away and the Army swapped its professionals for conscripts or cannon fodder.
This was a war that could have been stopped right at the beginning and saved a good many lives. The Americans wanted the Falklands handed over to the Argentinians....compeletly ignoring the wishes of all but one Falklander. To reinforce this the yanks refused to lone the Brits an aircraft carrier. This causing the Brits to send down an airforce with no supersonic jets. At the same time the French refused to give the Brits the codes necessary to stop the Exocette missiles and the Belgians refused to sell ammunitian to the UK. Great bunch of friends who just a decade later were expecting British support to sort out a couple of Gulf wars.
The Falklands are beautiful. I’ve spent 2.5 years living there and working there. My Grandmother is a Falkland Islander with my family in one form or another being there since the 1840s. The islanders get lost in the argument between UK and Argentina. The Islanders want to be a UK overseas territory.
I couldn't agree more. During my long service in the Royal Navy, I had the privilege of completing two South Atlantic patrols, which included time alongside in East Falkland as well as anchoring off the stunning South Georgia island (I was also able to see the awesome icy volcanic South Sandwich islands). The wildlife and nature is incredible, and the local population are a real credit.
We're you ever on HMS Ajax?
Edit:Robert?
Most of us in the UK had to check a map when we first heard of the Falkland Islands invasion....we all know where you are now ....
Fueron impuestos por tu país
As a Brit, being 12 at the time, thank you for covering this. There was a girl in my class whose older brother went on the task force and he came back safe and sound.
You might like Jeremy Clarkson's documentary about the British commando raid to St.Nazaire in WWII. It's called "The Greatest Raid of All". It has interviews with veterans who took part in it.
Clarkson has also made another one about the Victoria Cross.
Both the Clarkson videos are well worth watching!
And one (that far fewer remember) about the Arctic convoys.
Important to note that this war had to be concluded quickly, the winter in the Falklands begins in June/July and is brutal. High winds and snow can drop temperatures dramatically.
Having served at Mount Pleasant alongside the Gurkhas after the war, I can attest to their professionalism, and reputation as one of the best units in the world.
@johnmcintyre5309
I had three uncles who served with the Gurkas in WW2, in Burma, north Africa, Italy and France. One of them said "I don't know what they do to the enemy but they terrify me" They won Victoria Crosses in every conflict.
My friend was in the Paras and fought in the Falklands. He said it was so cold, they walked across a field and found out after it was mined. None went off due to the cold.
RIP to all who fought and died there.
Apparently the Gurkhas were highly disappointed that they never got the chance to fight. The Argentinians found out they were about to attack Stanley........2 hours later, came the Argentine surrender. Also, you could look-up the exploits of Lt Mills squad during the invasion of South Georgia, the only time an infantry squad has forced a warship to retreat. Mark Felton covered the story, "Mills Marauders, Last Stand On South Georgia". Incidentally, when the Argentinians disarmed his squad, one of them had 2 fire-axes concealed about his person.
ua-cam.com/video/MUxTtOQ9aOk/v-deo.html
There is a video of a British Gurkha officer passing on word about Stanley being surrended. The RGR guys cried and the Officer said something along the line of "You'd think I'd told them their mothers were dead..."
The South Georgia story certainly is fascinating.
My favourite bit was when they finally surrendered to the Argentinians, their captors were highly suspicious and wanted to know where the rest of them were. They couldn't believe so much havoc was caused by so few men.
They were also then grateful that the British informed them that the quayside they'd just moored their ship to and on which the conversation was taking place was booby-trapped to the hilt, and would the Argentinians like it defused before it went off?
This was a war the whole world told us brits to avoid as it was impossible to win. We may be a small nation but we produce the best soldiers in the world, numbers me nothing. Most wars in British history that we've won we've been out numbered. Fighting runs through our blood🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Interesting fact for Natasha & Debbie - The last surviving ship from the attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941, was sunk in the Falklands conflict. The USS Phoenix (US battleship) was sold to Argentine in 1951 and was renamed the General Belgrano, which was the first ship sunk by British forces in 1982.
A WW2 era battleship sunk by a modern (at the time) nuclear powered submarine with torpedoes that were using WW2 technology, the Mk8, 'cos the modern 1982 torpedo the Tigerfish had reliability issues with regard to guidance. The sub's skipper decided to go with old and trusted tech as opposed to more potentially effective tech that still had teething issues.
HMS CONQUERER was the first nuclear submarine to sink another warship in combat.
ARA General Belgrano was a light cruiser, ie armed with 6" guns, not a battleship, which in WWII generally have carried 14", 15" or 16" guns.
Although the U.S. played no direct part in the Falklands, they did put Britain to the top of the list to receive the latest version of the Sidewinder air to air missile which greatly helped the sea harriers defend the ships in "Bomb Alley". Also a good book is the biography of Admiral Sir Sandy Woodward called 100 hundred days which largely tells the story of the Falklands from his perspective and his early career in submarines. Its also where I learned the great motto used in the submarine service "Think! Think or Thwim!" :)
The book "Four Weeks in May" by David Hart Dyke (the comedienne Miranda Hart's father), who was the Captain of HMS Coventry is well worth reading too.
The sidewinder missiles were already in British hands but were supposed to held for NATO use. By the time that the US agrteed to their use in the South Atlantic, they were already aboard HERMES and INVINCIBLE.
It's an interesting read
The US also rented a couple of channels on their military satellite communications network which was necessary for The Admirality to communicate with the task force. They also agreed if it was requested for a US Navy carrier battle group to be seconded to the Royal Navy. This last one never happened.
@@jimcook1161 The Offer of an Aicraft Carrier, NOT a Carrier Group, was from ex General Alexander Haig (Foreign Secretary USA), given without permission or consultation. Sidewinders were seconded from the US Military deliveries, again by Haig who had a fight with Casper Weinberger who was the Secretary of Defence. Haig won that "discussion".
I was at University during the Falklands conflict and do remember it well. 19 years ago I visited Buenos Aires, Ushuaia and the Falkland Islands on my way to Antarctica. I visi😊ted the war memorials in all 3 locations and was so moved by each. The Falklands are so rural and peaceful it's hard to believe this war happened. R I P to all who lost their lives
I never made it to the Falklands but I did Buenos Aires and Ushuaia several times and visited the war memorial there. It was very poignant and reminds us all there are no victors.
the overland attack was suppose to be by vehicles, but the vechicles were lost when one of the ships got sunk. Fortunately, a quick 20 mile hike overland with full kit is a staple training routine of the commandos
The "vehicles" you refer to were Chinook helicopters, lost when the MV Atlantic Conveyor was sunk. Any vehicles other than helicopters would have been useless as there were very few roads/tracks and the terrain was far too rocky, boggy and hilly for any land vehicles.
@@nikossolomou9507what, like the scorpion tanks we had there?
Glad you like the name HMS Invincible, the carrier as are the newest submarines you watched in another video, was built in my home town Barrow in Furness, and launched by Queen Elizabeth. I was at school during that time. News journalist Brian Hanrahan (1949-2010) quoted, after harriers took off from the Hermes and due to reporting restrictions 'I am not allowed to say how many planes joined the raid, but I counted them all out, and I counted them all back' this came a well known saying over the years. One of the more remembered soldiers is Simon Weston who was on the Sir Galahad, with his platoon of Welsh guards, he was badly burned after the ship was bombed. He survived with 46% burns.
Remember the launch of Invincible and the Harrier popping up from behind the bridge. It was gone when I went in the yard Sept '80, first ship I worked on was HMS Manchester, and HMS Trafalgar hunter killer sub down in the dock (where the DDH is now.
I remember a lot of anger in the yard when HMS Sheffield went down, as a lot of the older guys had built her.
The name the Iron Lady was actualy coined by the Russians and not from this conflict. A Soviet journalist dubbed her the "Iron Lady", a nickname that became associated with her anti communist, uncompromising politics and leadership style.
Margaret Thatcher got more right than wrong and so did Churchill. The two best Prime Ministers Britain has had in modern times.
@@JH-ck1nr 🤮
@@JH-ck1nrYeah gotta love Savilles good friend 🤦🏻♂️
You definitely aren’t working class
@@JH-ck1nrWhat a 🤡 you are.
@@JH-ck1nr people in the north hate her with good reason, liverpool got totally shafted by her
This and the SAS embassy siege were the two main story's growing up ... the SAS embassy siege showed the world how it was done
The special policeman held hostage was a great guy. Tough and resolute.
Fucking right it did!
Id say the Israeli raid on Entebbe trumped it
Stories
@@ratatat9790 there, their, they're no need to worry about it 😉👍🏼
I'm Argentinian yet half British on my mum's side. My granny was Scottish but my grandfather (who fought as a VOLUNTEER in the Second World War for England) was born and raised in Argentina, and still, always, until the days before his death, supported that the Malvinas Argentinas. Despite the time, in which many treated him badly for being "English", he always supported Malvinas Argentinas. Today I have enherited an English First and Last Name, and I even lived in England for a while. But my grandfather and his ideals always lead me to defend what is ours. And really, trying to bring us all together. When I lived in England (during my secondary school years) I realized that all my contemporaries didn't care at all about the Argentine demand for the ""Falklands"". The claim lives more in us than in them, without a doubt. And I plan to follow in my grandfather's footsteps defending that claim (from wherever I can) until the day I die.
I must add that I am extremely proud to be part British (Scottish and English), so I must clarify that this mindset has nothing to do with some sort of rebellion against my roots. Every time I find some new information of where my family lived and where they worked, I fill up with joy. So please don't take this comments as any anti-Brit stupidity. Since living in Manchester, I found that the Argentines and the British are so similar it hurts 😂 If we spoke the same language and lived a bit closer to eachother we'd be best friends. Sharing tea and mate, or Fernet-Cola/wine and beers.
Total Respect to anyone who took part in that conflict. I had friends, both Army and Navy who were down there. The Cargo Vessel, The Atlantic Conveyor was from my home City of Liverpool and most of the lads that were killed in the Exocet Missile attack were from here, there is a memorial in the grounds of Our Lady and St Nicholas Church, near the Waterfront 🖤
My late brother in Law was the other captain of the Atlantic conveyor who docked and went on leave just before the ship was called into service. We were all glad that he wasn't there, but sadly, he died a short time later of a collapsed heart valve and died on my sisters lap in the back garden.
@@johngardiner6800 How very sad my friend, you think you may have gotten a free pass and then that happens. I am a firm believer that it`s already decided for you. Sometimes I really regret not following in my Fathers footsteps and joining The Merchant Navy, he sailed in The North Atlantic Convoys in WW2.
What about the RAF?
My father, a merchant navy captain in charge of a bulk cargo container ship, was tasked just after the war with delivering the construction vehicles required to build a new airport on the Falkland Islands. It was his last voyage before he retired. He told me several interesting things, including that there had been quite a lot of contact between the islanders and Argentina before the war, where they did shopping and sent any children who qualified for higher education. This ended due to the war. There had been a British ship bringing British products to the islands once a month, but this service was discontinued just before the war. It seems likely that had the Argentinians not attacked in 1982, and had they had a more democratic regime, eventually, the inhabitants might have eventually thrown their lot in with them, as the British Foreign Office wished. By attacking, the Argentinians set this process back by decades.
Exactly this. In the 60s-70s there was a _ton_ of trade between the islands and Argentina. Almost all the fuel on the islands, and decent fraction of other stuff came from the mainland.
All that stopped and (understandably) never returned due to the lack of trust.
But it is now basically impossible for the UK government to cede or otherwise fail to defend those islands, because if they did they would not be the government for much longer afterwards due to backlash they'd get from the public.
Imo it's unlikley anyone alive today will ever see a resolution satisfactory to everyone regarding the Falklands.
All thanks to Galtieri being a very silly boy.
@@MareSerenitis And forgetting that the Falkland Islands had been a Crown possesion for MANY long decades before Argentina was EVEN a Country, they were a part of the Spanish conquistedor invasion of South America, and largely unpopulated land until the Spanish developed the place and Northern, South American natives began to trickle down. Argentinas ONLY reason for claiming the Islands is - they are convinced the SPANISH owned the place (which they NEVER did ! at ANY point in time in history)........ AND they are "only" three hundred miles from Argentina.(about the length of the entire UK from top to bottom.)
What exactly do you mean by "satisfactory result" there WAS one - THEY illegally invaded a Sovereign part of the UK simply to keep a despotic and murderous military regime in power...and they were rightly, summarily evicted. There is another point that the Junta had in mind that never gets discussed too....in that OUR closer proximity to Antarctica gives US a good sized chunk of the oil and mineral deposits of the land mass....and Galtieris lot wanted dibs.
You would have thought that charming the islanders was a far better idea than attacking them.
'By attacking, the Argentinians set this process back by decades.' Actually, for ever.
Margaret Thatcher " loved " !!???? Just saying...coming from South Wales....miners, steelworkers, ect. I wouldn't say she was loved.....hot here anyway. Great reaction, needs to be recognised & acknowledged....ar the time there was talk of thd Argentinians had children in their ranks...14 Yr old! That is barbarick. Love & light always 💜🏴🌻
I was a stoker on the hospital ship Uganda. I have never forgotten how what our troops went through. Makes you soooo proud to be British. Only the UK could have achieved this. Had my 20th birthday down south. An awful day😢😢😢
I was due to go on a cruise on that ship lol
Thanks for your contribution sir. I remember the Hospital Ship Uganda arriving back afterwards.
Always good to see a member of the black hand gang in the comments, I’m an ex T42 stoker, although many years later. Hope you’re well 👍
The years before the war I was one of the last kids too go on a cruise on the school ship Uganda.
People in the comments omit to point out that if the Falklands were ceded to Argentina they would control the whole of the South Atlantic...a facist state controlling shipping. In the same way that we can never allow Spain to be in control of Straights of Gibralter....the gateway to the Mediterranean. We are a trading island nation that depends upon trade by sea & our nation has gauranteed the free passage of shipping on the open sea for many centuries.
Also missing is the bomb run of the beautiful British aircraft called the Vulcan. Flying 4000.miles to bomb & crater the runways at Punta Arenas on the mainland....it was the longest bimb-run recorded up untill the Gulf Wars so many years later.
Hats off to those brave, brave young men who fought & died so very very far from home.
R.I.P.
Rivalry between the British services and units is very much alive and well. We all take the proverbial out of each other but when the time comes we'll cover each other's backs. There is a book about some National Service (conscript) Royal Marines in the 1950s, their instructor tells them; "You'll hear a lot about the Parachute Regiment, mostly from the Parachute Regiment."
Pongos (soldiers) and Bootnecks (Royal Marines) sleep under the stars.
Matelots (sailors) use the stars to guide them across the oceans.
Crab Air (the Royal Air Force) use stars to grade hotels.
Surgeon Commander Rick Jolly, Royal Navy, was the senior medical officer. His team looked after the injured soldiers of both sides to good effect. He was decorated for his efforts by both the UK and the Argentine governments.
My dad served quite a few tours in Northern Ireland and was blown up by the IRA at a checkpoint, yet he always said fighting in the Falklands was the worst thing that happened to him because he had to shoot young conscripts, he never came to terms with that
mate was SCOTS GUARD he came home but he never left
Gosh that's awful. Assuming he's still around I'd like to thank him for his service. There aren't enough good men in this country, he's definitely one of them.
So he got blown up and had to go to the Falklands he survived passed the test and didn't loose any parts of his body yeah
@@tommysherman7155I think hus dad was a para, the paras had 3 battalions, 2 and 3 para went to the Falklands. 2 and 3 para had served in Belfast and Londonderry prior to the Falklands war. Therefore it's highly likely that his father spoke truthfully.
You need to pass a fitness test I it hard to believe that he didn't lose even just a finger after being blown up by the ira jay off Inbetweeners
I'm similar to Debbie's age, so it was my first experience of war and understanding that people had died. I remember the names of the aircraft carriers, the ships that were lost, but one thing that makes me a little emotional is one of the BBC reporters being on HMS Hermes- 'I'm not allowed to tell you how many aircraft took part in the raid, but I counted them all out and I counted them all back' It became quite a famous war report, but it really stuck with me as a child, because I knew none of them, that day anyway, had been lost. Thank you as always, for your respect.
I am a veteran and was in the Falklands, was a hard place, was winter with sub zero temperature and blizzards for 6 weeks. Any animal that could fly, swim or hide had dissappeared, was just us humans running around. There were a lot of mines so moving around was treacherous, and we lived in wood huts. The locals were awesome, so grateful for our help. We have it so cushy here in the UK.
This is a great video for those who don't know much about the conflict. There were some true heros - in particular, Dr Rick Jolly a naval surgeon, awarded gallentry medals from BOTH the UK and Argentina. There are several short videos on him, a true hero saving life in the chaos of war
His book is brilliant.
Sadly passed away now. Great man.
I’d not heard of him the first report I look up he’s on. A helicopter line being transferred to a ship and rescues 2 sailors from the sea no wet suit just army kit.
I’m off to find his book.
What an amazing man
The incredibly complex operation to bomb the runway at Port Stanley using life-expired Vulcan bombers ripe for retirement is described in detail by Rowland White in his book Vulcan 607. I suspect the attacks on the runway were less about asset denial and more about demonstrating the Royal Air Force's ability to attack Buenos Aires at will, should the need arise. The missions were flown from Ascension Island and involved a large number of Victor tankers transferring fuel to the Vulcan and to each other in order to deliver the bombs to the runway and get every aircraft safely back to Ascension. It was a close run thing with elements of blind luck intervening. The book is a fascinating read and is highly recommended. There are some good videos explaining the operations on UA-cam.
My brother-in-law's father flew on operation Black Buck, his memories are fascinating.
Read about Operation Black Buck and see why it was deemed both an operational failure and success. The RAF made the claim you outlined, the navy and Royal Marine Commandos refuted it.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Black_Buck but there's bound to be a UA-cam video about it somewhere.
As an aircraft enthusiast, the Vulcan continues to be my favourite aircraft of all time. Even though it saw barely any conflict, it was a revolutionary aircraft of its time and proved itself in both Operation Black Buck as well as during military exercises against the USA (Operation Skyshield). Well worth a reaction of its own, and I could listen to an audio clip of the 'Vulcan Howl' on loop for hours.
@@DavrosHams I've published some of the best audio of Vulcans over the years. Everything's labelled an "icon" these days, but the Vulcan really is iconic!
@@ac2litre Just had a look at your website and youtube compilation. That 1991 Leicester clip is fantastic. Great job!
I've been to the Falklands twice. The first time was in 2006 on HMS Liverpool, a Type 42 Destroyer and sister ship to HMS Sheffield and HMS Coventry. I was actually reading David Hart Dyke's book, Four Weeks in May, on my way down there. David Hart Dyke was Commanding Officer of HMS Coventry in 1982. It's a very gripping read. The Falkland Islands are a beautiful, but barren place. The problem for the Royal Navy was that the Argentine aircraft would fly in low, and be lost amongst the clutter so be hard to pick up on radar. This meant they were hard to see, and therefore hard for the missiles to pick them up and take them out. Whilst there we replaced the Ensign on HMS Antelope. The Royal Navy has a policy to keep the flag flying on as many sunk vessels as possible. The second time I was there was in 2006 on HMS Dragon, a Type 45 Destroyer that were the successor to the Type 42's. These have far better radars that can pick up stuff in the clutter. Britain did not seek, nor want, that conflict. But we damned well finished it. HMS Conqueror, with two torpedoes, sank an elderly cruiser. Those torpedoes also sent the rest of the Argentine navy back into harbour, from whence they never returned. It's a loss of life, like that most conflicts, was futile and unnecessary. It has also, sadly, spoiled relations between them and us since. It's a great shame, as only 40 years they had been Allies and sent us food and supplies when we faced annihilation from Nazi Germany. It's a shame that our relationship has deteriorated, and continued to do so, since.
Very well said.
You rarely hear about the embargo that the Argentines have placed on any vessel visiting their ports that have previously had any involvement with the Falklands. Makes refuelling a bit challenging, when Brazil followed suit.
I was in Spanish territory during the Falkland's conflict and as an English 17 year old on holiday with my family am afraid this didn't go down too well. We would walk down streets and would receive dirty looks and worse and even had food thrown at us by the waiter at a restaurant. Having said that that this was nothing compared to the suffering of the Falklanders and the young soldiers etc on both sides of the conflict. I remember sitting around the radio listening to broadcasts every chance we got trying to follow what was happening and being mortified at the loss of our ships personnel and soldiers at Goose Green. All we could think of was that the Falklanders needed to be rescued and that the conflict could escalate into a full blown war. Thank you both for the sensitivity you showed when dealing with this subject. It is still a very sensitive issue for both the British and Argentine's (Especially for those of us that were around then) The Falklander's vote should be respected I think and they should be left to get on with their lives as they see fit.
Rex Hunt apparently called in the marine commander and suggested a token resistance for half an hour followed by an honourable surrender to save getting anybody killed. The commander agreed with him but on the way out was heard to comment to his second "Bugger that, lets make their bloody ears ring".
The Para's marched with 80lb backpacks 56 miles in 3 days over boggy, mountainous terrain and then fought a 16hr battle for Goose Green at the end of it. They suffered horrifically with foot rot because of the damp, boggy conditions and inappropriate footwear for the conditions.
That was 3 Para, 45 Commando Royal Marines did a slightly longer "YOMP" with the same weight.
Hardcore soldiers, proud of them.
@@Tango27800 2 Para fought at Goose Green. My mate was next to H Jones when he got killed. My mate is know was 762 as he got shot in the mouth with a 7.62 round on Wireless Ridge later in the war. 2 Para were the only Regiment to fight two land battles on the Falklands. 3 Para fought at Mount Longdon and took the heaviest loss of the war.
@@HerewardtheWake-ri1hya Chap I knew was the Adjutant of 2 para Captain David Wood. We were both in the same Air Training Corp Squadron. RIP David. Sadly lost his life on Goose Green.
@@HerewardtheWake-ri1hy Is it true that H was killed when the Argies flew a white flag as if to surrender, and then shot him as he approached them?
That was what was reported in the UK at the time.
Maybe not made clear in the original video, the Falklands were British for thirty years before Argentina even existed. So there was no valid Argentinian claim.
eso es mentira
Not to forget the efforts of the RAF and the very extended efforts of the Vulcan bomber crews. Regardless, too many lives were lost on both sides because of a fascist dictator trying to deflect his terrible economic (and much worse) impact on the amazing Argentinian people. You never win a war - you lose less badly.