#flaklands

[bantarleton]

Union flag and the flag of the PARAs flying in the Falklands during the conflict with Argentina. 

[flagparty-blog1]

Flag of the Falkland Islands and Union Jack - £21.70 Made by Taylor Strategic Accounts The current flag of the British Falkland Islands, as adopted in 1999, and the British Union Jack. Despite Argentine claims on the islands ever since their failed invasion and occupation in 1982, the islands remain staunchly British, with a recent referendum resulting in a staggering 99.8% voting to remain British. http://www.zazzle.co.uk/flag_of_the_falkland_islands_and_union_jack-256979536572714677?CMPN=shareicon&lang=en&social=true&view=113074731521770157&rf=238910288785191787

[parachute-regiment]

Parachute Regiment and the Falklands War part two

ArThe Battle for Goose Green was the first major land conflict of the Falklands War.

On the evening of May 26th, 2 Para started their march from their base at Sussex Mountain, to the south of the San Carlos bridgehead.

On the night of May 27th, eight men from C Company, were sent out to recce the surrounding terrain at Darwin Hill and report back on enemy positions. They reported where the Argentine strong points were including heavy machine gun posts. However no one had seen the trenches the Argentines had dug along Darwin Hill.

The attack started at night, B company of the 2nd battalion The Parachute Regiment moved northeast at Burntside Pond along the western coastline. Meanwhile A company attacked from the east of Bruntside Pond along the east coast. They both came under heavy fire from the Argentines.

A company used a two-pronged attack on an Argentine position within a trench.  What they didn’t realise was there were another six enemy trenches to the west of where they were. The Argentines opened fire, aiming at the Paras assault, during this they killed Lieutenant-Colonel ‘H’ Jones, but by doing this they had given up their position. As a result A company used 66mm anti-tank rockets which destroyed the trenches, which within approximately 20 minutes of Jones death the Argentines garrison at Darwin surrendered.

B company supported by D company had moved forward to a position where they could attack Goose Green. D Company moved forward to a position by an airstrip, and thought they were about to take surrender of Argentine soldiers as they were seen flying a white flag. Lieutenant Jim Barry and a sergeant from D Company where killed whilst taking the non-surrender.

This is known as ‘The White Flag’ incident.

The Argentines where boxed in by the Paras and on May 29th the acting commander of 2 Para, Major Chris Keeble sent a message via a POW to the Argentine commander with the following option:

1 - That you surrender your force to us by leaving the township, forming up in a military manner, removing your helmets and laying down your weapons. You will prior notice of this intention by returning the POW under the White Flag, with him briefed to the formalities, no later than 08.30 hours local time. 

2 - You refuse in the first case to surrender and take the inevitable consequences. You will give prior notice of this intention by returning the POW without his White Flag, although his neutrality will be respected, no later than 08.30 local time.

3 - In any event, an din accordance with the terms of the Geneva Conventions and the laws of war, you will be held responsible for the fate of any civilians in Goose Green and we, in accordance with the laws, do give you prior notice of our intention to bombard Goose Green.”

The POW returned with the White Flag just after first light. It was only after this that it became clear just how large the Argentine force was at Goose Green and Darwin. At the actual surrender were 983 men; about 100 had been taken prisoner during the battle. More than 200 Argentineans had been killed in the fighting; 2 Para lost 17 men killed.

To learn more about the Parachute Regiment we recommend reading The Paras by Max Arthur, available from Amazon.

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[bdacatoldsarum]

Visit by David Morgan DSC

  David Morgan DSC visited the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection on Sunday 7th July with his wife Carol, after flying in for the day, from Compton Abbas in their yellow Tiger Moth N-6466.  He freely gave some of his time to chat to staff, and recounted some of his exploits during the Falklands Conflict, and happily posed with our Sea Harrier XZ457, reminiscent of his famous ‘tail holed by a 20mm cannon shell’ photograph from the opening days of the conflict.

Whilst on exchange to the Fleet Air Arm from the RAF in 1982, the then Flight Lieutenant Morgan; only half way through his Sea Harrier conversion, was sent South with 800 NAS aboard HMS Hermes.  Taking part, amongst others, in the very first Task Force Sea Harrier raid against Port Stanley airfield at dawn on the 1st of May, sustaining in the process the infamous 20mm cannon round through his tail fin whilst at extremely low level to deliver 1000Ib retarded and HE bombs across the runway, and other choice enemy targets through a hail of enemy anti-aircraft fire. The BBC’s Brian Hanrahan reported on this raid with the famous line “I counted them all out and counted them all back”. Upon return to Hermes David was filmed giving the ‘thumbs up’ to the waiting TV cameras, and had his aircraft patched up with ‘speed tape’ within a couple of hours, no lasting damage having been done to it.

David went on to become the highest scoring pilot of the Falklands conflict, with four confirmed kills, incidentally the same as our Sea Harrier itself, though whilst crewed by differing pilots.  Lt. Clive Morrell is pictured climbing from XZ457 aboard Hermes during the conflict, and David mentioned him along with other pilots: Andy Auld, John Leeming, and Dave Smith, et al, who all took part in action alongside him.  David recounted contacts and kills over Falkland Sound, Choiseul Sound, attacking the enemy controlled trawler Narwal, Sidewinder missile engagements, and gun kills amongst other contacts. One Argentine Puma helicopter succumbed to his downwash on an overshoot crashing to the ground whilst carrying 120mm Mortar rounds, an Augusta A109 helicopter also destroyed in the same instance, and his final two missile kills on A4 Skyhawks which had been attacking British landing crafts, and in which David pushed his Sea Harrier to the very limits of its capable speed, making David the last RAF pilot to date to destroy an enemy aircraft in air to air combat.  David is the author of  ‘Hostile Skies, The Battle For The Falklands’, which recounts his time during the conflict, and if what he told us on his visit is anything to go by, is well worth a read!

David has recently retired from flying with Virgin Atlantic, however has been at the controls of aerobatic Yak 50s, and the aforementioned Tiger Moth on this particular day. 

We at Old Sarum, and the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection would like to extend our gratitude to David and his wife Carol for agreeing to talk, and for him to pose for the picture included here.