June 14, 2024
Age shall not weary them.
Forty two years today, the extreme right wing military junta that ruled Argentina under Leopoldo Galtieri surrendered. He had invaded the Falkland Islands, a small territory 200 miles off the east coast to distract the people of Argentina away from the country’s collapsing economy and more importantly the actions of his secret police who arrested all those suspected of opposition and murdered them. The victims were known as ‘the disappeared’.
The British withdrawal of its last naval ship led Galtieri to believe that the UK would not defend the Islands. However, he had not taken into consideration the personality of Margaret Thatcher who committed all of her armed forces to the task of recovering the stolen lands and freeing the British occupants.
A task force travelled 8000 miles and over a six week campaign defeated the armed forces of Argentina on land, sea and air. The oustanding performance of the task force was the last time Britain stood alone against a foreign foe and came home as glorious victors.
Those of us who took part in the campaign remember our lost friends today, ‘Age shall not weary them’. The Falkland Islands are still free from oppression but we did not only free the Falklanders. Soon after our victory the defeated Galtieri government collapsed. Since then, Argentina has had a democratic government. Of course when times are tough Argentinian governments still take out the old Falklands/Malvinas sabres and rattle them, but deep down they know, the time of oppression, the days of the disappeared, are long gone, and they have the British to thank for that. 😎
Who Dares Shares
Robin Horsfall
……..
Robin was there :
I did not know that Robin was in that campaign. I don’t know whether as a Para or as SAS. Respect!
When the Argies invaded, all our wonderful Nato allies were queuing up to help out.
Actually I made that up. Despite the fact that the Falklands had been British since before Argentina even existed, no one at all helped.
Except one :
That very excellent man Robert Muldoon; the PM of New Zealand, phoned a tearful Mrs Thatcher to assure her that his forces would be put at her disposal if she so wished.