Falklands at 30.

[Darkhorse]

Today (2nd April) is the 30th anniversary of the invasion of the Falkland Islands by Argentines. And the issue is still contentious, causing friction between the UK and Argentine today and likely into the future. The 74 day conflict was so brief it often takes longer to actually teach than it did to fight, over 900 personnel, including 255 British and 3 Falkland islanders lost their lives in the rushed conflict from April to June 1982. The British of course, won the war, but in the nick of time. It was imperative that they won the war before the winter set in, and they did, just. On the 14th June, the day of the Argentine Surrender, after the battering they received the previous 5 nights at Longdon, Harriet, Two Sisters, William, and especially at Wireless Ridge and Tumbledown were shocked by the rapidity of the British advance, and quite rightly so, as their entire strategy relied on holding the line around Stanley, the islands capital until winter set in. Almost ironicly, on the day of the Argentine surrender, 14th June 1982, it snowed.

The UKC Military History Society is commemorating the event by expanding our archives, we aim to quadruple our Falklands Archive of primary and media sources to further the study of the conflict - as research and study are one of our aims.

If you can find them, please may people post articles from journals, news articles/papers, primary sources and memories, from around the globe, anything at all relating to the Falklands conflict, the build up to it, or the 30 years afterwards. I only ask that the articles be in English. Or translated into English. We are keen to include media reports portraying the Argentine perspective.

Any one who wishes to ask questions about the Falklands conflict I will be glad to answer.

Lest we forget the 900 personnel from both sides that lost their lives in the conflict. Both sides fought well and bravely in a war neither side was suitably shaped or perfectly prepared for.

Thanks for your help.

[Norge]

Any one who wishes to ask questions about the Falklands conflict I will be glad to answer.

Recommend me some good books on the conflict.

[Darkhorse]

Certainly.

Hastings and Jenkins "the Battle for the Falklands"

M.Clapp & E.Southby-Tailyour "Amphibious Assault Falklands"

S.Woodward "One Hundred Days"

H. MacManners "Forgotten voices from the Falklands"

For technical details, B.Perretts "Weapons on the Falklands Conflict"

L.Freedman does an official history.

Martin Middlebrook also writes a good history.

Bicheno's "The razors edge"

Pook, RAF Harrier Ground Attack Falklands or something.

And if you can get hold of them, the 14 magazine issues released in 1983. I was lucky and found the lot for £3 in a second hand book stop in Rochester bound in the original binder, my Professor (A Falklands expert) spent much much more to get them!

OH

And the two opposing books on the Belgrano, by Mike Rossiter (Pro sinking) and Desmond rice (Against sinking)

[Norge]

Appreciate it. I'll check some of them out.

[Azog 150]

I thought this was a good documentary on the Battle of Goose Green. It gives a fairly detailed look at the events leading up to and during the battle and it has some good archive footage. However it is lacking in that it doesn't have any interviews with anyone who was actually there (although it does quote some eyewitness testimony):

[Darkhorse]

There was a pretty cool programme called "How close to defeat" which provided some eye openers.

[legate]

I have a book called 4 Minute Warning: Britian During the Cold War and in it the author claims that HMS Sheffield was carrying WE.177 tactical nuclear warheads and nuclear depth charges when she was sunk and that after the war there was a major salvage operation to recover 'sensitive material'.

[Darkhorse]

I have heard this as well.

The weapons were carried to the Falklands by accident, there was no time to offload them and send them back to the UK, there were involved in the exercise the taskforce was on prior to the Falklands. The devices were moved from ship to ship to keep them outside of Latin American waters, in accordance to international law. There was no intention to use them.