Express & Star

Share memories of Falklands War

War clouds were gathering over a tiny cluster of islands 8,000 miles away in the South Atlantic, 25 years ago this week.

Published

It was a war no-one expected to come to a bloody fruition, but which ultimately led to a terrible loss of life on both sides.

Next week, the Express & Star will start its extensive coverage of the conflict.

And we are looking for your memories of the war – whether you were involved yourself, had loved-ones in the task force or have another link to the Falklands.

Over the past 25 years the Express & Star has interviewed those at the heart of the conflict including:

* Simon Weston, the Welsh Guardsman whose burned face become a symbol of the war: "Christ, we didn't even realise we were at war."

* Roger Goodwin, the former E&S reporter who was a Whitehall press minder, under fire for the first time: "I suddenly realised it was a machine gun going off. So I shouted 'hit the deck!' Just like something out of a John Wayne movie."

* Dean Jenkins, a para from Wolverhampton who was present when Colonel "H" Jones won his VC in an attack which cost him his life: "If ever a man was born to die in battle, it was him."

In the weeks to come we will remember the Falklands, telling their stories and many others.

The Falklands crisis started when, after years of claiming the Falklands as their own, the military junta in Argentina sent an invasion fleet.

In a matter of hours the tiny British garrison was overrun and the islands were occupied by thousands of Argentinian troops.

Britain had been wrong-footed. The Foreign Secretary resigned.

Military experts warned there was no way of recovering British territory so far from the UK.

But Margaret Thatcher, the Conservative Prime Minister, decided to act and within a few days the biggest task force since Suez had been assembled. It set sail to extraordinary scenes of flag-waving and a tide of patriotism.

Almost everyone expected the Falklands crisis to be settled before the two sides came to blows. But diplomacy failed and the Falklands War became a bloody battle.

Old V-bombers were sent to attack the island airstrip. British ships were sunk.

A British submarine sank the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano with terrible loss of life.

In scenes reminiscent of the First World War, British soldiers went into action from trenches with fixed bayonets.

After a series of bloody battles the Falklands were liberated.

The war lasted only a few weeks but left an indelible impression on all who took part.

Were YOU involved in the 1982 Falklands War? The Express & Star wants to hear your story. Write to Peter Rhodes at: Features, Express & Star, Wolverhampton WV1 1ES; call Peter on 01902 319474 or, alternatively, email him at: p.rhodes@expressandstar.co.uk.

Alternatively post your comments below.

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.