14th June 1982:
Monday 14th June events are summarised here by the BBC News which provides a decent summary of the days events but for more detail please read on.
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
twitter.com/FAB87F/status/1667194894031503361?s=20
14th June 1982:
Stanley Hospital Matron Valerie Bennett has a day off from work but events today will bring her to the hospital in any case.
"Light snowfall during night. Heavy, noisy, bombardment all night. Navy told via R/T we are scattered around the town."
#FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
Neville Bennett's diary provides a fascinating account of events on this day of days.
"We watched as Dr Alison Bleaney and her children went into the R/T station. Valerie tuned to the R/T frequency saying we might hear something important."
#FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
“Alison spoke out.
'This is Stanley calling anyone listening. I would like to speak to Andrew Windsor, over.'
Bob Fergusson on Weddell Island answered. 'I can't help personally, but I know a man who can.'”
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
“With that a proper English accent came on and wanted to know what the bother was. Alison explained that the BBC News had said that the 160 residents remaining in Stanley were sheltering in the West Store or Cathedral.”
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
“She then went on to say that there were at least 600 people still in the town and were living mainly in their own homes. The real English accent said he hoped that they were in time to stop the bombardment and signed off.”
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
“If the bombardment hadn't started, what was all the noise about for the past two days and nights?
We waved to Alison as she walked back along St Mary's Walk towards the hospital.”
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
“Dennis Place saw us in our front window and shouted to ask us what we were doing there as we should be in the hospital or West Store.
Everybody had been advised to take shelter.”
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
“There was a continuous stream of soldiers coming down the hill and along the road. They took no notice of Alison as she walked along. We debated what to do. An officer started shooting at the passing troops and shouting to stand and fight.”
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
"That did it. We secured the house. We took our bags, hurrying to pick up Father. He didn't need telling twice, I hadn't seen him move so quickly for years. There were soldiers passing us all the way to the hospital..."
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
"Rachel remembers...
"Standing in doorway of Grandad's shed were two men in military gear... I asked Grandad who the two men were.
He replied 'Oh, they're the British boys...."
Grandad was giving shelter to British special forces!"
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
"Neville's diary continues....
It seemed as if the world and his wife were at the hospital. Valerie accompanied by Rachel went off to see about the extra food that would be required. Father found a corner with his old buddies....."
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
"Captain Hussey(Navy) and Colonel Dorrego came in and asked where they could find Dr Alison, as they would like her to speak with the British forces on the radio. Mike, Alison's husband, asked them to take great care of her. They promised..."
#FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
"A lunch was served to everyone. Some mutton stew with mixed vegetables. A few beer cans popped just like a party.
Alison, now safely back, said that Jeremy Moore would be coming to town and no-one was to make a demonstration."
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
"... someone said, 'Look, there's a Para behind Government House.' It was just possible to make out the colour of his beret and he was still carrying his rifle.
One of the Argy MPs picked up a guitar and played 'God save the Queen'."
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
The Falklands War
With the Task Force
In the small hours of the morning several Argentine aircraft were spotted along the southern coastline of the Islands, one of them, a Canberra bomber began to head across the land towards Port Stanley.
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
HMS Cardiff was tracking it and fired a Sea Dart which destroyed the aircraft - an English Electric Canberra B-108
The pilot bailed out but the navigator was killed.
The troops on the high ground awaiting their dawn attack watched it spiral in.
#FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
"Order 1326, two BMK-62, with MK-17 bombs five thousand pounds.
Mission: horizontal bombing Port Harriet House.
Crew:1 (B-108) Captain Roberto Pastrán, Captain Fernando Casado. 2 (B-109) Lieutenant Robert Rivollier, Lieutenant George Annino.
#FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
As the troops advanced massive bombardment from Yarmouth and Ambuscade preceded 2 Para as they pushed the Argentines off Wireless Ridge.
Active pounded Tumbledown.
The three ships fired over 300 rounds into Arg positions before leaving at dawn.
#FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
HMS Penelope detects a missile inbound at 1.30am on the 14th June. Ships log mentions either Exocet or Martell missile.
Penelope fired Seacat, 40/60, LMG & GPMG, SLR, beer cans, spuds & hard boiled eggs.
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
The frigate takes evasive action and reaches 32 knots. A large flash and explosion observed starboard and another astern. Missiles either destroyed or ditched.
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
With the Land Forces
It was, for those who saw it, the enduring image of the war.
It came an hour or so after dawn on Monday, July 14th.
Tumbledown had just fallen. 2 Para were on wireless ridge, which gave them a good view.
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
"Suddenly we all saw these tiny specks running off Sapper Hill" a Para Officer remembered.
"Then we saw them coming off Longdon. All running, running back to Stanley."
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
Half an hour later, the Gurkhas second in command, Major Bill Dawson, emerged from the radio trench of the Gurkhas reserve HQ on Two Sisters.
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
"Gentlemen" he said,
"There is a White flag flying over Stanley, bloody marvellous"
There was a moment of silence and then a bursting cheer. It was ten weeks to the day since the first ships had sailed from Portsmouth.
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
So swift was the collapse that Major General Moore had to personally radio HALT messages to Harriers already flying in for a precision strike on Sapper Hill.
He stopped them 3 minutes off target.
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
For the British troops the main concern now seemed to get into Port Stanley as fast as possible, for the practical purpose of grabbing the best beds and baths!
2 Para legged it to the edge of Stanley before Brigadier Thompson stopped them.
#FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
The Surrender of Argentine Forces in Port Stanley:
The first British soldier into Stanley was actually Captain Rod Bell, a Spanish speaking Marine.
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
That morning, a Stanley GP, Dr Alison Bleaney, appalled at the prospect of fighting in the streets had persuaded Hussey to come to the radio in her surgery, and, with some moral courage, to respond to Bells appeal.
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
He flew in as Moores emissary an hour after the white flags first appeared. He was with Lt Col Mike Rose (22 SAS), and a signaller with a satellite comms link to London.
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
As he scrambled through a hedge the Argentine Naval Commander Melbourne Hussey said.
"We saw you landing in the wrong place"
"I don't know Stanley quite as well as you do." Bell replied.
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
For the past week, Captain Bell (part of 3 Commando Brigade's HQ) had been broadcasting daily on 4.5MHz, usually used by hospital staff in Stanley to send medical advice to Camp (Falklands speak for anywhere that isn't Stanley).
#FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
These broadcasts appealed to the Argentines to surrender to avoid further bloodshed.
They also asked an Argentine Air Force officer captured at Goose Green to broadcast a message, which he did, appealing to his fellow Argentines to surrender.
#FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
PSYOPs (Psychological operations) needed to be used to avoid the possibility of street fighting in Stanley.
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
With Stanley surrounded by British troops, and 2 Para already approaching, Dr Alison Bleaney tuned into 4.5MHz and heard Captain Bell saying that this was the last chance for the Argentines to surrender before the British took the town by force.
#FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
She found one of the English-speaking Argentines (Captain Hussey) and asked him to alert General Menendez. An hour later, Menendez authorised a meeting with British troops to discuss a surrender.
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
He'd called Galtieri, who was keen to fight for Stanley, but Menendez persuaded against this. Although they had enough food for a few days, the troops streaming back into Stanley were broken and demoralised. Ammunition was also low.
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
From this point there is a short and a long story.
The short story is British troops arrived in Stanley and celebrated. They were greeted with cups of tea.
Then there was the long side, which is more interesting.
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
A 3 Commando Brigade Gazelle (XX412 - actual aircraft pictured) flew to Stanley with a white cloth attached below.
Occupants were Captain Rod Bell, Lt Col Mike Rose (22 SAS), and a signaller with a satellite communications link to London.
#FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
They were escorted to meet Menendez. The room had already been laid out with pencils, paper, and water for each place.
Before the meeting, Mike Rose stood to salute Menendez, and commended him for a tough but honourable fight. The meeting began.
#FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
Menendez explained that he could only surrender his forces on East Falkland, saying West Falkland was a separate matter.
West Falkland wasn't held by the British. They'd only favour surrender if they were in an overwhelmingly futile position.
#FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
The British conferred with London via the satalite link, and were able to sway Menendez.
They argued that West Falkland was dependent upon the Argentine position in Stanley, adding that they'd also lost the air and sea battle around the islands
#FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
Menendez was under pressure from Buenos Aires but soon gave in.
Major General Moore was flown to Stanley in a 820 NAS Sea King, flown by Lt Cdr Keith Dudley
Menendez waited as the Sea King landed. The two men saluted, but didn't shake hands.
#FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
Menendez haggles, asking to be allowed to withdraw in Argentine ships with their weapons, corresponding to Resolution 502, but Moore declines, and insists that the surrender include West Falkland. Menendez accepts all points and it is signed....
#FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
At about 8pm Moore flew in and at 9pm the Argentine Commander General Mario Menendez signed the surrender document.
And so ended the war. But really, only for the land forces, not the rest of us.
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
While General Menendez was flown to HMS Fearless, Major General Moore went to West store (one of the only supermarkets in Stanley) where many of the civilians were sheltering.
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
"Some people cried and everyone wanted to shake his hand. David Castle [the store's owner] invited everyone to help themselves to the liquor shelves".
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
A few hours later, Moore sent the following message to London. It was symbolic - they were already aware of the surrender.
"The Falkland Islands are once more under the government desired by their inhabitants"
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
This is the actual telex sent by General Moore. It came up at auction some years ago.
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
In the Battle group the electronic city cannot sleep.
The CAP was still at ten minutes alert to launch.
Instructions were given that if necessary, Argentine aircraft showing hostile intent was to be shot down in as friendly a manner possible.
#FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
Perhaps the greatest sense of triumph was that felt by the men of Landing Party 8901, the Marines who had fought the invasion on 2nd April as they marched once again into Port Stanley 74 days later.
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
Page one of New York Times from June 16th:
"Britain's Defense Secretary, John Nott, said tonight that his country's success in ousting Argentine troops from the Falkland Islands had been assured by fighting this weekend."
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
The NYT also discusses British tactics for a final assault on Port Stanley.
"The expectation among military analysts is that the assault will begin soon unless the Argentines capitulate."
Which of course, they did.
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
14th June 1982:
On HMS Hermes, Petty Officer Iain Shickle is happy to report that the "boiler clean marathon is over", having been completed last night.
More importantly the "rumour circulating ... is that the Argentineans have thrown in the towel."
#F82 #FalklandsWar1982
twitter.com/TheShickle/status/1404555053977976834?s=20
GMan (Ґленн) ☘️🇬🇧🇺🇦🇺🇸🇵🇱🇮🇱🍊🌻
@FAB87F
Christian ✝; Irish Unionist ☘🇬🇧; Ulster 🏉; ❤History; IC1651; Tuaisceart Éireann; Contae Ard Mhacha 🍏; Port na Dúnáin; Romans 10:9 🙏