THE SOUTH ATLANTIC CAMPAIGN 35 YEARS ON: A TIME TO REMEMBER THE FALKLANDS WAR

Five years before this painting of HMS ENDURANCE at South Georgia in 1982, a small task force led by HMS PHOEBE (Captain H M Balfour MVO RN) was sailed from UK in late autumn 1977 to mount a discreet presence off the Falklands Islands where a fresh territorial dispute with Argentina was coming to a head. That period of tension passed, but it was at tranquil South Georgia, 700 miles to the east of the Falklands, that trouble again flared in 1982. On 19th March a party of some 42 ‘civilians’ was landed at Leith Harbour by an Argentinian transport to dismantle an old whaling station. The Argentinian flag was run up. The majority of the group was picked up the following week for return to the mainland, but a party of 12 and their flag remained.

HMS ENDURANCE (Captain N J Barker RN), the Royal Navy’s Ice Patrol Ship, was sailed from Port Stanley in the Falklands on 20th March arriving at Grytviken where she kept the workmen under observation. Then, with intelligence now clearly indicating an imminent invasion of the Falklands themselves, ENDURANCE was ordered on 31 March to return to Port Stanley, before first landing a detachment of 22 Royal Marines to protect the British Antarctic Survey group and to maintain the watch on Leith.

Meanwhile other Royal Naval forces around the world were being brought to heightened states of alert and nuclear powered Fleet submarines, Royal Fleet Auxiliaries and other supporting vessels were moved as required and in case a larger force was to be ordered south.