35 years after the Falklands War…
Stephen Earp was an 18-year-old stoker on board HMS Ardent during the 1982 Falklands conflict. Now landlord of The Royal Oak Inn at Meavy, he visited The Falklands in 2016 for the first time since the war and returned again earlier this year for the 35th anniversary of the end of the war.
My experiences on board HMS Ardent in the Falkland Sound on the 21st of May 1982 have shaped my life. I felt so guilty for returning from the conflict, when 22 colleagues including two best friends did not come home. For many years I bottled it up and during my first visit the memories came flooding back; it was an extremely emotional time, but helped me come to terms with the experience.
I decided to make a second visit to the islands this year as I have fallen in love with the country, the pace of life, and of course, the people. In the Falklands, the 1982 conflict is often mentioned, but already I feel the younger generation is not that interested - they have grown up in a different Falklands from their parents. After the war, a 150-mile fisheries zone was set up which now brings in approximately £20 million a year, providing the Falklands with a very successful fishing industry. The education system is also excellent with every child having the opportunity to go to university free of charge, either back in the UK, or in New Zealand or Australia. Stanley is expanding and the government assists first-time buyers in purchasing or building new homes. Before the conflict there were only 5 miles of roads - now there are over 300 miles, connecting all the communities and farms. The biggest change to the island is the tourist industry with cruise ships dropping off day-trippers to see the wildlife, who then flood into the cafes, pubs and shops in Stanley.
However, there are still reminders of the conflict - the majority of the beaches are still covered with Argentinian mines, although 35 years on, there is now a concentrated effort to remove them. I visited a number of 1982 memorial sites while I was there, including Fitzroy and San Carlos cemeteries which have been kept immaculately by local residents and were very moving. The museum in Stanley is a fantastic facility and has a very poignant film providing an insight into the childhood memories of the Falklanders during the invasion, and the 74-day occupation. The small Museum at San Carlos also has an excellent account of the conflict, including details of HMS Ardent’s involvement. There is still strong support for visiting veterans and over 115 came to the island during 2016.
It was great to revisit Goose Green and see that a number of the buildings have been updated, with new families moving into this once thriving community. However, I was very sad to hear that 35 of the 115 residents who were held hostage in the community hall for four weeks during the Falklands conflict, have passed away.
I took some time on my own to climb Mount Harriet in the footsteps of 42 Commando Royal Marines and pay my respects. I was then lucky enough to spend time with other veterans from HMS Sheffield, HMS Invincible and the QE2, as well as two veterans from 3 para who took me through their experiences during their tactical advance from Teal inlet onto Mount Longon, before the final assault into Stanley. I also had an interesting conversation with the current governor of the island, Colin Roberts, about issues caused by Argentinian sanctions.
On West Falkland, I visited a number of Argentinian mirage plane crash sites, finding it hard to believe the wreckage was still there after 35 years, looking as if it had only happened last week. I also visited the grave of Captain John Hamilton (SAS) who was shot just outside the settlement whilst on a reconnaissance mission behind enemy lines. He was awarded the military Cross for bravery. Port Howard was occupied by over 1000 Argentinians soldiers during the conflict and the museum is well worth a visit. Another internal flight took me to Saunders island, owned by David and Sue Pole-Evans. The 15x8-mile island is an area of outstanding natural beauty with an abundance of penguins, sea lions and albatrosses. Sue kindly drove me the hour trip to a self-catered hut with only 10,000 penguins as neighbours, but a view to die for; as the sun set, the Gentoo penguins sang on the beach and I was convinced I was in paradise.
Back on East Falkland I travelled to the foot of Campito, followed by another hour of off-road driving with islander Dick Swale to reach the summit, where I laid a wreath at the type 21 memorial; from here you can see both the final resting place of HMS Ardent and HMS Antelope and it meant a lot to me to be able to pay my respects. We also visited Ajex Bay, where the 1950s mutton processing plant played a vital role as a field hospital and was the main logistics base during the 1982 conflict.
I ended my visit with a trip to the memorial wood on the outskirts of Stanley, which is a fantastic memorial to all the people that lost their life fighting for the islands, with a tree dedicated to each of the ship’s company who failed to come home. I would like to take this opportunity of thanking the people of the Falkland Islands for their hospitality during my visit - they are friendly, generous, hard-working, proud and genuine, but most of all British.
Stephen Earp