SetH
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Registered: 15th Jul 01
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On April 2nd 1982 Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, in the South Atlantic, 8,000 miles from the UK. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher decided to send a naval taskforce to liberate the islands. In this programme, senior officers who served in the campaign, among them Major-General Julian Thompson, reveal how appalling weather, overstretched British air defences, poor communications and even incompetence sometimes stacked the odds heavily against the British.
Veterans of some of the bloodiest battles talk us through the fighting. Their personal accounts reveal how professionalism and sheer courage overcame these problems.
The film reveals chilling parallels with current government budget cuts. In 1982, Defence Minister John Nott was on the brink of scrapping Britain’s amphibious warfare capabilities. If the Argentinians had invaded just eight weeks later, the ships and equipment needed for the operation would already have been decommissioned.
There are also shocking accounts of British warships destroyed by Argentinian bombs, men burnt alive, bombs crashing through the decks of ships, night attacks up mountainous slopes and merciless hand-to-hand fighting, all made worse by unsuitable equipment and shortages of helicopters.
By explaining the hair-raising realities of individual battles, this programme sheds new light on a decisive and historic British victory.
Will 100% be watching this.
Thought it might be interesting to start up a thread and have some pre-conversation about it?
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Aaron
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Registered: 9th Aug 04
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I'll defo be watching this too. I've heard first hand stories about the hand to hand to combat part...knives to throats etc.
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SetH
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Yes that's pretty hardcore, I would imagine if you were involved in that it sticks with you for life.
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Edd
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Registered: 8th Nov 04
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Family member was killed in the Falklands.
Gone but not forgotten
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Aaron
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quote:
Originally posted by SetH
Yes that's pretty hardcore, I would imagine if you were involved in that it sticks with you for life.
Yeah, as with every war, a lot of things went on which never made it back to the press in this country. I've a great interest in uk special forces, and their involvement in the Falklands war was quite massive.
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SetH
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quote:
Originally posted by Edd
Family member was killed in the Falklands.
Gone but not forgotten
Respect buddy.
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Aaron
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Reminder
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Ojc
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Registered: 14th Nov 00
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Thanks
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Gaz
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Registered: 24th Aug 03
Location: Widnes, Cheshire
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I didn't catch the beginning of this but seen the majority of the rest, we don't half make life tough for our troops eh?
[Edited on 14-03-2012 by Gaz]
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Aaron
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True, and it happens today...if not worse than in the late 70's and early 80's
I think it's all part of the game tbh. If life in the British Army was easy, troops could slack off, not be fit or alert enough etc. Despite all this though, if i was 18 again (28 now), and i knew as much about life as i do now, i'd be straight in the Army.
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Ojc
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Adolf Galland trained their airforce what exactly was our navy expecting other than superb flying?
What makes me laugh is those jets fly past our ships and no anti aircraft fire is going up at them, why did we not invade Argentina after Falklands? We could have seriously done them damage
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Gaz
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Registered: 24th Aug 03
Location: Widnes, Cheshire
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with the homework done for the Falklands, I think that would have been more of a suicide mission.
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Ojc
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Registered: 14th Nov 00
Location: Reading: Drives : Clio 197
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Na we have nukes
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