INVASION

It was 2.00am on 2 April 1982. The night was calm and clear. The Royal Marines of Naval Party 8901 – the Falklands’ garrison – had moved out of their barracks at Moody Brook and taken up positions to resist an expected Argentinian invasion. That operation was codenamed Operation Rosary. The Argentine fleet, commanded by Rear Admiral Carlos Busser, had set sail on 28 March. “We felt we were taking part in a historic action,” Busser said proudly. Bad weather had delayed their approach but the majority of these ships were now bearing down upon Cape Pembroke and Mengeary Point – which marked the outer approaches to Stanley. Here they would be within striking distance of the beaches to the east of the Falkland Islands’ capital.

Opposing them were 69 Royal Marines. “Our men were driving off into the darkness and I knew that I might never see them again,” Corporal Geordie Gill recalled. “The Argies were coming with warships and probably a massive force of artillery, air and armour – and we were on our own. I always knew, from every other conflict that I had been in, that there was a chance I could get killed or injured.