The Silent Listener: British Electronic Surveillance Falklands 1982

By Major D J Thorp

On 2 April 1982 Argentina launched Operation Rosario, the invasion of the Falklands. The British, caught off guard, responded with Operation Corporate. Deployed alongside the rest of the British Army was a small specialist intelligence unit, whose very existence was unknown to many commanders and whose activities were cloaked in the Official Secrets Act. Trained during the years of the Cold War, the OC of the unit, D.J. Thorp, was tasked with providing electronic warfare support – interception of Argentinean electronic and radio signals – allowing the British to be in real time receipt of enemy plans long before execution. He personally briefed Col H Jones before the Battle of Goose Green. For the first time in print, The Silent Listener confirms the existence and role of the Special Task Detachment during Operation Corporate and provides details of the deployment and operational role of a dedicated ground based electronic warfare (EW) weapons facility. It also details the development of electronic warfare during the Cold War period, including the establishment of a communications intercept site on East Island following the cessation of hostilities in the Falklands, and D.J. Thorp’s top secret role in the investigation into the sinking of ARA General Belgrano.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The History Press
• Release date: Jul 31, 2011
• ISBN: 9780752466866

Reviews for The Silent Listener

[jespercfs2 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

It may not be a 'hype' subject but for me this book was a small 'eye opener' of sorts. It's not only 'spooks' and the like who collects information, naturally. Intelligence is also collected in the battlefield by specialized units via SigInt and other sources. And is undoubtedly very important to any battlefield commander. And as I am currently in a 'Read about the Falkland War' mode this book fell in well.

But something in the narrative somehow irks me. The author leaves the impression of being a bit stiff and priggish in a war of flexibility, can-do attitudes and makeshift solutions. And a bit righteous in some of the tales he relates. But that may just be me.

Bottom line: Two stars is what this book gets from me

[davidmullen_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Very brief. The author gives a summary of his career in the British army as a signaller which lead into electronic warfare and the intelligence corp. At the time of the Falklands war he was in command of a small troop, less than 10, who were available to be sent anywhere to intercept and possibly harass enemy radio signals. Consequently he sailed aboard HMS Intrepid and ran an interception operation from there. He does not go in to great detail. However he does mention intercepting the Argentine signals from the raid on Pebble Island. He gave a briefing to Colonel Jones prior to the attack on Goose Green and does emphasize that he followed the battle from the Argentine signals and the British HQ were told how large the Argentinian reinforcements were. He also intercepted Argentinian plans for a counter attack from West Falkland against San Carlos planned for the day after what turned out to be the Argentine surrender. Major Thorp thought that it would have given the British forces a lot of trouble.