On Remembrance Sunday, Guest Writer Danial Ahmed reflects on the sacrifices made by British soldiers in the Falklands War, examining the legacy of remembrance and cautioning against future conflicts that risk unnecessary loss of life.
Remembrance Day is a bittersweet memory. The cessation of hostilities and wanton sacrifice of young men into the war machine should be celebrated, but it is precisely what has been which makes it so burdensome. The heavy reality of dealing with war creates an atmosphere of a dull anchor.
We celebrate the results that Britain achieved but we rightfully stay mum on the methods they took. War is brutal and bloody. It is a business best left unexplored by those with greater sensibilities. No reasonable person would argue otherwise.
However, I’d like to focus on an oft memory-holed act of defiance that should define the British Armed forces for time to come. The Falklands War.
On Friday, 2 April 1982, the Argentine government invaded the Falklands Islands. The invasion was condemned by the international community, but one message was clear; this was a war for Britain to wage alone. And alone it did. Although material aid was provided by the US and other allies, the task of liberating the islands fell squarely in the hands of the British Armed Forces.
Thousands of miles away from their homes in Britain, the brave men of the armed forces showed resilience in the face of insurmountable odds. And nothing encapsulates that more than the story of 3 PARA.
The men of 3 PARA were sent to retake Mt Longdon on 11-12 June, in a joint operation that would also involve their peers taking Two Sisters and Mt Harriet. On the evening of 10 June, Lt Col Hew Pike gave his orders, telling his men that there would be around 800 Argentine soldiers defending the mountain with well dug-in positions and artillery cover. To make matters worse, the terrain was rocky and narrow, dotted with mines.
By all accounts, the men of 3 PARA were against the toughest odds. They were tougher, however. Their mission started at a minute past midnight on 12 June and it ended on the same day, a mere 10 hours after it began. But the men of 3 PARA endured an intense shelling for nearly two more days, leading to an additional four deaths.
The speed and ferocity at which the mountain was taken was an allegory for the rest of the campaign. Mt Longdon’s recapture led to roughly 1/10th of the total casualty figures for the Falklands. 23 Men lost their lives, including attached personnel. Below are the names of those 23 PARA lost. We thank them for the ultimate sacrifice in service of Queen and Country.
Sgt Ian McKay VC
Cpl Stevie Hope
Cpl Keith McCarthy
Cpl Stewart McLaughlin
L/Cpl Pete Higgs
L/Cpl Chris Lovett
L/Cpl James Murdoch
L/Cpl David Scott
Pte Richard Absolon MM
Pte Gerald Bull
Pte Jason Burt
Pte Jonathan Crow
Pte Mark Dodsworth
Pte Tony Greenwood
Pte Neil Grose
Pte Pete Hedicker
Pte Tim Jenkins
Pte Craig Jones
Pte Stewart Laing
Pte Ian Scrivens
Pte Phil West
Today, on Remembrance Sunday, we remember the few who died for the many. Those who heeded the call and laid at the feet of Britain what is most precious; their lives. We remember that war is a necessity sometimes, but we also see it as a last resort.
Because the price of war is too heavy, too costly for it to be just another policy decision. Just another ‘pragmatic’ foreign policy pivot. War is brutal and bloody – and leaves a legacy of resentment and hatred. War takes all but promises nothing in return.
Recent global rhetoric is pointing towards another conflagration in the Middle East. Another escapade which will lead to the toppling of another ‘unfavorable’ regime. Another ‘policy decision’ that will see Brits return, draped in the Union Jack for the last time in their lives. Britain must avoid a war of offense against an ‘enemy’ that has yet to attack us, a war which will provide nothing but suffering for all involved.
We look back at the Falklands and the Great Wars with a fond remorse, because we won against enemies for our own sake. The Falklands’ liberation was not at the cost of a large humanitarian crisis and the war stopped the moment Britain had retrieved what belonged to it.
Britain triumphed – and though our soldiers were spent and blood was spilled, we marched on with their memories, their hopes and dreams. Perhaps it is accurate to say that those men were not lost, but sacrificed for a cause they deemed worthy enough to die for. A cause championed by those their sacrifice left behind.
The very weight of their memories should make us rethink another war and we must look inwards. Treat those who serve with more respect, pay them better, improve their facilities and support them. Our soldiers deserve better and we must show them that. Their job should be at home, serving British interests. Not thousands of miles away in vassalage to foreign states that are all too happy to sacrifice them.
And to all who serve and have served for Britain, Thank You.
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