UK — Services commemorate Falklands War anniversary

Ser­vices are being held to mark the 30th anniver­sary of the start of the Falk­lands War.

Falk­lands vet­er­an bomb dis­pos­al Sergeant Major John Phillips stands next to a wall with names of fall­en ser­vice­man at the Armed Forces Memo­r­i­al, Nation­al Memo­r­i­al Arbore­tum in Stafford­shire, on the 30th anniver­sary of the inva­sion of the Falk­lands [Pic­ture: Rui Vieira/PA Wire] Source: Min­istry of Defence, UK Click to enlarge

A total of 255 British and about 650 Argen­tine troops died after the UK sent a task force to the islands to com­bat the Argen­tine inva­sion on 2 April 1982, and Prime Min­is­ter David Cameron has sug­gest­ed that the day is used to remem­ber both the Argen­tine and British dead. 

Mr Cameron said: 

“Today is a day for com­mem­o­ra­tion and reflec­tion: a day to remem­ber all those who lost their lives in the con­flict — the mem­bers of our Armed Forces, as well as the Argen­tin­ian per­son­nel who died. 

“Today, we salute the hero­ism of the Task Force which set sail to free the islands. 

“We are right­ly proud of the role Britain played in right­ing a pro­found wrong. And the peo­ple of the Falk­land Islands can be just­ly proud of the pros­per­ous and secure future they have built for their islands since 1982.” 

Vet­er­ans of the war have paid their respects at Britain’s Nation­al Memo­r­i­al Arbore­tum in Stafford­shire. A sin­gle can­dle was lit in Arboretum’s Mil­len­ni­um Chapel as part of the cer­e­mo­ny and will be left alight for the 74 days of the conflict. 

Ini­ti­at­ed by the South Atlantic Medal Asso­ci­a­tion (SAMA 82), a memo­r­i­al to the 255 UK ser­vice­men who were killed dur­ing the con­flict will be unveiled at the Arbore­tum on 20 May, in front of more than 600 veterans. 

Press release
Min­istry of Defence, UK 

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