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South Atlantic Medal Association 1982

Saturday 1st May 1982

  • Haig peace mission ends in failure.
  • SBS and SAS patrols land on the Falklands.
  • Vulcan bomber and Sea Harriers attack airfields at Stanley and Goose Green.
  • First air-to-air combats: Three Argentine aircraft shot down, plus two others damaged.
  • HMS Arrow damaged.
  • 115 civilians at Goose Green held captive by Argentine forces.
  • SS Uganda sets sail from Ascension Island heading south.

Sunday 2nd May 1982

  • Argentine cruiser General Belgrano sunk by HMS Conqueror.

Monday 3rd May 1982

  • Two Lynx from HMS Coventry and HMS Glasgow attack 2 patrol craft and sink the Alferez Sobral.

Tuesday 4th May 1982

  • Sea Harrier shot down attacking Goose Green airfield, 1 lost.
  1. Lt N Taylor
  • HMS Sheffield hit by an Exocet missile, 20 lost.
  1. Lt Cdr D I Balfour
  2. PO D R Briggs – DSM
  3. CA D M Cope
  4. WEA A C Eggington
  5. Sub Lt R C Emly
  6. PO R Fagan
  7. CK N A Goodall
  8. LMEM A J Knowles
  9. Laundryman L C Keung
  10. L/CK T Marshall
  11. PO A R Norman
  12. CK D E Osborne
  13. WEA K R F Sullivan
  14. CK A C Swallow
  15. CWMech M Till
  16. WEM B J Wallis
  17. L/CK A K Wellstead
  18. MAA B Welsh
  19. CK K J Williams
  20. Lt Cdr J S Woodhead – DSC

Thursday 6th May 1982

  • Peace efforts led by Peru ends in failure.
  • Argonaut Group leaves Ascension.
  • Two Sea Harriers lost over the South Atlantic, 2 lost.
  1. Lt W A Curtis
  2. Lt Cdr J E Eyton-Jones

Friday 7th May 1982

  • Peace initiative is launched by United Nations.
  • Britain widens war zone to within 12 nautical miles of Argentina’s coast.
  • MV Norland, carrying 2 PARA, arrives at Ascension to join Amphibious Task Group.

Saturday 8th May 1982

  • Newly extended Exclusion Zone enforced.
  • HMS Brilliant enters Falkland Sound to assist with the attacks on supply vessels.

Sunday 9th May 1982

  • Argentine spy ship, is bombed and strafed, then boarded and sunk.
  • Argentine helicopter is shot down by a British warship missile.
  • Argentine military positions around Port Stanley bombarded by British warships.

Monday 10th May 1982

  • HMS Sheffield sinks while under tow to safe anchorage in South Georgia.
  • Bristol Group leaves UK.

Tuesday 11th May 1982

  • HMS Alacrity sinks supply ship Isla de Los Estados, and sails through Falkland Sound checking for mines.
  • Argentine Puma shot down.
  • HM Hospital Ship Uganda and Argentine counterpart Bahia Paraiso establishes a ‘Red Cross Box’ off the Falklands.
  • The Argentine Government declares the whole of the South Atlantic Ocean is now a war zone, and as a result any ships on passage south to supply any of the Task Force will be liable to attack after crossing the equator.

Wednesday 12th May 1982

  • QEII sails from Southampton with 5 Infantry Brigade embarked.
  • Four Argentine Skyhawk fighter bombers shot down.
  • HMS Glasgow damaged by a bomb which fails to explode.
  • Sea King ditches.
  • HMS Cardiff, leaves Gibraltar for South Atlantic.
  • HMHS Uganda receives first casualties.
  • MV British Tay joins the Task Force.
conflict image

Thursday 13th May 1982

  • 11th Mine Countermeasures Squadron – requisitioned Hull trawlers HMS Cordella, HMS Farnella, HMS Junella, HMS Northella, and HMS Pict leave Ascension.

Friday 14th May 1982

  • RFA Sir Bedivere leaves Ascension Island.
  • RFA Appleleaf & MV British Esk joins the Task Force.
  • HMS Hermes, HMS Glamorgan & HMS Broadsword depart for Pebble Island.
  • ‘Active Service’ declared.

Saturday 15th May 1982

  • SAS land on Pebble Island
  • SBS land in Grantham Sound.

Sunday 16th May 1982

  • Bombardment of military installations in the Falklands by British warships.
  • Argentine supply vessels damaged by Sea Harriers in Falkland Sound.
  • Argentine merchant ship, bombed and strafed in Port King Bay and a supply vessel moored close to Fox Bay settlement is strafed.

Monday 17th May 1982

  • EEC renews sanctions against Argentina for another week.
  • Argentine Air Force Commander warns that British task force will receive ‘massive attack’ if it sails within range of Argentine weapons.

Tuesday 18th May 1982

  • Hopes fade for a successful outcome to United Nations peace negotiations.
  • Additional Sea Harriers join 809 Squadron having come south on the container ship Atlantic Conveyor.

Wednesday 19th May 1982

  • Cabinet approval given for landings.
  • Additional Sea Harriers join 801 Squadron having come south on the container ship Atlantic Conveyor.
  •  
  • Substantial bombardment of military targets south of Port Stanley and in East Falkland by British warships and Sea Harriers.
  • British troop-carrying helicopter ditches at night, 21 lost.
  1. Cpl R E Armstrong
  2. Sgt J L Arthy
  3. WO M Atkinson
  4. Cpl W J Begley
  5. Sgt P A Bunker
  6. Cpl R A Burns
  7. Sgt P P Currass – QGM
  8. Sgt S A I Davidson
  9. WO L Gallagher – BEM
  10. Sgt W C Hatton – QGM
  11. Sgt W J Hughes
  12. Sgt P Jones
  13. L/Cpl P N Lightfoot
  14. Cpl M V McHugh
  15. Cpl J Newton
  16. S/Sgt P O’Connor
  17. Cpl S J G Sykes
  18. Cpl E T Walpole
  19. Cpl M D Love – DSM
  20. Cpl D F McCormack
  21. Flt Lt G W Hawkins

Thursday 20th May 1982

  • Sea King helicopter crashes on a beach near Punta Arenas in Chile. Crew of three burn their machine and go into hiding, later surrendering and repatriated

Friday 21st May 1982

  • D-DAY – From 02:00 Task Force lands several thousand troops at San Carlos Water, 50 miles west of Port Stanley.
  • Diversionary attacks on Goose Green.
  • RAF Harrier shot down by SAM, injured pilot ejects and taken prisoner-of-war.
  • Two Gazelles shot down by small arms fire near Port San Carlos, 3 lost.
  1. Sgt A P Evans
  2. Lt K D Francis
  3. L/Cpl B P Giffin
  • HMS Ardent abandoned after fierce air attack on British invasion force in Falkland Sound, 22 lost.
  1. AB D Armstrong
  2. Lt Cdr R W Banfield
  3. AB A R Barr
  4. PO P Brouard
  5. CK R J S Dunkerley
  6. L/CK M P Foote
  7. MEM S N Ford
  8. Std S Hanson
  9. AB S K Hayward
  10. AB S Heyes
  11. WEM S J Lawson
  12. MEM A R Leighton
  13. AEM A McAuley
  14. LS M S Mullen
  15. Lt B Murphy
  16. LPTI G T Nelson
  17. PO A K Palmer
  18. CK J R Roberts
  19. Lt Cdr J M Sephton – DSC
  20. LMEM S J White
  21. LMEM G Whitford
  22. MEM G S Williams
  • HMS Argonaut attacked and bombed in Falkland Sound, 2 lost.
  1. AB I M Boldy
  2. AB M J Stuart
  • HMS Brilliant, HMS Broadsword and HMS Antrim damaged, HMS Antrim left with two unexploded bombs in her engine room.
  • Seventeen Argentine aircraft and four helicopters shot down.

Saturday 22nd May 1982

  • Field Hospital established at Ajax Bay.
  • HMS Ardent sinks in the spot where it was abandoned in Falkland Sound.
  • HMS Exeter & HMS Ambuscade join the Task Force after their fast passage south.

Sunday 23rd May 1982

  • Bridgehead consolidated with 5,000 troops dug in.
  • Eight Argentine aircraft destroyed.
  • HMS Exeter arrives to join the Task Force.
  • HMS Broadsword come under attack.
  • HMS Antelope badly damaged and set on fire during air attack in San Carlos Waters. 2 lost.
  1. Std M R Stephens
  2. Sgt J Prescott – CGM
  • Ship blazes white hot and is abandoned by her 175 crew.
  • Sea Harrier crashes into sea shortly after night take-off, 1 lost.
  1. Lt Cdr G W J Batt – DSC

Monday 24th May 1982

  • Eight EEC nations vote to continue trade boycott of Argentina.
  • Nine more Argentine aircraft shot down.
  • HMS Antelope detonates as an attmpt to defuse an unexploded bomb was being made to defuse it.
  • QEII travels down to South Georgia carrying more than 3000 troops on board.

Tuesday 25th May 1982

  • UN Security Council debate ends.
  • Five Argentine aircraft destroyed.
  • Destroyer HMS Coventry, lost during intensive air attacks, 19 lost.
  1. MEM F O Armes
  2. CWEA J D L Caddy
  3. MEA P B Callus
  4. A/PO S R Dawson
  5. WEM J K Dobson
  6. PO M G Fowler
  7. WEM I P Hall
  8. Lt R R Heath
  9. Laundryman K B Kwo
  10. D J A Ozbirn
  11. Lt Cdr G S Robinson-
  12. Moltke
  13. LRO B J Still
  14. MEA G L J Stockwell
  15. WEA D A Strickland
  16. AB A D Sunderland
  17. MEM S Tonkin
  18. Ck I Turnbull
  19. WEA P P White
  20. WEA I R Williams
  • Cunard container ship, SS Atlantic Conveyor sunk by Exocet, 12 lost.
  1. AEM A J Anslow
  2. Seaman C S Chan
  3. Bosun J B Dobson
  4. CPO E Flanagan
  5. Mech F Foulkes
  6. Std D R S Hawkins
  7. RO R Hoole
  8. Mech J Hughes
  9. Seaman N G Por
  10. Capt I H North – DSC
  11. LAEM D Pryce
  12. Mech E N Vickers

Wednesday 26th May 1982

  • UN adopts Resolution 505.
  • 2 PARA start advance on Goose Green.
  • Overnight Bristol, Cardiff, Minerva, Penelope, Avenger, Active & Andromeda all arrive and join the Task Force.

Thursday 27th May 1982

  • 2 Argentine aircraft destroyed.
  • Shore facilities at San Carlos bridgehead attacked for the first time, leaving 2 UXBs in Field Hospital, 8 lost.
  1. Mne C Davison
  2. Mne P D Callan
  3. Sgt R Enefer
  4. Cpl K Evans
  5. Mne P B McKay
  6. Mne D Wilson
  7. Mne S G McAndrews
  8. Spr P K Gandhi

Friday 28th May 1982

  • In East Falklands, a Harrier landing strip is quickly established close to San Carlos and used for emergencies only.
  • Port Darwin settlement and Goose Green airstrip attacked by 2 PARA, 16 lost.
  1. Lt J A Barry
  2. L/Cpl G D Bingley – MM
  3. L/Cpl A Cork
  4. Capt C Dent
  5. Pte S J Dixon
  6. Pte M W Fletcher
  7. Cpl D Hardman
  8. Pte M Holman-Smith
  9. Pte S Illingsworth – DCM
  10. Lt Col H Jones – VC OBE
  11. Pte T Mechan
  12. Cpl S R Prior
  13. L/Cpl N R Smith
  14. Cpl P S Sullivan
  15. Capt D A Wood
  16. Cpl M Melia
  • Scout helicopter in support of 2 PARA shot down by two Pucaras, 1 lost.
  1. Lt R J Nunn – DFC

Saturday 29th May 1982

  • Argentine forces surrender at Goose Green, up to 1,400 taken prisoner.
  • Argentine Hercules transport aircraft drops bombs on MV British Wye, 400 miles north of South Georgia. No damage.

Sunday 30th May 1982

  • Royal Marines advancing towards Port Stanley reach Douglas Settlement and Teal Inlet.
  • Argentine air attacks resume on Task Force.
Royal Marines Yomp heading into Port Stanley with Paul Robinson as flag bearer.

Monday 31st May 1982

  • UN Secretary General presents new peace plan.
  • Argentine Special Forces attacked at Top Malo House.
  • Task force troops reach Mount Kent, 12 miles west of Port Stanley.
  • Argentine aircraft attack British ships with bombs and missiles but are beaten off without damage or casualties.
  • Two Skyhawk aircraft shot down.
  • MV Atlantic Conveyor, devastated by Exocet missile on May 25, sinks under tow.
  • 801 Sea Harriers make two bombing raids on Port Stanley airfield.
April 1982
June 1982
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South Atlantic Medal Association 1982
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South Atlantic Medal Association 1982
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