Remembrance

One of the themes of this trip is remembrance for those involved in the Falklands war, both in the armed forces and the population.

Yesterday, we attended a short ceremony at the memorial for those killed on HMS Glamorgan.  The memorial is about two years old and is on the shoreline near Stanley.  HMS Glamorgan was hit by an Exocet missile whilst supporting 45 Commando in their attack on Two Sisters, near Stanley.  A mix of residents, veterans, forces personnel and visitors participated in the ceremony to remember all those affected.

Later in the day we visited an exhibition in the museum about the war.  There were lots of quotes from residents, including a letter from a child to her grandma telling her about the invasion.  She ended by saying words to the effect that - this is a sad letter, I’m sorry, but I needed to tell someone.  Other exhibits told of terrifying experiences, such as when residents were inside their houses, when fighting was taking place round them (the houses here are usually wooden and easily penetrated by bullets).  The exhibition vividly brought to life the hardships of the local population during the invasion and the war.  It was clearly something that none of us would want to happen to us.

Today, Wednesday, began with a short flight to San Carlos, where the British cemetery is and memorials list all of those who died during the conflict. It is a beautifully made cemetery maintained to a very high standard, as are all the memorials on the islands.  The service was attended by the Governor, the Foreign and Commonwealth Minister, as well as the President of SAMA and others who laid wreaths in remembrance.  It also seemed to be attended by quite a lot of media, so you may have seen it on TV before reading this.  It was a bitterly cold day, and the weather conditions and the difficulty of the terrain that we flew over made us think about the many adversities faced and endured during the campaign.   This service, like all those we have attended, was thoughtful and grateful and the islanders’ gratitude for their freedom was very clear.