Below is the diary extract from Alpha Company Commander, 40 Cdo RM, from the day of the landings 35 years ago 😥😥

21st MAY 1982

The landing day began early at 2.15 am when we were called to breakfast. By 3.00 the ships broadcast was calling us to Assault Stations. A Company, landing from the four smaller LCVP landing craft, mustered in the main dining hall whilst the remainder of the Commando gathered further aft nearer to the stern ramp. The dining hall was very cramped with over 150 marines all carrying weapons, spare ammunition and large bergans. It was though incredibly quiet. The only noise was the muffled conversation taking place in small groups as last minute messages were being exchanged. Many were smoking one last cigarette.
Adrenaline was beginning to run and then much to the relief of all it was time to be led outside and loaded into the landing craft. These were still high on the davits and yet to be lowered into the water. As soon as we were onboard the winches started and down we went. It was a quite incredible experience. After circling for 5 or 10 minutes the small craft lined up astern of each other and we set off for the two-hour run in to the beach. The passage was a smooth one as mercifully the sea was calm and the weather kind. Landing craft were cramped at the best of times, but that night they were overladen with bodies and, with insufficient space inboard, we over-spilled onto the main deck in front of the conning position.
With 10 minutes to go before landing we slipped out of our assault life jackets and prepared ourselves for whatever was coming next. There was no sign of a promised green light from the SBS to guide us in. We were unsure of the significance of this - did it mean the SBS had not made the rendezvous or was it more sinister. Foremost in our minds was to focus on getting ashore and closing with any waiting enemy. The landing craft made a hash of the next 10 minutes. When still 100 metres short of the beach, our craft suddenly went astern. Either we were about to go aground, or we were heading for the wrong landing point …. then we lined up again and went ahead. We were worried that the extra noise would have been heard and just wanted to get out of the boat as quickly as we could. The wait was driving us mad.

The coxswain gave the order “down ramp and out troops” - however the ramp did not fall! The retaining clips then needed several thumps with a sledge hammer to release them; obviously, they had not been greased and checked beforehand. We could do nothing but wait as this pantomime was played out. Packed in like sardines, no-one could move until the first marine went forward. We held our breath and waited for a burst of gunfire from the shore - but it did not come. After what seemed an age and with considerable relief all round, the ramp finally crashed down in to the sea and we piled forward towards the beach.

Any expectation of a semi-dry landing was extinguished immediately. We plunged into icy cold water up to our waists. The next problem was not to fall over as we were not very stable on our feet. Heavy bergans and full fighting order, as well as being loaded down with ammunition, made movement very difficult in such deep water. Surging forward - instinct took over - we reached the beach in about 20 to 30 paces.

From our beach where we stumbled ashore, the beach exits were non-existent. Instead, resembling something out of a “Keystones Cops Charlie Chaplin” movie, we all crashed into the person immediately in front of us. Our beach assault came to an abrupt halt. Within 15 paces we reached the edge of any so-called beach - what lay ahead was a vertical 6’ high peat wall. Someone took charge and swiftly two marines turned and faced each other with either end of a rifle in their hands. As we stepped forward onto the weapon we were elevated onto the higher ground.

Overjoyed to be free and at last ashore, we swiftly deployed and cleared the nearby area known as White Rincon (our first task). Then at a fast pace we climbed up onto the high ground where we were to occupy a defensive position. I was aware it was not long to daylight and we knew time was of the essence. Further away to our right, but out of sight and hearing, we had no doubt B and C Companies were doing likewise.

Moving over the rough terrain had been painfully slow but as we were to find out it was not much quicker in daylight. There were few tracks or paths on the Falklands and a rough calculation of cross country speed was about one kilometre per hour. Even then it was challenging work avoiding the pools of water lying on the surface of the peat, or at other times trying not to stumble on one of the many rocks strewn about.

As soon as we could do so we furiously began digging even though it was not yet light. Eagerly we sought to get the first stages of some protection around us before the expected Argentine aircraft arrived. Labours were frustrated though within minutes when a very high water table filled our initial holes with water, making them useless.

With a switch of tactics, the men created “sangers” – a low form of walled protection similar to those built of stone in the desert. Cut blocks of peat made an admirable substitute for stone and considerable progress had been made by the time the first air attacks took place.

The first incursion was a Pucara which initially attacked some of the ships out of sight of us in Falkland Sound. This was followed by an Aermacchi MB 339 (from Stanley) firing cannon and rockets at Argonaut which caused some casualties. At about 10.30 by attack aircraft from mainland Argentina arrived. The first strike was by Mirage fighters and with the main attack by Skyhawk and Dagger fighter bomber units of the Argentine Navy and Air Force.

There was a “panache and determination” from the Argentine pilots. They flew in low to avoid early warning radar and often ended up flying below the mast head height of our ships. The consequences of these low-level attacks resulted in ships being hit with bombs that had not had time to arm their fuses, and hence the bombs did not explode on impact. Many more ships would have been lost had the Argentine pilots realised this fusing problem. There was also no real co-ordination in attacks throughout the conflict and had they done so, they might have swamped the naval defences.

Early on that day four Argentine aircraft were shot down: a Mirage from HMS Broadsword; a Pucara by cannon from a Harrier; and 2 Skyhawks by Harrier Sidewinders. Argonaut, Brilliant and Ardent had been hit. Ardent was mortally wounded. The Argentine pilots had concentrated on her and, with a faulty Sea Cat missile system as well as a 4.5mm gun that could not bear on the low flying aircraft, she was virtually defenceless. Hit several times in three separate attacks she caught fire and burned herself out, sinking the next day.

At the end of the first day the RN had sustained damage to all but two ships in Falkland Sound but the all-important landing of 3000 men and 1000 tons of stores had been successfully achieved. As some recompense for the loss of Ardent some 13 enemy aircraft were shot down that day.