It was perhaps the last time that Britain took on another nation when not part of a coalition. Following an invasion by Argentinian troops, the British Government decided to send a task force to the Falkland Islands and free them from the Argentinian occupation.

Not only did the Ministry of Defence need to sort out a strategy, but they also needed to consider the distance of 7,882 miles from London. The planning was completed in a very short time and a collection of various ships with service personnel and their equipment was despatched from Portsmouth.

What that war showed the world was the tenacity, determination and will of the British people and the skill to plan something and to see it through. However, it was not without a cost. A total of 255 British Servicemen and three female Falkland Island civilians were killed during the war. Two more British deaths may be attributed to the operation, bringing the total to 260.

Midsomer Norton & Radstock branch, Royal British Legion