The Falklands War - March into Stanley

With the hills around Port Stanley all in British hands, the Argentine troops were crammed into the narrow streets of Port Stanley. Many of the Argentine conscripts, who had retreated cold and hungry from the hardships of their time on the hills, saw for the first time the warehouses stuffed with food which had never got through to them. The Argentine troops also held the airport.

The British troops now steeled themselves for the final battle, to push the enemy into the sea and take Port Stanley. It would be hard and costly fighting in the streets of Port Stanley. Civilians were bound to get hurt, but too much had been lost and the end of the whole campaign was now in sight. In the streets of Stanley, the Argentine soldiers steeled themselves for the final battle. They were ordered to prepare for combat at close quarters.

Wireless ridge

Above the town, 2 Para were observing the movements in Stanley from their position on Wireless Ridge. They were keen to press on and be first into Port Stanley. Before they were allowed to move in, Brigadier Julian Thomspon, commanding 3 Commando Brigade, insisted on coming forward by helicopter and seeing the position for himself. On his arrival, he gave Lieutenant-Colonel David Chaundler the green light. The order to advance was given at 1300 hours and B Company moved off Wireless Ridge and down through Moody Brook and up to the higher ground on the other ridge of the valley. The Blues and Royals' moved along the ridge to give covering fire if needed and A Company, followed by D and C Companies, moved into Port Stanley.

The Argentines saw the Paras advancing but their response was confused. Some wanted to retreat, some wanted to fight. In many cases the decision to retreat was left in the hands of individual officers in each company.

2 Para marching

When A Company, of 2 Para, approached the Stanley Racecourse, off came their helmets and on went their berets. The armoured vehicles of the Blues and Royals moved off Wireless Ridge and ferried Paras along the road. Robin Innes-Ker produced the Regimental Colours and attached them to the radio antenna of his Scorpion. As the troops prepared to enter Port Stanley, the order was given for them not to pass the racecourse. The Argentines had intimated that they were prepared to surrender. A four-day long psy-ops campaign by Colonel Mike Rose of the SAS and Cpatain Rod Bell, a Spanish-speaking officer of the Royal Marines, had culminated in a journey into Port Stanley by helicopter to meet General Menendez and his staff.

2 Para

While these talks went on all units were ordered to halt where they were. The men of 2 Para clattered into the grandstand at the racecourse and waited there. The shelling, which had preceded the surrender, had taken its toll on Port Stanley. The racecourse had been reduced to a quagmire, the towns filtration plant was out of action, and only a few days water was left. 4.5-inch shells from the Royal Navy's warships had whistled over the town to pound the Argentine lines, and sadly had killed three civilians on 11th June, when their shells struck houses west of the War Memorial that British Intelligence had reported as unoccupied.

General J. J. Moore flew in and the final talk began at 2300 hours on 14th June, 1982, where General Moore and General Menendez met outside the conference room. They saluted each other and said that each side had fought well. General Moore said they should get on with things and produced the surrender documents.

Genral Menendez struck 'unconditional' out of the documents. He had been promised that the surrender would be with 'dignity and honour' in the psy-ops broadcasts. Menendez also secured the prompt evacuation of his troops as one of the conditions, but the British did not allow him to insert the words 'Islas Malvinas' after 'Falklands'. At 2359 the document was formally signed and witnessed by Colonel Pennicott. General Menendez asked if he might join his men on the airfield where they were to be grouped prior to repatriation. When this was refused, tears formed in his eyes. He was evacuated to HMS Fearless the following morning.

 A Para watches over Argentine prisoners

The Argentine troops were gathered under the supervision of British officers and troops and removed all their weapons and warlike equipment before gathering on Port Stanley Airfield to await evacuation. Under British direction, the Argentine troops helped to clean up Stanley and the environment as well as construct rudimentary shelters on Port Stanley Airfield. The offices of the Red Cross helped to secure a quick repatriation to Argentina. Some Argentines, brought around from San Carlos by the Uganda, were found to have secreted pistols, bayonets and enough parts for a complete machine gun, when stripped and searched.

 POWs

The repatriation of the Argentine troops was carried out by Canberra, Andromeda and Norland and the Red Cross provided representatives on board. The Argentines agreed safe passage for the ships as cartle ships, which meant they could move in a war zone providing they carried no weapons or carried out any act of war. The British Government held back 600 special category prisoners until the Argentine government formally recognised the end of hostilities. The special category prisoners were held until 30th June, when they were put onboard the MV St Edmund, but she did not sail until 13th July, when the UK was convinced that active hostilities were at an end. The one British POW on the mainland, Flight Lieutenant Jeffrey Glover, whose Harrier had been shot down by a Blowpipe on 21st May and had been evacuated for medical treatment to the military hospital at Comodoro Rivadavia was once fit enough, released on 8th July.