: Diolch, Llywydd.
This week marks the fortieth anniversary of the liberation of the
Falkland Islands, following
their invasion by Argentinian forces on 2 April 1982. The small
British overseas territory in the south Atlantic was liberated by
British forces on 14 June. The conflict saw 26,000 service
personnel deployed in the air, on the ground and on the sea, and
they were deployed to defend British sovereignty, democracy and
freedom.
Many of those courageous military personnel were, of course, from
our small nation of Wales, with the Welsh Guards playing a key
role in the conflict. The guards, though, paid a high price for
the liberation of the islands, losing 48 personnel and sustaining
97 casualties, more than any other British unit. The bombing of
the RFA Sir Galahad alone took the lives of 32 Welsh Guards, when
the ship was set ablaze after being bombed by the Argentines in
Port Pleasant. Those scenes, of course, were watched with horror
at home and abroad.
The events that took place in 1982 had a deep physical, mental
and political impact on our nation, the scars of which are still
felt today. But that impact was most felt by those brave men and
women who fought to liberate the islands. In total, 255 British
servicemen, 649 Argentine servicemen and three island civilians,
all of them female, lost their lives. This week, as we
commemorate the liberation of the Falkands, we must remember and
respect all those involved and affected by the conflict,
especially those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. We salute them
all.
