Falklands 40: Headlines from The News on April 11, 1982

Yard men stand by – Falklands armada could need them

Portsmouth Dockyard workers may have to pack their bags for the South Atlantic - if Royal Navy Falklands task force ships run into mechanical trouble.

Dozens of skilled workers in the Dockyard have been warned that they could be called upon to fly out at short notice to help ships needing repair, possibly at Ascension, a small South Atlantic island under British sovereignty and just over half way to the Falklands.

A spokesperson for the Dockyard said it was routine that many skilled men were asked to have passports.

‘They are told that they may be asked to go to where a ship needs their skill. That could be in many parts of the world,” he said.

‘This is part of the service the Dockyard offers to the Royal Navy,’ he said.

Only workers with specialist knowledge are likely to face the call for overseas service.’

The spokesman confirmed that ‘call-up’ could come at short-notice.

‘It all depends on needs,’ he said. ‘No one will be told that they have to be on a train to catch a plane ten minutes later,’ he said.

Some ships, including flagship carrier HMS Hermes were hurriedly prepared for the task force, preparation work becoming a race against time last week-end.

Portsmouth Dockyard workers have already been praised by task force commanders for their work in preparing the ships for the crisis voyage.

Fun and games on board Hermes

Aboard HMS Hermes preparations were underway today to hatch an Easter Sunday celebration for the men at sea.

Action stations on the ship will be relaxed to give everyone a short breather.

Tomorrow, there will be sports, such as football and hockey, and races. For the less sports-minded there will be silly games, perhaps an egg and spoon race.

Also there are preparations for a barbecue and ice cream parlour. The finale is the ceremonial dumping of the wardroom piano.

The officers have decided that there is no room on board for the piano which could not be safely secured in a battle. So it has to go - over the side.

Petition backed

The Lord Mayor of Portsmouth (Mr Frank Sorrell) has signed The News ‘Keep the Fleet’ petition.

Said Mr. Sorrel: ‘I congratulate The News on its initiative in launching the Keep the Fleet campaign.

More support for the campaign has come from Dockyard trade unions.

Two important and influential national trades union councils have pledged themselves to the fight to Keep the Fleet.

Next week the Leader of Portsmouth City Council (Mr John Marshall) hopes to take the Keep the Fleet campaign to London.

In other news – Stars in the swim

The South’s biggest Swimarathon got under way at Portsmouth’s Victoria Pool - with a splash and a scare.

Olympic swimming star Sharron Davies and her boyfriend, judo champion Neil Adams, arrived nearly two hours late after a car accident.

Most of the teams in the Mary Rose Swimarathon ‘82 arrived by car - but not the Parachute Regiment’s Red Devils… they dropped in for their swim from 7,000 feet.

One was so accurate he cost a Portsmouth carpet company £100. They had placed a one-yard square piece of carpet on the ground.

The chairman of the organizing committee said the event had so far raised more than £30,000.