Falklands 40: Headlines from The News on April 20, 1982

Heroic Marines were ‘prepared to die’ defending South Georgia

Every one of the 22 Royal Marines defending remote South Georgia during the April 3 invasion by overwhelming Argentine forces was prepared to die in defence of the island, Lieutenant Keith Mills, who commanded the detachment, said today after arriving in London.

The Marines, dug in to trenches protected by boobytraps and explosives just 100 metres from the beach at the Antarctic base at Grytviken, killed between 10 and 15 Argentine marines and wounded 20 others in a fierce two-hour battle. They shot down two Argentinian helicopters and seriously damaged a corvette - scoring 1,270 hits on the ship with a variety of weapons.

Lt Mills, 22, of Anglesey, said: ‘Afterwards I was informed by an Argentine officer that if we had hit the ship with another rocket, it would have been sunk.’

The British Marines suffered one casualty - one man with two rounds in his upper arm.

Lt Mills gave the dramatic account of the battle of Grytviken after extensive de-briefing by intelligence officials after his arrival from the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo today.

Meanwhile, a splinter task-force of destroyers, both aircraft carriers, and several troopships has broken off from the 40-ship British armada heading for the Falkland Islands and is moving towards South Georgia Island, the American newspaper Boston Globe reported today.

The sources said a takeover of the island would not be difficult, as its distance from the mainland would prevent easy military reinforcement by Argentina.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: ‘We are obviously not going to disclose what we were doing down there.’

PM Margaret Thatcher under pressure

Prime minister Margaret Thatcher stands alone today as critical political and diplomatic negotiations continue on two continents in search of a peaceful end to the Falklands crisis.

She faces massive pressure - which could make or break her political career - from Washington, Argentina, and her own back-benchers.

Late last night and early today diplomatic moves put the ball back into Britain’s court as American Secretary of State Mr. Alexander Haig flew back to Washington after four days of talks with Argentinian leaders in Buenos Aires.

Dockyard in action plan to fight planned cuts

While the fleet sails south en route to a possible war situation in the south Atlantic, ‘home battle plans’ are being drawn up by dockyard workers to fight defence secretary John Notts’ proposed defence cuts.

Portsmouth district committee of the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers is meeting tonight to ‘synchronise action’.

This was made clear today by AUEW district secretary Clyffurd Arrowsmith after an address by his national president (Mr. Terence Duffy) to the union’s policy making committee in which he firmly opposed the rundown of Portsmouth Dockyard.

In other news – cash on the lunch menu

Among those raising funds for the Lord Mayor’s Enable the Disabled Fund this year, was 90-year-old Mrs Dora Gould, of Beech Road, Southsea.

Despite her years, Mrs Gould organized a bring and buy sale at her home to help Portsmouth’s Thursday Lunch Club raise £110 for the Lord Mayor’s charity appeal.

Mrs Gould was a member of the club when it was the Portsmouth branch of the National Council of Women.

As the oldest member to organize a charity event for the Lord Mayor’s appeal, Mrs Gould was chosen to present the £110 to the Lady Mayoress, (Betty Sorrell).