Royal Navy: Sinking of HMS Sheffield during the Falklands War is remembered in Portsmouth

Veterans gathered in Old Portsmouth yesterday (Thursday) at the memorial commemorating the sinking of the Type 42 destroyer in Old Portsmouth to remember the 20 members of the crew who lost their lives after the ship was hit by a missile off Port Stanley in the South Atlantic on May 4, 1982.

The crew of the Sheffield fought for almost four hours to save the ship before Captain James ‘Sam’ Salt ordered them to abandon ship. Flooding caused Sheffield to roll over and sink on May 10, 1982. She was the first British ship to be lost in enemy action since the Second World War, and the first of four British ships sunk by the Argentine air force in the Falklands War.

Two Falklands veterans who served on HMS Sheffield also paid tribute to the shipmates they lost at the Standing With Giants art installation at Fort Nelson.

John Galway and David Atkinson were both on the ship when it was hit by an Argentine missile during the Falklands War and 41 years later the pair laid crosses with the names of those who were killed in action at the feet of 20 naval silhouettes.

Standing with Giants is an art installation on display at Fort Nelson as a tribute to the 258 military and civilian lives lost during the Falklands conflict.

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David Atkinson, 66, who was a Leading Radio Operator on HMS Sheffield, made the crosses with the names of every man lost 41 years ago on the ship.

He said: ‘We wanted to make a gesture for my fallen comrades and having Standing with Giants at Fort Nelson gave us a suitable place to do it.’

Chairman of HMS Sheffield Association, John Galway, 63, said: ‘We will always remember them – on this anniversary day and every day.

‘It doesn’t feel like 41 years ago but placing crosses at the feet of Standing with Giants seems a fitting way to remember them on this anniversary.’

Standing With Giants is a community project, set up by artist Dan Barton and a group of volunteers who create large-scale art installations using recycled building materials. Created to mark the 40th anniversary of the conflict in 2022, the installation at Fort Nelson is the first time it has been seen in the south.

To complement the art installation Fort Nelson is also staging an exhibition – Falklands 40: What Portsmouth Saw – which tells some of the personal stories of homecomings to Portsmouth after the conflict.

The exhibition features images from The News, footage from BBC South and interviews with local veterans, as well as a small display of guns which were used in the conflict.

Admission to Standing with Giants at Fort Nelson is free and runs until July 9 with the Victorian fort open Tuesday to Sunday 10am – 5pm. Visitors are asked to book in advance at www.royalarmouries.org to guarantee their visit.