Falklands

[Sotiris]

I've been reading a lot about it recently. I can't recall or think of any films made about the war.

Anyone know of any?

I'm suprised there hasn't been a cheesy blockbuster made about it yet.

 

[Qwerty123]

Hmm,
I read about the Falkands conflict a few years ago and came across this film a few times:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ungentlemanly-Act-Bob-Peck/dp/B0000A1M2J/ref=pd_sbs_d_h__5

Heard is a good watch, and on that page there are a few links to more factual films about the conflict, but i don't know anything about them.

One of my house mates hates Thatcher because of the Falklands war and blames her for the sinking of the Balgrano which i think is ludicrous.
Looking at a timeline of events in the build-up to the conflict, Britain tried to give Argentina every opportunity to avoid the military route, and Argentina was the aggressor from the word go!

 

[JOEY]

go on youtube and type in twentieth century battles - falklands. *text deleted**text deleted*ing awesome documentary about it with some really cool video clips.

 

[Sotiris]

Yea I've seen it, it's awesome.

Haha what's your friends problem? She was an enemy ship, at sea during a time of war...a perfectly legitimate target!

Does he know how many ships the Argentines sunk? They certainly didn't hold back. Damn Exocet.

An excellent title I must say! "An Ungentlemanly Act" :laugh:!

It's a shame that the book I'm reading doesn't concentrate much on what 3 Cmd did. It certainly points out how the Paras were of monumental significance though. Respect to them.

 

[robigunner88]

I've never actually seen many books about 3 commando brigade during the Falklands in bookshops.
My dad served with 3 Para at Mt Longdon and so at home we have about 15 plus books on the Para's involvment but even in the shops there seems to be more Para books about the Falklands.

 

[JOEY]

*text deleted* well while we are on the subject of books has any1 read sniper one? Im reading it at the moment and its awesome.!!

 

[robigunner88]

No I haven't read that yet. I have picked the book up a number of times and have flicked through it.
I've just finished a book spree of reading books on the French Foreign legion. I would recomend reading legionnaire by Simon Murray. I'd say its the best book i have ever read.
Also got the new 3 commando brigade book from amazon today. Cost just over £9 and has only just been released. Looks like it's going to be a very good read.

 

[JOEY]

Will defo look into both books *text deleted*!

 

[Sotiris]

Well they did play a larger part in the war then any other land regiment.

They were the only regiment to fight two battles. Goose Green and the final battle for Stanley.

I guess they deserve more books. If you don't already have it, take out "Falklands - forgotten voices". It's written up by extracts of memoirs and interviews from soldiers of both Argentine and British forces, civilians on the island, journalists, Captains within the fleets of both sides, fighter pilots and officials. It's brilliant, builds a big picture of the whole conflict which seems really balanced as it takes both views into account.

 

[Windy_Chris]

Haha what's your friends problem? She was an enemy ship, at sea during a time of war...a perfectly legitimate target!

Not that I necessarily disagree with the Belgrano sinking (My fathers friend was on Atlantic Conveyor) but the arguement could be made that she was outside of the UK declared exclusion zone at the time hence the Argies view her sinking as an illegal act.

 

[robigunner88]

If you type in 3commando brigade on amazon then quite a few books on the Falklands come up.

 

[Sotiris]

I dunno man...they were at war. The book I'm reading goes over the sinking in some detail. I'll re-read that part but I'm pretty sure it states that in all circumstances it was legit.

From what I can remember it was on a path to attack the British Fleet, I can't remember the other ships involved but they were forming up for a pincer manoever.

I'll read over it again.

 

[Windy_Chris]

Im not saying it wasnt a legitimate action on the part of the British just that the Argentinians viewed it as illegal due to the exclusion zone. If i remember correctly the other vessels in that pincer movement had turned away and nobody was really sure of the Belgrano's intentions.

The Argentinians write about the "freeing of Las Malvinas" in a very different way to the majority of (admittedly British) books i have read on the subject. I guess it's just worth baring in mind there is always an alternative view whether you agree with it or not. :smile1:

 

[Seedytucker]

thing that annoys me is that the argies go on about that and yet they used a medic ship as a fire platform on some SAS raids done... i mean talk about war crimes... not to mention the way the islanders were treated at times...
not to mention exclusion zone or not, they invaded UK territory, to then complain we sunk a ship sounds a bit latino to me and the ship could have easily be perceived as a threat and argie would have know that....
and the whole malvinas thing is tripe- they abandoned the islands we claimed them, then they went "oy that's ours" it's like a kid that abandons a toy then decides he wants it *text deleted* someone else is playing with it. it was uk land uk claimed it and left a plaque saying as much in the late 1770s, something that spain ignored, UK the came back and reclaimed it in the 1830s i think. i dont see how argie has any claim to it at all to be honest.

 

[robigunner88]

I can't see the Argentinians complaing about this exclusion zone thing as they did use their own airfields in Argentina for bombing raids on British ships and soldiers on the land. This is outside 'exclusion zone' but it was ok for them to send in planes to hit targets.

Wasn't there an SAS misson that blew up planes on mainland Argentinian military airfields?

 

[Paul-M]

Wasn't there an SAS misson that blew up planes on mainland Argentinian military airfields?

Yup.....I don't know much about the Falklands but I remember that.

I really need to start learning about the Falklands, seeing as RM were involved, I've just ordered a few books now.

 

[Seedytucker]

Wasn't there an SAS misson that blew up planes on mainland Argentinian military airfields?

yeah it was on the way back from that that the medical ship got involved in a firefight with the departing SAS, cant remember whether they fired or just lit the SAS up with their lights either way it's against the rules of war

 

[MAXPAIN]

Britain needs its own version of Hollywood and I don't mean Bollywood for fuk sake! Notice how the Americans have a film about every war its been in and their all good apart from a few.

 

[Mitch]

An Ungentlemanly Act is an awesome film if a bit outdated. A modern version would be excellent.

The Falklands is the war in history that I love to study because it is close enough to be very relevant when looking at military history but it still counts as history and my Uncle was in 3 Para so I get all the stories! It is very difficult to find books that focus on RM and I think the main reason is that if you look at the mementous battles and the battles everyone remembers they were fought by Pongos. 2 Para at Goose Green is the very obvious one, VC won by the CO posthumously, lots of casualties, much more numerous enemy that surrendered. Mount Logndon is another; lots of casualties again, failed sneaky attack and a show of true Para grit to just grind the enemy down (on that subject 'Green Eyed Boys' by Christian Jennings and Adrian Weale is extremely good on this particular battle). Other than that the memorable ones to the public are BLuff Cove disaster and Tumbledown mount which were both Guards regiments.

Royal did sensationally well when you look at each individual battle but none of them have anything that stand out for the public or journalists. That said Nick Vaux wrote a book about 42, 'March to the South Atlantic', and Julian Thompson, I am pretty sure, wrote a book on 3 Cdo Bde (No Picnic), which of course included the Para units.

Mitch

 

[Windy_Chris]

If anybody gets the chance pick up a copy of 'Forgotten voices of the Falklands' by Hugh McManners. Its the Falklands war history compiled using the Imperial War Museum's sound archive. Its very much an oral timeline of events from the viewpoint of many of the participants in the conflit both British and Argentinian, it also includes recollections from Falklanders themselves.

Its by far the most balanced book i've read on the subject and gives a real insight into how and why the war occurred and was executed as well as the outcomes.