The Falklands Conflict

It was fitting that this evening we had a talk from Wg Cdr Andy Lawless, RAF, as it is the thirtieth anniversary of the start of the Falklands Conflict.  Andy, himself a veteran of the Conflict, talked about his experiences flying the Chinook helicopter in the Service and in the Falklands, specifically flying the one and only Chinook to survive the loss of the Atlantic Conveyor, the civilian container ship carrying many essential supplies for the Task Force, including the Chinooks planned to carry our troops forward to Port Stanley to engage the Argentinians.  The loss of all but one of these helicopters meant the British forces had to walk and fight their way from one side of the Islands to the other, giving rise to the expression "yomping".  We are grateful to Andy not only for his talk this evening but also for the dedication and courage he showed 30 years ago.