After the Battle

A photographic collection of the Falkland Battle fields and Memorials

We are very grateful to John Belcher for allowing us to publish his unique pictures

Below are a collection of photos that I took of the Falklands during my tour there Feb-Jun 1987. I was part of the Air Movements Flight at Mount Pleasant during my 4 month detachment. We were responsible for handling all aircraft at MPN. We worked 5 1/2 day weeks with Sunday being free. As there was not a lot to do you were allowed to book out a landrover and tour around. We used these "Cooks Tours" to visit most of the mountain battlefield sites.

John Belcher UKMAMS November 2000.

	Argentinean Cemetery At Goose Green
	Bluff Cove Looking towards Bluff Cove with the memorial to the men killed on the 2 RFA ships on the right.
	Bluff Cove memorial Close up of the memorial at Bluff Cove. "In memory of those Welsh Guardsmen killed in action Falkland Islands 1982. 1st Battalion Welsh Guards" Also listed are 3 men from C Sqn 22 SAS.
	Coastal These were the floating accommodation ships that were used to house the servicemen in until the complex at Mount Pleasant was completed in early 1987. They were brought back to the UK and it was planned that they would be used to house prisoners at Portland Harbor.
	Darwin Looking towards Darwin from the north
	Fitzroy The settlement at Fitzroy and sheep shearing sheds.
	Gazelle Memorial Memorial to SSgt CA Griffin and L/Cpl SJ Cockton 656 Sqn AAC and Maj M Forge and SSgt Baker RSigs who were killed when Gazelle XX377 was shot down at 0408Z 6 Jun over Pleasant Peak. It is believed that they were shot down by a Sea Dart from H.M.S. Cardiff. The Gazelle was carrying two aircrew and two members of 5th Infantry Bde HQ and Signal Squadron (the OC, Major Forge, and the squadron Quartermaster Sergeant). It is believed that the chopper was shot down by the Royal Navy as the aircraft was exceeding the speed/height restrictions imposed on friendly aircraft. The practice was that all friendly helicopters flew below 100 feet and at less than 100 knots (or something similar). Any aircraft exceeding these limits would therefore be hostile and could be engaged. It was some years however before the MOD admitted that it was a blue on blue contact and we all thought at the time it had been shot down by ground fire. Editors Note: Tony Rafferty writes: I had recorded the Gazelle event at the time as having been carried out by HMS Cardiff Blue on Blue.
	Gazelle crash site Where Gazelle XX377 crashed. The numbers shown are 205. Which stands for 205 Signal Squadron, 5 Infantry Brigade HQ and Signal Squadron
	Globe Hotel Popular watering hole.
	Goat Ridge and Mount Harriet from Two Sisters
	Goose Green The Cooks Tour of Goose Green stopping for refreshments. We hardly saw a person in the settlement.
	HMS Sheffield Memorial to HMS Sheffield on Sea Lion Island.
	Mines Say no more!
	Mount Pleasant Airport The new airport for the Falklands at Mount Pleasant. It was completed in Feb / Mar 1987.
	Mount Harriet Looking along Mount Harriet towards Port Stanley
	Mount Kent The snow covered peak of Mount Kent from Mount Harriet
	Mount Kent looking towards Two Sisters
	Mount Longdon Sangar One of many sangars still on Mount Longdon. Most showed signs of habitation and were strewn with rubbish
	Mount Longdon Weapon Abandoned Argentine 105mm Recoilless Rifle
	View from sangar Mount Longdon This is looking down a gully on Mount Longdon. The sangar had the debris (links and cases) from a machine gun that had been fired from the sangar.
	Mount Longdon Wreath A wreath on Mount Longdon to Cpl McLoughlin killed in action Mount Longdon
	Mount Tumbledown
	Mountains left to right, Mount Kent, Goat Ridge, Two Sisters taken from Mount Kent
	Mount Harriet OP on Mount Harriet looking towards Port Harriet.
	Port Stanley Port Stanley from the airport looking over the harbour and ship wreck in the bay
	MBB 339 The remains of a MBB 339 at Port Stanley airfield. This aircraft was 4-A-112 serving with 1 Escuadrilla. It went to the FI on 14 May 1982 and was captured in tact. It was progressively stripped and smashed, eventually breaking into 2 sections. The missing parts had been removed to a weapon range leaving the cockpit section behinds. It was removed and dumped in the sea a week after the picture was taken by the RE's who had been tasked with clearing the area.
	Road from Mount Pleasant to Goose Green This is the track from Mount Pleasant to Goose Green. Our Cooks transport (Landrover) got stuck in the middle of the pool and had to be winched out.
	Signpost This was at Port Stanley and servicemen used to put up a sign to their home towns etc showing how many miles to there. It was on the road from Stanley to the airport.
	Stanley and Port William Taken from Mount Tumbledown
	Stanley ATC The Air Traffic Control building at Stanley airfield.
	Stanley Cathedral
	Stanley Harbour looking towards the airfield
	Tristar The only way to travel!! My going home aircraft
	Two Sisters Looking towards one of the peaks from the other peak of Two Sisters.
	Two Sisters The other peak of Two Sisters with a makeshift flagpole.
	Two Sisters from Moody Brook.
	War Memorial The new War Memorial to those killed during the war in Port Stanley.
	War Memorial Another view of the Memorial
	War Memorial close up The rear wall of the memorial has a series of plaques showing details of the Task Force. I think the names of the dead are inscribed on some panels but cannot remember and I don't have any photos.
	War Memorial Units On the sides of the War Memorial are inscribed all the units that took part in the Task Force. Being in the RAF I only took a photo of the RAF side. The hand is pointing to UKMAMS , the sqn that I served with in the UK. The RAF units shown are 70 Sqn Hercules 29 Sqn Phantoms 42 Sqn Nimrods 44, 54, 101 Sqn Vulcans 55, 57 Sqn Victors 120, 201, 206 Sqn Nimrods 202 Sqn Sea Kings 2 Wg HQ Unit RAF Regt 15 Field Sqn RAF Regt 63 Sqn RAF Regt 1 ACC Radar Tactical Comms Wg Tactical Supply Wg UK Mobile Air Movements Sqn UKMAMS Ordnance Demolition Unit Mobile Met Unit Mobile Catering Support Unit HQ 38Gp TACP (MAOT) Army units shown are 49 Field Regt RA 33 Eng Regt Military Works Force RE 14th Sigs Regt 602 Sigs Troop 10 Field Ambulance RAMC 2 Field Hospital RAMC Joint Helicopter Support Unit 29 Transport and Movement Regt RCT.

All the images contained within this page are the sole ownership of Mr. John Belcher. The content and format are the original work and intellectual property of the author unless otherwise accredited. All material is copyrighted and all copyrights are reserved. Material found on this page, including the text, may neither be re-published or re-distributed in any way without permission of the copyright owner Mr. John Belcher. To protect the material some images have been watermarked

South Atlantic

Medal Association 82

SAMA 82 exists to maintain and
promotea sense of pride and
comradeship among all veterans
of the South Atlantic campaign,
and to re-establish and
strengthen links with the people

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