Description
Object description
British officer served aboard HMS Sheffield in South Atlantic during Falklands War, 4/1982 including sinking off Falkland Islands, 4/5/1982-10/5/1982
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of operations as officer aboard HMS Sheffield in South Atlantic during Falklands War, 4/1982-5/1982: reasons for joining Royal Navy and pattern of career prior to Falklands War; drafting to HMS Sheffield, 1981; character of HMS Sheffield; reaction to crisis; atmosphere on board ship on hearing of deployment; cross-decking of equipment; obtaining information from BBC World Service; attitude to serving in South Atlantic; opinion of training received; lack of intelligence about Argentinean Navy; submarine threat; opinion of Captain Sam Salt; arrival at Ascension Island; reasons for shaving beards off; morale on board; obtaining intelligence on Argentinean equipment; visit by Admiral Sandy Woodward; degree of information available.
REEL 2 Continues: question of seriousness of situation; story of social contact with Argentineans prior to conflict; opinion of Argentinean Navy; question of American role; reaction to sinking of ARA Belgrano, 2/5/1982; ship's air defence role; reaction to Royal Air Force Avro Vulcan attack on airfield at Port Stanley, 1/5/1982. Recollections of Argentinean Air Force attack on HMS Sheffield off Falkland Islands, 4/5/1982: keeping Greenwich Mean Time; awareness of submarine threat; spotting of unidentified aircraft; visual identification of Exocet Missile.
REEL 3 Continues: reporting missile sighting; question of his reported words on identifying missile; nature of Exocet Missile's impact; shouting to operations room prior to impact to take cover; evacuation of smoke filled bridge; attempt to assess damage; firefighting on board with aid of HMS Yarmouth and HMS Arrow; order to abandon ship; jumping from ship onto HMS Arrow; burden on HMS Arrow's resources; reaction to going to action stations on HMS Arrow; reaction to Captain Sam Salt's position; question of adequacy of training for realilty of warfare; atmosphere on board ship during firefighting; inability to enter ship.
REEL 4 Continues: reaction to decision to abandon ship; fatalities; use of gas mask; question of lessons learnt from attack; nature of flame and smoke in aftermath of attack; lack of knowledge in identifying missile; medical treatment. Aspects of period as survivor aboard RFA Resource during Falklands War and return to GB, 5/1982: transfer to RFA Resource; collecting survivors boxes; reaction to amount of ammunition carried on board RFA Resource; story of manning machine gun with member of special forces; compiling list of possessions lost in cabin; items he would have recovered from his cabin; transfer to MV British Esk; question of after effects of sinking.
REEL 5 Continues: question of timing of announcement of ship's sinking; reception on arrival at RAF Brize Norton in GB; reaction to leaving war zone. Reflections on service aboard HMS Sheffield in South Atlantic during Falklands War, 4/1982-5/1982: question of effects of experiences on his career; remoteness of conflict during voyage to South Atlantic; importance of contact with family; attitude towards Argentineans; contact with Falkland Islanders on return visit, 1983-1984; impressions of Falkland Islands and South Georgia; question of women serving on board Royal Navy ships.
