A special service has taken place in the Falkland Islands to mark Remembrance Sunday, in the 40th anniversary year of the conflict.
Defence Minister Andrew Murrison joined Governor of the Falkland Islands, Her Excellency Alison Blake, and Commander of British Forces in the South Atlantic, Commodore Jonathan Lett, to lay a wreath in honour of all those who had lost their lives in the conflict and other conflicts around the world.
Members of the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force joined members of the Falkland Islands Defence Force for a two-minute silence begun by the Last Post.
Defence Minister Andrew Murrison said:
“Remembrance Sunday is a time to reflect and pay tribute to all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in our time of need.
“In this 40th anniversary year, it is particularly poignant that I am able to attend events in Stanley with veterans and bereaved families of the Falkland Islands conflict.
“Today we pause to remember all those who came before us, but especially the 255 British service personnel and three civilians that lost their lives in the 1982 conflict.”
Veterans and bereaved families of those who lost their lives in the conflict also joined the Minister and members of the UK Armed Forces for a special service of Remembrance at Stanley Cathedral.
Over 100 Veterans and bereaved families of the 1982 conflict have returned to the islands for Remembrance Sunday, as part of an MOD funded flight to commemorate the 40th anniversary.
Commander of British Forces in the South Atlantic, Commodore Jonathan Lett said:
“It has been a privilege to host veterans and bereaved families in this 40th year.
“Most of our service personnel based here were not born in 1982, so it brings history to life and proudly shows off the legacy of the hard-fought freedoms that the local population now enjoy.”
The commemorative flight is just one of the events that the Armed Forces have been involved in this 40th anniversary year, including a service at the National Memorial Arboretum in June and a visit by veterans to HMS Queen Elizabeth in July.
Working and living alongside islanders, today around 1,700 British service personnel and civil servants are also based in the Falkland Islands.
