It was an immense privilege and honour that Lieutenant Nabin Siwa saheb and I had the most incredible opportunity to represent the Battalion (7th Duke of Edinburgh Own Gurkha Rifles Regimental Association) on the historic and unique occasion of the “40th Falkland Liberation Day Ceremony” in Stanley, Falkland Islands on 14th June 2022.
In the Summer 2021 we applied for the veteran’s concessionary flight through South Atlantic Medal Association 82 (SAMA 82) and secured flights between the 9th – 17th of June 2022 by the kindness of Falklands Veterans Foundation’s (FVF) sponsorship. Even at this stage we were not sure of our chance of going as the outgoing flight was cancelled at the last minute! Finally, a sigh of relief, we flew off on 13th June 2022 from Royal Air Force Brize Norton on a South Atlantic Airbridge, a civilian contracted Air Tanker flight. After nearly 18hrs in the air with a stop at Cape Verde, Santamaria Island for 2hrs refuelling we arrived in the Falklands. We were taken to Liberty Lodge in Stanley, a beautiful accommodation with self-catering facilities funded and built by FVF, Royal British Legion and the Falkland Islands Government designed to accommodate Falkland Veterans during their visits.
Mrs Christine Ford, the manager of the lodge received us and briefed us on the programme ahead for that evening and the main celebration the next day. That evening we were invited by the 40th liberation day organising committee to the film premier of “Falklands At Forty” at the Malvina House Hotel, followed by a welcome buffet. It was great to see the development since 1982 in the film. After the film, the bar was open for us followed by a sumptuous buffet, notably the lamb chop was everyone’s favourite!
On 14th June we attended the Liberation Day Thanksgiving Service at the Christchurch Cathedral, followed by the remembrance Ceremony at the Liberation Monument in Stanley. On behalf of 7 Gurkha Rifles Regimental Association, I laid a wreath to commemorate our fallen comrades. This was followed by a reception at the Town Hall (now City Hall) where we had some drinks and refreshments. We met numerous local people who were very welcoming and were glad to see us there for the ceremony and spoke very highly of the Gurkhas.
We went onboard HMS Forth for a visit on 15th June. The Navigator of the ship and the Ship Captain, Lieutenant Commander Kris White, Royal Navy showed us around the ship, explaining characteristics of various mechanisms and weaponries and their purposes. They graciously provided refreshment drinks at the end. We were also invited by the Governor at Governor’s house in Stanley later that day. The Deputy Governor Mr Dave Morgan gave us a quick tour of the house.
The FVF arranged for a day tour for us by vehicles to San Carlos, Goose Green, Darwin on 16th June 2022. We visited the San Carlos Jetty where the Battalion (1/7th Gurkha Rifles) had landed in 1982 during the war and visited the war memorials. On our way from San Carlos to Goose Green we stopped and paid our deepest respects to Lance Corpoal Budhaprasad Limbu at his memorial near Drawin with a wooden cross and poppy. On our way back to Stanley, we also visited the Gurkha Stone (1/7th GR memorial) and paid our homage to the fallen.
On 17th June 2022, we had the opportunity to do a long Battlefield tour on foot from the base of the Mount Harriet and Goat Ridge along the route that our Battalion (1/7th Gurkha Rifles) had taken to its objective towards Mount Tumbledown and Mount William on the night of 13th June 1982. It was a long and emotional walk especially when we walked along the area where the enemy artilleries fire dropped and injured many of our colleagues during the Battalion advance. Once we reached the Mount William summit (the Battalion’s final objective) we raised the 7 Gurkha Rifles flag to commemorate the triumph of 40 years ago. The day was exceptionally glorious in our favour, but as soon as we arrived at our pickup point on completion of the battlefield tour it started darkening and started to snow.
The rest of our days on the Island were spent visiting Fitzroy and Bluff Cove where we, the D Company group 1/7th Gurkha Rifles landed and spent a night after travelling from Goose Green on a local Cargo Ship “Monsoon” during the war. We also visited Fitzroy ridge, the high ground where our D Company were dug in and engaged enemy aircrafts (sky hawks) with our small arms while H.M.S. Sir Galahad was bombed.
It was the first visit for both Lieutenant Nabin Siwa and myself 40 years after the war and it was beyond our expectations and truly memorable. Lieutenant Nabin Siwa and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the FVF, especially to Mrs Karen Cole, Operation Manager FVF and the Chairman 7GR Regimental Association Colonel MH Kefford OBE for their sponsorship for our flights and accommodation. We would also like to extend our gratitude to Brigadier D P de C Morgan OBE and Colonel D R DA Willis CBE MA for their advice and Major Dil Kumar Rai for his co-ordination for travel and accommodation arrangements. It would be unfair not to thank Mrs Christine Ford, the Liberty Lodge Manager who arranged for us an excellent visit itinerary and for her day-to-day care during our stay in Falkland Islands.
By Major (Retd) Padam Bahadur Limbu MVO
