Thanks Ian. I am a 7th generation Royal Marine in an unbroken line from father to son since 1842. The first of the family to join is buried on Ascension Island. If you want to support British veterans with PTSD go to THE MOUNTAIN WAY, which was set up by a 45 Cdo Falklands veteran, one of the best soldiers I have ever known, and I’ve known some good ones.
7th Generation Royal Marine??? Please immediately submit yourself for genetic testing as we may have identified the "MENTAL AS ANYTING" gene. Good god. How did anyone visiting you at Christmas survive the drinking?
Lads that was absolutely fantastic! I was there just after the war ended, and that brought back a lot of memories. A great episode of Forgotten Weapons. Have a beer on me!
Hey, falkland islander here, cant believe you visited and i wasnt aware, believe you met some of my folks or atleast borrow some of their weapons. hope you had a wonderful time
some of their weapons might scare him unless you lot have finally shot all the scavenged ammo off. in 89 they still had GPMG, FALs, Brownings , LAAWs and 82mm mortars buried in the camp. all legal 'salvage'.
A very nice thought. I am very impressed by the things I see Argentinians say today. So much of the news that we hear out of Argentina is very possitive these days. Excellent!
@@dreamcrusher112 We've watched Argentina for years as it went through government after government, hyperinflation, and every other kind of problem a country could face. It shouldn't be that way. Argentina is rich in resources and has industrious people. We are finally seeing some efforts being made to end the spiral and the people in America believe in you and think you can be successful.
And I hope your fellow countrymen will accept that the land your country has is now enough, and that there is no need to conquer other places and people to gain more land, like Russia does.
I believe this might be my first comment ever, certainly my first in over a decade. Thank you. It is a vital glimpse for any less able historians to see/study the landscape. The YOMP/TAB performed during the conflict rarely involved metalled roads, the majority was achieved through natural bog, rock and rough turf, over the natural terrain, carrying 80+lbs (36+Kg), weapon in arms, at night. A mighty feat in itself, even more so prior to battle. Heroes to a man.
I'd like to think that random Falkland Islander heard your accents and went "Thank God, I can finally get rid of this Budweiser, I've been trying to get rid of it since 1982 but none of the paras or commandos would touch the stuff"
Whenever I have been abroad and someone has said "oh you're American, I'll get you a Bud" I say hell no. I can get that crap at home, I'm here to drink YOUR beer.
Years ago I told my Dad shortly after I turned 21 that I didn't like the taste of Budweiser. He had the most amazing stunned, shocked, angry look on his face staring at me, then he said "You're not my son". 😂
Argentinian here. obviously not the best memories for us, but an excellent summary of the war. Some points to mention: 27:55 The 38 men (Lieutenant Esteban's C Company) did not go to reinforce positions near the capital, but rather went there, resupplied themselves and were sent back to Goose Green. They arrived when the battle was practically lost. 31:25 Indeed, the 4th Airborne Brigade based in Córdoba analyzed the possibility of jumping in the San Carlos area, but the British superiority in fighters was already definitive and it would have been suicide. 40:20 When the guide talks about the loss of ships he mentions the HMS Antrim, although she was hit by a bomb that did not explode, the one that had been sunk is the HMS Ardent. 1:02 The bridge over the Murrel River was also the scene of a skirmish between Argentine commandos (from the Army and Gendarmerie special forces). One of the few confrontations where the British had to retreat. Regarding the footwear used in the war, as you say, the British boot was worse than the Argentine one. The British advantage was that many soldiers brought a pair of sports shoes and many pairs of socks. The Argentine soldiers had one excellent boot (we call them "borceguíes") and only one spare pair of stockings. In the face of humidity, not being able to change was a sure recipe for frostbite or trench foot. Greetings from Patagonia.
People underrate Argentine special forces in the 1982 conflict. Sure, they were a bit overaggressive during the Battle of Stanley and at the Battle of Grytviken which cost them unnecessary casualties to the Royal Marines, but they were quite effective against the Paras and Marines as British Forces advanced on Stanley. A similar argument could be made against the Paras early in the conflict that they were too gung-ho, and that cost them excessive casualties at Goose Green and Mount Longdon. Even SAS veterans who fought against Argentine special forces at Mount Kent said that they were very good soldiers, trained by U.S special forces (I believe) and one of the few Argentine units with combat experience from fighting left-wing guerrillas in Argentina. However, the Argentine special forces biggest problem was they were not trained to fight and survive in cold conditions and this led to them making mistakes like taking refuge at Top Malo House which the SAS were observing and passed the message onto 3 Commando Brigade. Brigadier Julian Thompson then dispatched the Royal Marines Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre to assault the position, and that didn't go well for the Argentine commandos there. The Marines were not sympathetic or impressed with Argentine forces taking shelter from the conditions since many of them claimed the Argentine kit was better than that of the British forces, and numerous Marines admitted to stealing some clothing and equipment off Argentine prisoners before sending them back to San Carlos.
@seamuskavanagh2566 Let's not assume that the Argentine commandos were poorly trained by the top malo house role... That is the exclusive responsibility of their leader vercesi, who recently arrived to the islands / and who came from serving in an administrative position in a city / only to him take credit for the numerous errors committed on that mission, not to the others who only obeyed his orders.
Admirable tribute to the courage and determination of the British armed forces. And a heart warming testament to the generosity and cordiality (for the most part) of the Falklands people. P.S I inserted this comment in the wrong place it was not intended a reply.
My father fought with 2 Scots Guards on Mount Tumbledown. Told me the terrain was unreal and VERY tough going. Didn’t believe him till I went there myself and saw it with my own eyes. How they did that with zero cover blows my mind.
Yeh been there myself and was astounded by the feat of arms in taking the place. By all rights the Argies should have held every one of those hills. Shows how important the morale and leadership element is.
Les and Jari both figure they would die of old age in those positions if they also had a couple weeks to fortify them. The biggest shortcoming in the Argentine forces was the lack of an effective officer corps to make sure the positions were continuously improved. The lack of things like patrols and forward outposts by the Argentines combined with the British elan and aggression turned what should have been neigh impervious mountain positions into British victories every single time.
@@ForgottenWeaponsmy dad was telling me, they ran out of a lot of their ammunition within the first phases of the attack and did the majority bayonets fixed. Either way, all the mountains were a tall order. Not to mention on Tumbledown their own Marines were on there, so had the better trained Argies to take on.
@@trigonome777I think this point needs to be stressed a lot more. I met someone who ended up with PTSD after one of those actions. The British were told that the Argentines in place were elite troops, so they assaulted with bayonets. What they found were kids in sleeping bags. I was told there was nearly a mutiny when the sun came up and the Brits (I don’t remember which unit, sorry) saw what they had done. Thatcher covered it up.
Your point about dysentery raises an interesting bit of trivia of why the Brits still love brewing up. Making a boiling hot cup of tea over a hexamine stove kills bacteria in water. A pint of tea morning, noon and night can help obviate the risk of dysentery.
Absolutely, however I don’t think maybe they had the time to stop and brew up as and when required. Also resources such as hexamine and rat packs were limited due to the logistical issues. The dysentery situation was something I didn’t know about until this video and couldn’t believe that in that part of the 20th century British troops were exposed to it. But it’s a testament to how tough they were that they kept going through all that and still were capable of fighting and winning.
@@andrewcombe8907 having been in the British Army myself I whole heartedly agree. However it was a yomp, time was against them, they couldn’t always just get a brew on in the daytime whenever you needed to hydrate. You see how exposed the terrain is particularly with the Argies having air superiority. There was no cover and they needed to get from point A to B ASAP. I’m sure that they would have definitely preferred to sit down and brew up rather than just chuck some puritabs in a water bottle filled with pete bog water contaminated with sheep feaces. and contract dysentery. As I mentioned previously supplies of resources were finite including the hexamine fuel required to boil water. But they just hydrated as best they could and cracked on, which is why the British military is the best in the world. There were many reports of British units suffering through lack of resupply due to the support ships being sunk. Particular the Atlantic Conveyor which had the heavy lift Chinooks on board. SAS close target recce patrols dug in were surviving on water mixed with tea whitener and sugar when their rations had practically run out and couldn’t get resupplied rather than risk exposing themselves. During Goose Green the Para’s were drinking the saline out of their medical packs because they had run out of water in the immediate aftermath of the assault.
Strangely enough was commenting on another video just a couple of days ago - many years back, as a civilian visiting 1 PARA, I did just 8 miles in full kit (plus 11kg additional equipment) at the same pace as they were doing and that was brutal enough - doing 10x that in 3 days in inclement conditions as they did I struggle to even comprehend.
The British army and Navy (marines aren't army) pioneered the "pepper-pot" manoeuvring system. Essentially alternate British soldiers advance, hiding behind the supressed rage at an unfair class society and enormous testicles of the infantryman in front of them, advancing in pairs, by section. Easy peasy. Also - unless they have changed the rules, since it's technically a ship, the bar at Lympstone never closes. When I last visited, there was a person shaped dent in the mesh in front of the bar in the mess, where they had attempted to clsoe the bar and a marine had leapt at it so hard, it left a bootneck shaped impression that broke the screen. They used to have a competition to see how many glasses they could smash on their faces. It was a different time. There are also a couple of really lovely monuments, particularly one in the gym at Lympstone. The Royal Marines have really done us proud and done some insanely brave things. Weird, directed individuals and I'm glad they are on the side of Britain. Then you have the SBS. A group of people who consider your personal safety and sovereignty optional. My best friend at school became an RM officer and I can assure you he was brilliant and absolutely not right in the head. :)
Those grassy lumps in the peat bogs are called "tussocks" in the UK, and they're little bastards. All the British forces took a significant number of casualties due to broken/sprained ankles. The Chinook which survived the Atlantic Conveyor sinking, ZA718 aka "Bravo November", went on to serve for another 40 years, being finally retired in 2022! During it's career it served in the Falklands, Lebanon, Germany, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan, and four of it's pilots have won the Distinguished Flying Cross. It's now safely tucked away in the RAF Museum at Cosford.
Babys heads, also common on the Brecon beacons and places like the soltau and sennelager training areas in Germany. Detestable unfun things to march on lol
With it's Argentinian Chinook cockpit door which was liberated from a wrecked Argentinian Chinook because some silly sod Flying Rupert managed to lose the original in flight.
@@alan-sk7ky He dropped out of a snowstorm at night and hit the sea at about 100mph due to a faulty altimeter. The spray nearly killed the engines, the door got ripped off and he lost a comms aerial. Nevertheless he managed to keep it airborne. Despite losing all comms and navigation, he got it back to San Carlos where it was patched up. That was the first of the DFCs.
As someone who wears Boots Combat High for ankle support (cheap as chips surplus) I can confirm that those tussocks are evil and their only useful purpose in life is to advise you that you are about to walk into a swamp.
that's an excellent video, when I did the march with 3 Para, I never saw any Falklands scenery, but yes, we only took 'fighting order', as we'd been ordered to move at 'best speed' to Teal Inlet then onto Estancia, so we ditched all the crap, those bergen's didn't need to be carried, speed was the order of the day, and all you needed was scoff and ammo. You can never recreate the march, as it was done at winter cross country, crossing rivers at night, marching through rain, sleet and snow, we kept going through the night to reach Teal Inlet, it was bitterly cold, living off one 24 ration pack for five days, and at any time during the march, enemy forces could have bumped us off. (As we would have tried to stop advancing enemy forces) When recreating marching the distance there is no fear of the forthcoming fight, who will live or die when we assault enemy positions, will I die? Will I lose a limb? But saying that, I would absolutely love to do a similar march today following 3 Para's route.
Your five year recovery after getting shot in the face at only 22 years old at Mt Longdon and living to tell the tale is incredible. You should never have to buy a pint again in your life 🫡
Hi Jimmy. I hope you're doing well. I've read your book, 3 Days in June. It's one of the best and most detailed war books I've ever read. Thanks for writing it. This is not a criticism, I know this was by design, but the book was very Longdon-centric and understandably so, but I think we are missing a lot of stories about 3 Para's landing at San Carlos and the TAB across East Falkland. Since you're such an encyclopedia of Falklands knowledge and already have so many veteran contacts, would you consider starting a podcast or something similar so these stories are preserved and recorded before they are lost? Maybe call it "The Fighting Men of The Falklands Podcast" or something like that. Best wishes.
45 commando is pronounced four five commando.. I'm a highlander from Scotland.. always amazed at how similar the Falklands are to the Isles of lewis and Harris.. windswept.. basicly no trees.. starkly beautiful ..
@@66kbm The area around Lympstone is a pretty good analogue for the Falklands, from what I've heard. Certainly Exmouth is bleak as F. Marines used treat the idea of actually catching any game to subsist from on the moor as some form of sick joke - which makes the week of endurance and subsistence training pretty humourless.
Yeah , I noticed that as well, I went down with Two Four Field squadron and again 6 months later with Seven Three it’s a nomenclature that non British military don’t use or understand. I then did a 6 month tour on Assi in 96 where I ran the adventure training cell for troops from the Falklands , (Good tour) then I was really lucky to get picked in 2014 (It was actually a phone call from a mate who was the training warrant for a unit) if I wanted a 2 week battlefield tour to the Falklands , bit his hand off, so everything in the video but by vehicle. (we were based out of Mount Pleasant) So the video brings back a lot of memories.
I'm watching this and the biggest thing that keeps hitting me is how uneven, yet absolutely open and cover-less the terrain is. I'm trying to imagine how nerve-wracking it must have been to march that distance without any cover whatsoever. Back then, very intimidating. In today's age of NODs, thermals, and drones? Pretty terrifying!
@@SuperEvilMonkeewent in July 2016 for a documentary and only 20 days, I found it amazing can’t describe it but can totally understand how it could grate after a couple of months
I had some family that have spent time there and the Hebrides (radar specialist). Apparently the fights that break out over what video is going on and seating can get pretty out of hand. >_
As half Welsh, half Irish, born and raised an Englishman, the Finnish people are probably the only other people who I can empathise with due to their incredibly dark mindset and love of ethanol. Also, all the darkness and cold makes them very good at computer games.
Admirable tribute to the courage and determination of the British armed forces. And a heart warming testament to the generosity and cordiality (for the most part) of the Falklands people.
Big respect to you guys, to have 2 Yanks and a Finn doing the british 45 royal Marine commando yomp across the Falklands and have the respect for what them commandos did in the war is very nice and a special thing to do, and to film it and put it up on TH-cam, id like to thank you for doing this, very cool
It still amazes me what the British achieved in the Falklands. They sailed to the far side of the world, fought in sub Antarctic conditions against an entrenched enemy with three x numerical advantage. Plus they carried up to 50kgs all while wearing a mix of Boots DMS, Cairngorm hiking boots or Ski March Boots all of which are wildly inferior to modern boots. They slept under ponchos if they had shelter at all, waterproofs available then were nothing like today’s Goretex and rations were nothing like today being tinned General Service rations or dehydrated Arctic rations heated up over a hexamine stove and washed down with a half mug of tea. Hard men indeed. One thing that the authors didn’t comment on was much of the movement by the Paras and Commandos was at night. Imagine this all being done at night. The US said it couldn’t be done. Homer could not have written a better epic.
This was really cool, thank you. I remember as a young air cadet in the mid 80's, I went to RAF Tern Hill to do an air experience flight. The Para's were stationed at the adjacent barracks at the time, and whilst waiting for the weather to clear, I got talking to some of the soldiers at the barracks who had fought in the Falklands about the war. What really struck me was that they showed no animosity towards the Argentine troops, and actually felt very sorry for them. Definity not what I was expecting to hear them say.
Wow, its changed a lot with all those nice roads. It was a hard, hard tab across country, very tough on the feet with the water and tussock grass. The few roads back then were just muddy peat tracks, usually only passable by tractor. Navigation was also very tricky in pre-GPS days, with no reference points other than water courses or the occasional high point that had a contour line. Even in summer, you can get snow and hot sunshine within minutes of each other as the weather passes over. The whole place is a mix of Brecon, Sennybridge, Otterburn & Benbecula; even the sheep look much the same. Thanks for the memories!
The one thing I note is how nice the weather is. My memories of all the footage back during the war was a constant grey misty drizzle like the Beacons.
@@NSGrendel Looks fairly autumnal at their hotel (which I recognise but can't remember the name of... ) so it would be spring down south. Even Brecon can be nice in April/May is you aren't having to live in an ancestral shell-scrape that you've just evicted a ewe and two lambs from.
Don’t forget that the guys responsible for this incredible feat were mostly all in their late teens/early twenties. I was a year away from joining the Canadian army in 82, and the Falklands campaign was a source of inspiration for every infantryman in the west. I wouldn’t be surprised to discover that it inspired our old Soviet bloc adversaries as well, as all men are united in their admiration of such accomplishments.
@@ignaciomatiasfantagossi5354No it is the Falklands. The french were there in the 1700s and UK bases its position on its continuous administration of the islands since 1833 and the islanders' "right to self-determination as set out in the UN Charter". Spain left in 1811.
Great video, I actually did this yomp with 45 Commando in 1982. Anti Tanks Support Company Royal Marines. 66 years old now, it's great to see interest is still there.
@@ChunkyBoYPayUp I was in Anti Tank troop, support Company 45 CDO, my sergeant, Roger Enefer was killed at Ajax Bay the day we started out from San Carlos to Teal Inlet. I won't divulge any information on living members of 45, I hope you understand.
I'm Scottish, this was an excellent video, us brits are very proud of our history, of course they'll give you access, put you up for the night and that, Americans especially Ian and friends are always welcome on British territory, you go on some fascinating trips!
Fantastic video, Ian. I was a 16yo Brit at that time. Nothing we heard at that time told about the huge effort that the troops made to get to Port Stanley. I can't believe the beauty and desolation of the Islands. Well done to you and the others to make that journey and show us the conditions those soldiers endured, with heavier packs. Best video I've seen in many years on youtube. Many congratulations to you.
WOW! I'm in shock...I served in the Falklands in 94/95 as an air defense missile operator on mount Alice what a place...very harsh place to survive with some of the worst weather i have experienced but all utterly beautiful
I knew a raf nco who did 6 months in the Faulklands in 99 and they struggled with the isolation dark weather sheep 🐑 booze fights but said it was better than norfolk
Sure your dates are wrong!! There Were Cloudpunche Dets on the West Falklands radar sites when they were set up in 1984. They were gone by the time I did my first tour at Byron Heights in late 1988.
Ian I recommend you read the Wikipedia entry on Terry Peck the Falklands policeman who acted as a guide to 3 Para on their Tab, scouted Argentinian positions to provide intel to the Brits and ended up fighting in the Battle of Mount Longdon. He was made an honorary Para. Absolutely nails.
The Falklands was a textbook example of how first rate military training and discipline overcame political incompetence in funding and procurement. They managed to pull off a miracle despite politicians crippling them with poorly thought out cost cutting.
@@vindolanda6974 Then they better pay attention to how the British NCOs used their personal initiative to salvage potentially disastrous situations. Communism kills personal initiative.
Was on a British course with a Royal Navy officer in the late 80s. The side of his face bore flash burns. When I asked him where he got those, he said “attempting the long jump record when my ship sunk”. It turns out he was the combat officer of a British frigate that was struck by an Exocet. His long jump attempt was performed trying to cross over to another ship that came alongside after the abandon ship order was given. So stuff was going down all over. Some involving long, wet yonps. Others involving frantic leaps to safety.
Fantastic video. My brother served down here just after the war as RAF ground crew servicing C 130s . Full of stories about his experiences and I couldn’t hear enough. He was able to view the battlefields. Massive respect to all those who fought in that war and to the British professional armed forces
Probably the best video i have seen on TH-cam. I was a student at the time of the war and saw my left leaning poly lean right overnight. I recall going to Stanfords map shop in London and buying a map of the Falklands and South Georgia the day before the MOD bought the lot. It seems like yesterday this happened. Great seeing what our guys had to go through.
I stumbled upon this channel recently, and it’s exactly what I’ve been looking for - a perfect blend of history, guns, humor, and connection. I’m so excited to keep watching your channel and enjoying all the new uploads you’re putting out. You’re absolutely amazing, and I can’t wait to see what you do next! Keep up the incredible work!
Glad to have you so close to my home Ian! Many people in the comments here are convinced that people from my country will give you vitriol for this, meanwhile I'm happy we'll get to see what information you can share about this conflict and the weapons used in it. Of course I'd love a video about the Argentinian side of the conflict, even though I understand this would be more complicated and nuanced given the context and reasons behind the invasion. Hope you have a great time, a big hug from Buenos Aires!
I was prepared to do videos on the Argentine small arms, but there are very few left around and available on the island. I will cover them later/elsewhere instead...perhaps in Argentina!
Thank you for the history and seen the Falklands, back in 1987 as a soldier in the Royal Danish Guards, we had some British Soldiers on a NATO visit, they had all been on the Falklands, they were tough guys.
Great video Gentleman, I have posted your video onto a Royal Marines group where I'm sure many of the blokes who were there will appreciate the efforts you made , bravo 👍👍🤙
I'm old! Nearly 40 years for me and the last time I walked Tumbledown there was abandoned kit everywhere - a lot has changed with those roads. Top quality video Ian, no attempt to glorify what was just solid hard graft by hard men.
Very nice tribute to all the soldiers, lost and who survived the war, Ian. As a Brit I value the sentiments expressed during your trek and I very much enjoyed your views and explanations of the terrain and what our lads had to do to fight and end the occupation by the Argentinian army. Thank you for this very well presented video.
I've said this before, but imagine a movie collaboration with Forgotten weapons, Jonathan ferguson, mre steve, simon pegg and nick frost. Would be magnificent.
Probably the best episode you guys have ever done. Hiking the actual history while showing off the beautiful landscape. The falklands/the yomp is probably one of the best topics to present in this manner, hopefully there’s more to come!
Blimey, better weather than I have ever seen there...thats amazingly lucky. Been mountain biking and walking there for a few years. Absolutely stunning place.
I was thinking the same. For a few years after the war in the early 90s I went between the UK and the Falklands as a TDA (Technical Design Authority) for some of the systems that were being installed. I travelled there and back a couple of times a month, typically going in on one flight and leaving on the departing plane from the next flight in. I remember eventually getting quite well acquainted with the accommodation at Mount Pleasant (literally miles of identical corridors with no clues to where you were) spending hours on my early visits walking around trying to get back to my room. Most of the time I stayed on UK time to avoid jet lag, getting up and going to bed at silly times. My recollection of the weather was that it was quite often extreme and typically all witnessed over a few hours each day :^) It looks like the mine fields have now all been cleared away. It wasn't that uncommon for the helicopters (Bristow's operated if I recall) to have to put down when the weather got too extreme, and more than once when the weather cleared the pilots realised they could see the mine signs but the writing was on the side facing away from them!
Totally different content than you usually post, but I am here for it! This could be a whole other series: hiking around old battlegrounds! Thanks for this content! That is some barren land for sure!
Stopped off in the Falklands for a day during a Buenos Aires-Santiago cruise back in March of 23. While there we took a Land Rover excursion up to the north coast to see a couple of penguin colonies. It was great - the best stopover of the whole cruise. The whole place brought to mind Buzz Aldrin's comment about the moon : "Magnificent desolation" Those rock flows are no joke and they seem to be scattered about everywhere. Whatever extra distance you would have to walk to go around one instead of through would be worth it.
I watched this with great interest since I had a relative in the Royal fleet auxiliary and an old friend from the Paras who saw action. My friend talked occasionally, despite some really bad PTSD, he saw some heavy stuff and the phrase that still gets to me today was " We were fighting kids"
That was a really interesting watch! I've studied the Falklands War a lot on my own, reading all kinds of books on it and checking the places out on Google Earth and on photos, but the video of you guys marching the entire route really helps to put things into perspective (literally!) and get a much better impression of the terrain that the lads had to go through in '82!
omg thanks for this, will give me good scripting ideas. I am working on a short film on the falklands war, it's been in the works for a year now, we did a bunch of filming in Argentina earlier this year, and we will be traveling next year to get filming done. Great resource here! Thanks so much!
I did exactly the same flight from Brize norton to to ascension then on to the Falkland's in 1989. I had my notice to leave the navy in and had only 5 months to go and then they sent me down there with only 24 notice to fill the the place of an injured crew member on HMS Amazon called Nutty sweet (his nickname) who had fallen down a hatch and messed himself up bad. I was a chef and he was a caterer so why they sent me to replace him was no mystery to me it was just the navy punishing me because i was leaving the forces. lol :) As soon as i got onboard the Amazon within 20 minutes the ropes and shore service cables and pipes were pulled and we sailed for the cape horn, then back to the UK via Panama canal. Thanks for letting me bore you with my memories
As a fella from Northumberland, much of the terrain looks very familiar. You get in from the North Sea coast for any great distance and you'd be forgiven for thinking you're in the same place. Otterburn, a military training area situated in Northumberland, probably means anyone familiar with it likely found The Falklands much less of a shock than might be imagined. Thanks Ian, Jari and Les. Great video.
I think is the best post you made to date. Really gave a sense of how difficult the terrain must have been. I can't imagine how exhausted they were feeling, and having to possibly fight soon after in such changeable weather. Hats off to them and to you 3 for honouring them.
Didn’t realise the islands now had a new roads built across the islands. A considerable undertaking and no doubt same for the cost! Nice job, though. Fascinating video. Thanks
I'm a Brit I remember, at the age of 17, learning about the first, the occupation of South Georgia, and then the Falklands. I followed daily the progress of the best British troops in the world until the Argies gave up. Thank you for this video project. All credit to you guys. Very informative.
Glad you got to see the Falklands, I've worked there many times over the years as a contractor and got to explore it a lot...Its the most beautiful yet strangest place I've ever visited
Nice video and great that you recognise the awesome efforts of 45 Commando RM, the fact that you managed to do the route on gravel roads is a huge benefit, walking across peat bogs , tussock grass, and rock runs is a completely different ball game . Also the modern 24 hour rations you tried are far superior to those we had in 1982, which consisted of small tins of food and dehydrated rations, the modern boil in the bag rations are far easier and convenient to prepare .
Do you remember much about your rations apart from the fact you were issued Arctic ones? I've heard that some soldiers had to live off of the same menu daily for weeks, etc. I imagine they would've been the rations packed in the late 70s and in storage?
Ian: Thank you. I was alive then in my early 30s and watched the Brits with charged interest. I have seen most movies based on this but none showed the stark beauty of the landscape like you do. You sir are a renaissance man. My Compliments -Grey Pigrim
IM this might be one of your best posts ever! Truly enjoyable to watch. I’m old enough to have watched the whole Falklands war on TV, and remember this all very well. Thanks so much for posting this, I found it fascinating.
Great video Ian. While I appreciate this will have taken a significant amount of effort to put together and time to organise, I would love to see more of this type of content from you!
I'm from Derbyshire. This is exactly the same as my childhood backyard. This terrain is still my favourite, especially North Yorkshire, around Whitby. I narrowly avoided a short tour repairing runways in the Falklands.
That terrain is amazing. It’s gorgeous in a barren, austere, and dreary way. I can’t imagine living there. I need sunshine, which is why I moved to Tucson.
What a fantastic video! Thanks Ian. You and your team brought to life just how challenging the terrain, distance, and conditions of the Falkland islands must have been for those brave soldiers all those years ago... Excellent!
I would watch forgotten places where weapons wore used if Ian and these other fine gentlemens would such a show make. So heres hoping more content like this.
The terrain of the Falklands is very similar to moorlands in Britain, very similar to some of the training areas the military use here. The Brecon Beacon's is famously used by the Parachute Regiment and the Marines use Dartmoor, so it was not unfamiliar terrain to them.
@@ganndeber1621 Lots and lots of sheep. Being from, and living in the Heads of the Valleys, basically walking distance from the Brecons, I can confirm! They are everywhere.
Thanks for the video! Much appreciated. I remember being a 17-year-old Canadian infantryman going through basic training when this was all happening. Our platoon sergeant would give us regular updates about how the British just landed here, were moving there, you name it. The Falklands war is still stuck in my head. Nevermind the political stuff and Margret Thatcher. Crazy part was we learning EXACTLY what every British infantryman was doing out on the battlefield, in real time. No matter if you were the Paras, the Royal Marines, or the Guards. You know, classic section battle drills, fieldcraft, digging trenches, etc. I later went to Norway in 1985 and met some of the Paras and Royal Marines as the red force. They're all psychos, lol. And one of my friends was also British artillery who handled air defense. He got there after the shooting stopped but it was still misery. Living in a trench for six months is no fun, lol. All to say I remember the Falklands war really well. So, thanks again!
I randomly came across this video and my first thought was - it’ll be like Americans commentating on Premier league football - but I have to say their recreated yomp and narrative was well researched and chronology of the war very well delivered . I didn’t serve - but heard many first hand recollections of the war. My oppo in EOD in RHKP back in the day fought with 42 Commando and shared over the years many interesting and horrific stories from his time “Down South” . Another RHKP colleague was an army subaltern commanding a Rapier battery and my brother was Blues and Royals … supposed to be deployed with his regiment on a Scorpion tanks … but ironically and very tragically got blown up in 1982 by the IRA in Hyde Park on his horse!! British and Argentinian alike - their sacrifice is remembered
Went there to install some kit years ago. If you get to visit the military base, it's definitely 'interesting'. The 'Death Star' as it is named, contains miles of interconnected tunnels so you never have to step outside in winter.
Well done one and all! As someone who was living in the UK during the war your “YOMP” brought back so many memories. A terrific video, with great insights into what 45 Commando and all British forces went through before the final victory.
The Brits carried around 100lbs or 45kg, covering over 50 miles (80 kilometres) through harsh, unforgiving terrain, including wet, boggy ground, hills, and sub-zero temperatures. Soldiers had to endure the cold and difficult conditions, often battling exhaustion, limited food rations, and the constant threat of Argentine forces.
Ok... I'm from Argentina... it's the first minute of this video... I'm a fan of this channel... in a few hours I will finish to watch this video... (now I just ended lunch and have a couple of wine glasses loaded... hope for the best and expect for the worse... anyway...
I never knew ''yomp'' was an abbreviation...I remember when this term was first mentioned on the ITN News report by Mike Nichols, it instantly became a widely used & common term for hiking in the UK that continues to this day...a lasting testament. Great video. 🙏
Brilliant "holiday" trip video Ian, a bit of Mili-n-chill. All my life I've heard of Yomps and Tabbing but never knew they were acronyms. Thanks for that gents.
54:05 Undeniably, your best bit of kit are the sunglasses you borrowed from Grace Kelly. You looked fabulous! Good yomp, I’m impressed by the distances covered and to better understand what our soldiers suffered through.
Brilliant video, Ian. Excellent concept, and well executed. For me, Jari was the star of the show. Throughout the exercise, the smile never left his face! No wonder the Russians poop their pants at the thought of fighting the Finns.
Went in 82 with the RAF with 1 (f) Sqn Harrier force for the medal, tea and biccies. Best memory, having a bath in a Port Stanley family's house after it was over. Went back in 84 and walked the mountains with a large map marked clearly with all the minefields that still existed on it.
A good video and nice tribute to the 45 Commando [pronounced four-five not forty five] My own unusual Falklands war was also in the Royal Marines, but unusual as I joined a s a musician not a commando! RM band members served as medics and PoW guards [amongst many other duties] and my war was served mostly on the Canberra. The band members war is recorded in my award winning book 'The Band That Went To War'.
Great video! I was just a nipper when all this was kicking off. As a Brit, I'm largely aware of the events around the Falklands and understood the trials 'on paper', but you guys really helped me understand the environmental context like never before, Those 'stone runs' looked utterly brutal to traverse in full kit. I also loved the sheer Britishness of the locals leaving you a trail of beer for morale purposes.
Great outing. Thanks to the MoD and the RAF for facilitating civilian travel. The islanders for helping the team. A great video - Im sharing this to a pal who considers a holiday there this coming season. Thanks to FW for sharing.
Thanks Ian. I am a 7th generation Royal Marine in an unbroken line from father to son since 1842. The first of the family to join is buried on Ascension Island. If you want to support British veterans with PTSD go to THE MOUNTAIN WAY, which was set up by a 45 Cdo Falklands veteran, one of the best soldiers I have ever known, and I’ve known some good ones.
Hoofing Royal 🇬🇧
7th Generation Royal Marine??? Please immediately submit yourself for genetic testing as we may have identified the "MENTAL AS ANYTING" gene.
Good god. How did anyone visiting you at Christmas survive the drinking?
Thank you for your service brother 👍🐺🏴🏴🏴
2nd generation here mate. 7th is unreal. Good effort mate.
That's some impressive dedication to the crown.
Lads that was absolutely fantastic! I was there just after the war ended, and that brought back a lot of memories. A great episode of Forgotten Weapons. Have a beer on me!
Hey, falkland islander here, cant believe you visited and i wasnt aware, believe you met some of my folks or atleast borrow some of their weapons. hope you had a wonderful time
some of their weapons might scare him unless you lot have finally shot all the scavenged ammo off. in 89 they still had GPMG, FALs, Brownings , LAAWs and 82mm mortars buried in the camp. all legal 'salvage'.
What a beautiful, cool part of the world you live in!
@@davidcollishaw2771 hush hush, we dont have anything of the sort ;)
Argentinian here a fan of your work , great video and great experience. may veterans in both sides find lasting peace in their souls
A very nice thought. I am very impressed by the things I see Argentinians say today. So much of the news that we hear out of Argentina is very possitive these days. Excellent!
@@andywindes4968 the poverty rate is now above 50% what are you on about?
@@dreamcrusher112 We've watched Argentina for years as it went through government after government, hyperinflation, and every other kind of problem a country could face. It shouldn't be that way. Argentina is rich in resources and has industrious people. We are finally seeing some efforts being made to end the spiral and the people in America believe in you and think you can be successful.
And I hope your fellow countrymen will accept that the land your country has is now enough, and that there is no need to conquer other places and people to gain more land, like Russia does.
@@andywindes4968 Ahahahaha holy shit you truly are a zogbot if you believe any of it.
I believe this might be my first comment ever, certainly my first in over a decade. Thank you. It is a vital glimpse for any less able historians to see/study the landscape. The YOMP/TAB performed during the conflict rarely involved metalled roads, the majority was achieved through natural bog, rock and rough turf, over the natural terrain, carrying 80+lbs (36+Kg), weapon in arms, at night. A mighty feat in itself, even more so prior to battle. Heroes to a man.
I'd like to think that random Falkland Islander heard your accents and went "Thank God, I can finally get rid of this Budweiser, I've been trying to get rid of it since 1982 but none of the paras or commandos would touch the stuff"
Unless it is the real Czech Budweiser.
Whenever I have been abroad and someone has said "oh you're American, I'll get you a Bud" I say hell no. I can get that crap at home, I'm here to drink YOUR beer.
Especially if its Bud Light 😂
Years ago I told my Dad shortly after I turned 21 that I didn't like the taste of Budweiser. He had the most amazing stunned, shocked, angry look on his face staring at me, then he said "You're not my son". 😂
@@wingracer1614😢
Argentinian here. obviously not the best memories for us, but an excellent summary of the war. Some points to mention:
27:55 The 38 men (Lieutenant Esteban's C Company) did not go to reinforce positions near the capital, but rather went there, resupplied themselves and were sent back to Goose Green. They arrived when the battle was practically lost.
31:25 Indeed, the 4th Airborne Brigade based in Córdoba analyzed the possibility of jumping in the San Carlos area, but the British superiority in fighters was already definitive and it would have been suicide.
40:20 When the guide talks about the loss of ships he mentions the HMS Antrim, although she was hit by a bomb that did not explode, the one that had been sunk is the HMS Ardent.
1:02 The bridge over the Murrel River was also the scene of a skirmish between Argentine commandos (from the Army and Gendarmerie special forces). One of the few confrontations where the British had to retreat.
Regarding the footwear used in the war, as you say, the British boot was worse than the Argentine one. The British advantage was that many soldiers brought a pair of sports shoes and many pairs of socks. The Argentine soldiers had one excellent boot (we call them "borceguíes") and only one spare pair of stockings. In the face of humidity, not being able to change was a sure recipe for frostbite or trench foot.
Greetings from Patagonia.
Its quite a common thing to still find Argentine plimsoll gym shoes in or near the old positions.
Thank you for that!
People underrate Argentine special forces in the 1982 conflict. Sure, they were a bit overaggressive during the Battle of Stanley and at the Battle of Grytviken which cost them unnecessary casualties to the Royal Marines, but they were quite effective against the Paras and Marines as British Forces advanced on Stanley. A similar argument could be made against the Paras early in the conflict that they were too gung-ho, and that cost them excessive casualties at Goose Green and Mount Longdon. Even SAS veterans who fought against Argentine special forces at Mount Kent said that they were very good soldiers, trained by U.S special forces (I believe) and one of the few Argentine units with combat experience from fighting left-wing guerrillas in Argentina.
However, the Argentine special forces biggest problem was they were not trained to fight and survive in cold conditions and this led to them making mistakes like taking refuge at Top Malo House which the SAS were observing and passed the message onto 3 Commando Brigade. Brigadier Julian Thompson then dispatched the Royal Marines Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre to assault the position, and that didn't go well for the Argentine commandos there. The Marines were not sympathetic or impressed with Argentine forces taking shelter from the conditions since many of them claimed the Argentine kit was better than that of the British forces, and numerous Marines admitted to stealing some clothing and equipment off Argentine prisoners before sending them back to San Carlos.
@seamuskavanagh2566 Let's not assume that the Argentine commandos were poorly trained by the top malo house role... That is the exclusive responsibility of their leader vercesi, who recently arrived to the islands / and who came from serving in an administrative position in a city / only to him take credit for the numerous errors committed on that mission, not to the others who only obeyed his orders.
Admirable tribute to the courage and determination of the British armed forces. And a heart warming testament to the generosity and cordiality (for the most part) of the Falklands people. P.S I inserted this comment in the wrong place it was not intended a reply.
My father fought with 2 Scots Guards on Mount Tumbledown.
Told me the terrain was unreal and VERY tough going.
Didn’t believe him till I went there myself and saw it with my own eyes. How they did that with zero cover blows my mind.
Yeh been there myself and was astounded by the feat of arms in taking the place. By all rights the Argies should have held every one of those hills. Shows how important the morale and leadership element is.
Les and Jari both figure they would die of old age in those positions if they also had a couple weeks to fortify them. The biggest shortcoming in the Argentine forces was the lack of an effective officer corps to make sure the positions were continuously improved. The lack of things like patrols and forward outposts by the Argentines combined with the British elan and aggression turned what should have been neigh impervious mountain positions into British victories every single time.
@@ForgottenWeaponsmy dad was telling me, they ran out of a lot of their ammunition within the first phases of the attack and did the majority bayonets fixed.
Either way, all the mountains were a tall order. Not to mention on Tumbledown their own Marines were on there, so had the better trained Argies to take on.
@@SuperEvilMonkeeTheir password of ‘Hey Jimmy’ is my favourite knowing full well a Hispanic doesn’t pronounce their J’s.
@@trigonome777I think this point needs to be stressed a lot more. I met someone who ended up with PTSD after one of those actions. The British were told that the Argentines in place were elite troops, so they assaulted with bayonets. What they found were kids in sleeping bags. I was told there was nearly a mutiny when the sun came up and the Brits (I don’t remember which unit, sorry) saw what they had done. Thatcher covered it up.
Thanks for the memories, from an Argentinean Conscript Class of 63 served 1982 (drafted from Miami), Happy new year
Feliz Año Nuevo 😊
Your point about dysentery raises an interesting bit of trivia of why the Brits still love brewing up. Making a boiling hot cup of tea over a hexamine stove kills bacteria in water. A pint of tea morning, noon and night can help obviate the risk of dysentery.
Absolutely, however I don’t think maybe they had the time to stop and brew up as and when required.
Also resources such as hexamine and rat packs were limited due to the logistical issues. The dysentery situation was something I didn’t know about until this video and couldn’t believe that in that part of the 20th century British troops were exposed to it. But it’s a testament to how tough they were that they kept going through all that and still were capable of fighting and winning.
The tannin in tea is also a mild anti bacterial and also stopped many breakouts of dysentery in large British cities during the 19th century..
@@Lancer_78having been in the Australian Army in Australia I can assure you we always found a way to brew up.
Plus it's a chance to pause, rehydrate and take the piss out of your mates. In other words, morale.
@@andrewcombe8907 having been in the British Army myself I whole heartedly agree. However it was a yomp, time was against them, they couldn’t always just get a brew on in the daytime whenever you needed to hydrate. You see how exposed the terrain is particularly with the Argies having air superiority. There was no cover and they needed to get from point A to B ASAP. I’m sure that they would have definitely preferred to sit down and brew up rather than just chuck some puritabs in a water bottle filled with pete bog water contaminated with sheep feaces. and contract dysentery. As I mentioned previously supplies of resources were finite including the hexamine fuel required to boil water. But they just hydrated as best they could and cracked on, which is why the British military is the best in the world. There were many reports of British units suffering through lack of resupply due to the support ships being sunk. Particular the Atlantic Conveyor which had the heavy lift Chinooks on board. SAS close target recce patrols dug in were surviving on water mixed with tea whitener and sugar when their rations had practically run out and couldn’t get resupplied rather than risk exposing themselves. During Goose Green the Para’s were drinking the saline out of their medical packs because they had run out of water in the immediate aftermath of the assault.
The total lack of cover makes what 45 Commando did even more incredible. Thank you for filming this.
Also a reflection of how pitiful the enemy was.
Strangely enough was commenting on another video just a couple of days ago - many years back, as a civilian visiting 1 PARA, I did just 8 miles in full kit (plus 11kg additional equipment) at the same pace as they were doing and that was brutal enough - doing 10x that in 3 days in inclement conditions as they did I struggle to even comprehend.
The British army and Navy (marines aren't army) pioneered the "pepper-pot" manoeuvring system. Essentially alternate British soldiers advance, hiding behind the supressed rage at an unfair class society and enormous testicles of the infantryman in front of them, advancing in pairs, by section. Easy peasy. Also - unless they have changed the rules, since it's technically a ship, the bar at Lympstone never closes.
When I last visited, there was a person shaped dent in the mesh in front of the bar in the mess, where they had attempted to clsoe the bar and a marine had leapt at it so hard, it left a bootneck shaped impression that broke the screen. They used to have a competition to see how many glasses they could smash on their faces.
It was a different time.
There are also a couple of really lovely monuments, particularly one in the gym at Lympstone. The Royal Marines have really done us proud and done some insanely brave things. Weird, directed individuals and I'm glad they are on the side of Britain. Then you have the SBS. A group of people who consider your personal safety and sovereignty optional. My best friend at school became an RM officer and I can assure you he was brilliant and absolutely not right in the head. :)
@@NSGrendel Eternally proud to have had RN/Senior Service on my ID card!! ⚓️🗡 1 Trp X Ray Coy 45 Cdo RM PMPT
They moved at night would have helped but could easily get spotted day light hours.
Great video.. much appreciated.. has been 42 years and still a solid part of my memories
Those grassy lumps in the peat bogs are called "tussocks" in the UK, and they're little bastards. All the British forces took a significant number of casualties due to broken/sprained ankles.
The Chinook which survived the Atlantic Conveyor sinking, ZA718 aka "Bravo November", went on to serve for another 40 years, being finally retired in 2022! During it's career it served in the Falklands, Lebanon, Germany, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan, and four of it's pilots have won the Distinguished Flying Cross. It's now safely tucked away in the RAF Museum at Cosford.
Babys heads, also common on the Brecon beacons and places like the soltau and sennelager training areas in Germany. Detestable unfun things to march on lol
With it's Argentinian Chinook cockpit door which was liberated from a wrecked Argentinian Chinook because some silly sod Flying Rupert managed to lose the original in flight.
@@alan-sk7ky He dropped out of a snowstorm at night and hit the sea at about 100mph due to a faulty altimeter. The spray nearly killed the engines, the door got ripped off and he lost a comms aerial. Nevertheless he managed to keep it airborne. Despite losing all comms and navigation, he got it back to San Carlos where it was patched up. That was the first of the DFCs.
She also underwent three almost total rebuilds in the remainder of her service
As someone who wears Boots Combat High for ankle support (cheap as chips surplus) I can confirm that those tussocks are evil and their only useful purpose in life is to advise you that you are about to walk into a swamp.
Brilliant episode. It did a rare thing. Evoked British pride in me.
Be very proud mate.
🦘🇦🇺👍
Was down there last summer for a few months and it was the greatest sense of being British and being a patriot that I’ve ever felt.
that's an excellent video, when I did the march with 3 Para, I never saw any Falklands scenery, but yes, we only took 'fighting order', as we'd been ordered to move at 'best speed' to Teal Inlet then onto Estancia, so we ditched all the crap, those bergen's didn't need to be carried, speed was the order of the day, and all you needed was scoff and ammo.
You can never recreate the march, as it was done at winter cross country, crossing rivers at night, marching through rain, sleet and snow, we kept going through the night to reach Teal Inlet, it was bitterly cold, living off one 24 ration pack for five days, and at any time during the march, enemy forces could have bumped us off.
(As we would have tried to stop advancing enemy forces)
When recreating marching the distance there is no fear of the forthcoming fight, who will live or die when we assault enemy positions, will I die? Will I lose a limb?
But saying that, I would absolutely love to do a similar march today following 3 Para's route.
Your five year recovery after getting shot in the face at only 22 years old at Mt Longdon and living to tell the tale is incredible. You should never have to buy a pint again in your life 🫡
@@jimmytx3 ❤️❤️
@jimmytx3 Legend.
thanks Jimmy proud of you guys!
Hi Jimmy. I hope you're doing well. I've read your book, 3 Days in June. It's one of the best and most detailed war books I've ever read. Thanks for writing it.
This is not a criticism, I know this was by design, but the book was very Longdon-centric and understandably so, but I think we are missing a lot of stories about 3 Para's landing at San Carlos and the TAB across East Falkland. Since you're such an encyclopedia of Falklands knowledge and already have so many veteran contacts, would you consider starting a podcast or something similar so these stories are preserved and recorded before they are lost? Maybe call it "The Fighting Men of The Falklands Podcast" or something like that. Best wishes.
45 commando is pronounced four five commando..
I'm a highlander from Scotland.. always amazed at how similar the Falklands are to the Isles of lewis and Harris.. windswept.. basicly no trees.. starkly beautiful ..
The main difference I saw from my time there is that the Falklands looks more sun scorched.
They trained on Dartmoor for a reason.....It is shown in the actual yomps/tabs.
@@66kbm The area around Lympstone is a pretty good analogue for the Falklands, from what I've heard. Certainly Exmouth is bleak as F. Marines used treat the idea of actually catching any game to subsist from on the moor as some form of sick joke - which makes the week of endurance and subsistence training pretty humourless.
At least they weren't saying '45th Commandoes'... 😉
Yeah , I noticed that as well, I went down with Two Four Field squadron and again 6 months later with Seven Three it’s a nomenclature that non British military don’t use or understand. I then did a 6 month tour on Assi in 96 where I ran the adventure training cell for troops from the Falklands , (Good tour) then I was really lucky to get picked in 2014 (It was actually a phone call from a mate who was the training warrant for a unit) if I wanted a 2 week battlefield tour to the Falklands , bit his hand off, so everything in the video but by vehicle. (we were based out of Mount Pleasant) So the video brings back a lot of memories.
I didn’t think I’d see a video like this on your channel, great idea
I'm watching this and the biggest thing that keeps hitting me is how uneven, yet absolutely open and cover-less the terrain is. I'm trying to imagine how nerve-wracking it must have been to march that distance without any cover whatsoever. Back then, very intimidating. In today's age of NODs, thermals, and drones? Pretty terrifying!
I’ve spent 14 months of my life down south on three tours, 2 four month tours and a six month tour. I love it there.
6 months for me, hated it
@@SuperEvilMonkeewent in July 2016 for a documentary and only 20 days, I found it amazing can’t describe it but can totally understand how it could grate after a couple of months
3 x 4 month tours for me. FI Fd Sqn RE
It definitely has a wild beauty that is easy to fall in love with. I speak from the experience of two tours. The same period two years in succession.
I had some family that have spent time there and the Hebrides (radar specialist).
Apparently the fights that break out over what video is going on and seating can get pretty out of hand. >_
The more I see and learn about Fins the happier I get that we’re all on the same team.
They really are a fascinating mixture of socially distant yet very likeable people.
As half Welsh, half Irish, born and raised an Englishman, the Finnish people are probably the only other people who I can empathise with due to their incredibly dark mindset and love of ethanol. Also, all the darkness and cold makes them very good at computer games.
The more I see of Fins, the more I understand why the sniper by which all others are compared too was Finnish.
Admirable tribute to the courage and determination of the British armed forces. And a heart warming testament to the generosity and cordiality (for the most part) of the Falklands people.
Perhaps the finest firearms channel on TH-cam. Forgotten Weapons never disappoints.
Big respect to you guys, to have 2 Yanks and a Finn doing the british 45 royal Marine commando yomp across the Falklands and have the respect for what them commandos did in the war is very nice and a special thing to do, and to film it and put it up on TH-cam, id like to thank you for doing this, very cool
It still amazes me what the British achieved in the Falklands. They sailed to the far side of the world, fought in sub Antarctic conditions against an entrenched enemy with three x numerical advantage. Plus they carried up to 50kgs all while wearing a mix of Boots DMS, Cairngorm hiking boots or Ski March Boots all of which are wildly inferior to modern boots. They slept under ponchos if they had shelter at all, waterproofs available then were nothing like today’s Goretex and rations were nothing like today being tinned General Service rations or dehydrated Arctic rations heated up over a hexamine stove and washed down with a half mug of tea. Hard men indeed.
One thing that the authors didn’t comment on was much of the movement by the Paras and Commandos was at night. Imagine this all being done at night.
The US said it couldn’t be done.
Homer could not have written a better epic.
@@andrewcombe8907 my favourite American comment was from the NYT ‘The Empire Strikes Back’
Not only this. At the same time UK armed forces were also involved in the Troubles in Ireland, which were at their height.
It’s obvious you don’t know what the Falkland war was really about, and neither does “forgotten weapons “
@@remr15 Seeth.
@@remr15 Why don't you educate us all then.
This was really cool, thank you. I remember as a young air cadet in the mid 80's, I went to RAF Tern Hill to do an air experience flight. The Para's were stationed at the adjacent barracks at the time, and whilst waiting for the weather to clear, I got talking to some of the soldiers at the barracks who had fought in the Falklands about the war. What really struck me was that they showed no animosity towards the Argentine troops, and actually felt very sorry for them. Definity not what I was expecting to hear them say.
Jari really isn't doing anything to disabuse us of Finnish stereotypes around personal space
Wow, its changed a lot with all those nice roads. It was a hard, hard tab across country, very tough on the feet with the water and tussock grass. The few roads back then were just muddy peat tracks, usually only passable by tractor. Navigation was also very tricky in pre-GPS days, with no reference points other than water courses or the occasional high point that had a contour line. Even in summer, you can get snow and hot sunshine within minutes of each other as the weather passes over. The whole place is a mix of Brecon, Sennybridge, Otterburn & Benbecula; even the sheep look much the same. Thanks for the memories!
Huge respect to you guys who made that trek, and then had to go fight in that landscape. I couldn't begin to imagine.
That's what I was thinking watching this. Without roads or modern GPS, it must have been incredibly easy to get turned-around in that terrain.
The one thing I note is how nice the weather is. My memories of all the footage back during the war was a constant grey misty drizzle like the Beacons.
@@SynchronizorVideos Using a map and a compass has become a lost art, sadly.
@@NSGrendel Looks fairly autumnal at their hotel (which I recognise but can't remember the name of... ) so it would be spring down south. Even Brecon can be nice in April/May is you aren't having to live in an ancestral shell-scrape that you've just evicted a ewe and two lambs from.
Don’t forget that the guys responsible for this incredible feat were mostly all in their late teens/early twenties. I was a year away from joining the Canadian army in 82, and the Falklands campaign was a source of inspiration for every infantryman in the west. I wouldn’t be surprised to discover that it inspired our old Soviet bloc adversaries as well, as all men are united in their admiration of such accomplishments.
Wow, this is nostalgic! Spent four months there in '89. The camera doesn't do justice to how beautiful East Falkland is; like an untouched Scotland.
If the Scottish highlands and Iceland had a weird love child it would be the falklands
@@ignaciomatiasfantagossi5354No it is the Falklands.
The french were there in the 1700s and UK bases its position on its continuous administration of the islands since 1833 and the islanders' "right to self-determination as set out in the UN Charter". Spain left in 1811.
Where are all the trees?
Ironically Scotland used to be covered in trees, it was humans that deforested the stark landscapes of scotland
Great video, I actually did this yomp with 45 Commando in 1982. Anti Tanks Support Company Royal Marines. 66 years old now, it's great to see interest is still there.
What coy was you in ? Who was your 2ic or ic?
@@ChunkyBoYPayUp I was in Anti Tank troop, support Company 45 CDO, my sergeant, Roger Enefer was killed at Ajax Bay the day we started out from San Carlos to Teal Inlet. I won't divulge any information on living members of 45, I hope you understand.
Massive respect for you, i learnt all about the Falklands in my time in the Jock guards
I'm Scottish, this was an excellent video, us brits are very proud of our history, of course they'll give you access, put you up for the night and that, Americans especially Ian and friends are always welcome on British territory, you go on some fascinating trips!
Fantastic video, Ian. I was a 16yo Brit at that time. Nothing we heard at that time told about the huge effort that the troops made to get to Port Stanley. I can't believe the beauty and desolation of the Islands. Well done to you and the others to make that journey and show us the conditions those soldiers endured, with heavier packs. Best video I've seen in many years on youtube. Many congratulations to you.
A whole lifetime ago. I didn’t realize that Les had studied the war so deeply. Great video guys
WOW! I'm in shock...I served in the Falklands in 94/95 as an air defense missile operator on mount Alice what a place...very harsh place to survive with some of the worst weather i have experienced but all utterly beautiful
Ubique, Brother 👍😎
I knew a raf nco who did 6 months in the Faulklands in 99 and they struggled with the isolation dark weather sheep 🐑 booze fights but said it was better than norfolk
Sure your dates are wrong!! There Were Cloudpunche Dets on the West Falklands radar sites when they were set up in 1984. They were gone by the time I did my first tour at Byron Heights in late 1988.
@@richardvernon317 there's always one 🙄🤣
Ian I recommend you read the Wikipedia entry on Terry Peck the Falklands policeman who acted as a guide to 3 Para on their Tab, scouted Argentinian positions to provide intel to the Brits and ended up fighting in the Battle of Mount Longdon. He was made an honorary Para.
Absolutely nails.
That story should be made into a film. 'The fighting policeman'.
@AndrewLale-mr9jmimagine him breaking up a pub fight. It would be epic.
The Falklands was a textbook example of how first rate military training and discipline overcame political incompetence in funding and procurement.
They managed to pull off a miracle despite politicians crippling them with poorly thought out cost cutting.
Apparently the Chinese have extensively studied the Falklands War for lessons on how they can invade Taiwan.
@@vindolanda6974
Then they better pay attention to how the British NCOs used their personal initiative to salvage potentially disastrous situations.
Communism kills personal initiative.
Was on a British course with a Royal Navy officer in the late 80s. The side of his face bore flash burns. When I asked him where he got those, he said “attempting the long jump record when my ship sunk”. It turns out he was the combat officer of a British frigate that was struck by an Exocet. His long jump attempt was performed trying to cross over to another ship that came alongside after the abandon ship order was given.
So stuff was going down all over. Some involving long, wet yonps. Others involving frantic leaps to safety.
If he was on a ship it will have been the destroyer HMS Sheffield and he will have jumped onboard the frigate HMS Arrow that came alongside.
@@dogsnads5634 He was in SHEFFIELD.
I guess you’ve earned your Varusteleka Remote (very remote) Miltary March patch for 2025 already.
I told Jari exactly that. :)
Fantastic video. My brother served down here just after the war as RAF ground crew servicing C 130s . Full of stories about his experiences and I couldn’t hear enough. He was able to view the battlefields. Massive respect to all those who fought in that war and to the British professional armed forces
The British amateur armed forces can get stuffed.
@@CarrotConsumer Womp womp
Probably the best video i have seen on TH-cam. I was a student at the time of the war and saw my left leaning poly lean right overnight. I recall going to Stanfords map shop in London and buying a map of the Falklands and South Georgia the day before the MOD bought the lot. It seems like yesterday this happened. Great seeing what our guys had to go through.
I stumbled upon this channel recently, and it’s exactly what I’ve been looking for - a perfect blend of history, guns, humor, and connection. I’m so excited to keep watching your channel and enjoying all the new uploads you’re putting out. You’re absolutely amazing, and I can’t wait to see what you do next! Keep up the incredible work!
Glad to have you so close to my home Ian! Many people in the comments here are convinced that people from my country will give you vitriol for this, meanwhile I'm happy we'll get to see what information you can share about this conflict and the weapons used in it. Of course I'd love a video about the Argentinian side of the conflict, even though I understand this would be more complicated and nuanced given the context and reasons behind the invasion. Hope you have a great time, a big hug from Buenos Aires!
I was prepared to do videos on the Argentine small arms, but there are very few left around and available on the island. I will cover them later/elsewhere instead...perhaps in Argentina!
@ForgottenWeapons Oh my! That would be amazing!
@@ForgottenWeapons ..quite a lot of them are still there on the bottom of Mare harbour.. allegedly!
"Customs check if we take the trophies back home? Oh well, quick over the side" @@felixthecat265
“Helicopters breakdown, transports get relocated, the most reliable form of transportation is the mk1 leather personnel carrier”
The "black limousine"
Lamborfeeties
“The Earl rides his own pony, his men use shank’s” Anglo Saxon proverb.
Thank you for the history and seen the Falklands, back in 1987 as a soldier in the Royal Danish Guards, we had some British Soldiers on a NATO visit, they had all been on the Falklands, they were tough guys.
Great video Gentleman, I have posted your video onto a Royal Marines group where I'm sure many of the blokes who were there will appreciate the efforts you made , bravo 👍👍🤙
It’s crazy to look at the terrain and see how much it resembles our fells and moors in the north of England where I live, desolate wet and cold
I'm old! Nearly 40 years for me and the last time I walked Tumbledown there was abandoned kit everywhere - a lot has changed with those roads. Top quality video Ian, no attempt to glorify what was just solid hard graft by hard men.
Very nice tribute to all the soldiers, lost and who survived the war, Ian. As a Brit I value the sentiments expressed during your trek and I very much enjoyed your views and explanations of the terrain and what our lads had to do to fight and end the occupation by the Argentinian army. Thank you for this very well presented video.
“Let’s get this out on a tray. Nice!”
Can you imagine a collaboration?!
I've said this before, but imagine a movie collaboration with Forgotten weapons, Jonathan ferguson, mre steve, simon pegg and nick frost. Would be magnificent.
@@timbob1145 a truly decadent thought
“Nice! M’Kay!”
Hickock45 enters the building ……..
Probably the best episode you guys have ever done. Hiking the actual history while showing off the beautiful landscape. The falklands/the yomp is probably one of the best topics to present in this manner, hopefully there’s more to come!
Beautiful scenery, great stories, impressive fitness!
Blimey, better weather than I have ever seen there...thats amazingly lucky. Been mountain biking and walking there for a few years. Absolutely stunning place.
Mountain biking? I take it you live there?
I was thinking the same. For a few years after the war in the early 90s I went between the UK and the Falklands as a TDA (Technical Design Authority) for some of the systems that were being installed. I travelled there and back a couple of times a month, typically going in on one flight and leaving on the departing plane from the next flight in. I remember eventually getting quite well acquainted with the accommodation at Mount Pleasant (literally miles of identical corridors with no clues to where you were) spending hours on my early visits walking around trying to get back to my room. Most of the time I stayed on UK time to avoid jet lag, getting up and going to bed at silly times.
My recollection of the weather was that it was quite often extreme and typically all witnessed over a few hours each day :^)
It looks like the mine fields have now all been cleared away. It wasn't that uncommon for the helicopters (Bristow's operated if I recall) to have to put down when the weather got too extreme, and more than once when the weather cleared the pilots realised they could see the mine signs but the writing was on the side facing away from them!
That particular chinook went on to become quite famous ZA718 ‘Bravo November’ going onto serve Afghanistan too.
Totally different content than you usually post, but I am here for it! This could be a whole other series: hiking around old battlegrounds!
Thanks for this content! That is some barren land for sure!
What an opportunity for you guys. Very envious, but glad to be able to experience it vicariously. Thanks.
1:54 Nice to see the penguin's SLR has the wooden furniture! 👌
This drops just as I have to go to work. Sigh!
Love the patch, as a Brit with an SLR (not UK based) I will be making a purchase!
Stopped off in the Falklands for a day during a Buenos Aires-Santiago cruise back in March of 23. While there we took a Land Rover excursion up to the north coast to see a couple of penguin colonies. It was great - the best stopover of the whole cruise. The whole place brought to mind Buzz Aldrin's comment about the moon : "Magnificent desolation" Those rock flows are no joke and they seem to be scattered about everywhere. Whatever extra distance you would have to walk to go around one instead of through would be worth it.
I watched this with great interest since I had a relative in the Royal fleet auxiliary and an old friend from the Paras who saw action. My friend talked occasionally, despite some really bad PTSD, he saw some heavy stuff and the phrase that still gets to me today was " We were fighting kids"
That was a really interesting watch! I've studied the Falklands War a lot on my own, reading all kinds of books on it and checking the places out on Google Earth and on photos, but the video of you guys marching the entire route really helps to put things into perspective (literally!) and get a much better impression of the terrain that the lads had to go through in '82!
Excellent stuff, I completed 2 x (post war) Tours of the Falkland's with the RAF at Mount Pleasant. Brought back some great memories. Thanks.
So did my brother
I lived in Argentina for 18months and heard all about the Falkland Island/islas malvinas war. vary cool to see you retracing part of it!
omg thanks for this, will give me good scripting ideas. I am working on a short film on the falklands war, it's been in the works for a year now, we did a bunch of filming in Argentina earlier this year, and we will be traveling next year to get filming done. Great resource here! Thanks so much!
I did exactly the same flight from Brize norton to to ascension then on to the Falkland's in 1989. I had my notice to leave the navy in and had only 5 months to go and then they sent me down there with only 24 notice to fill the the place of an injured crew member on HMS Amazon called Nutty sweet (his nickname) who had fallen down a hatch and messed himself up bad. I was a chef and he was a caterer so why they sent me to replace him was no mystery to me it was just the navy punishing me because i was leaving the forces. lol :) As soon as i got onboard the Amazon within 20 minutes the ropes and shore service cables and pipes were pulled and we sailed for the cape horn, then back to the UK via Panama canal. Thanks for letting me bore you with my memories
Thanks for doing this and showing such respect to our armed forces here in GB. Means a lot. Great video.
As a fella from Northumberland, much of the terrain looks very familiar. You get in from the North Sea coast for any great distance and you'd be forgiven for thinking you're in the same place. Otterburn, a military training area situated in Northumberland, probably means anyone familiar with it likely found The Falklands much less of a shock than might be imagined.
Thanks Ian, Jari and Les. Great video.
Friend of mine, a retired airline pilot, served in the RM and participated in the San Carlo landing when he was 18.
Are his initials CJ by any chance?
@ PY. He’s now retired in Scotland with his wild wife - they met while trekking, and they do a lot of hill walks and camping.
I think is the best post you made to date. Really gave a sense of how difficult the terrain must have been. I can't imagine how exhausted they were feeling, and having to possibly fight soon after in such changeable weather. Hats off to them and to you 3 for honouring them.
Didn’t realise the islands now had a new roads built across the islands. A considerable undertaking and no doubt same for the cost! Nice job, though. Fascinating video. Thanks
I'm a Brit I remember, at the age of 17, learning about the first, the occupation of South Georgia, and then the Falklands. I followed daily the progress of the best British troops in the world until the Argies gave up. Thank you for this video project. All credit to you guys. Very informative.
Glad you got to see the Falklands, I've worked there many times over the years as a contractor and got to explore it a lot...Its the most beautiful yet strangest place I've ever visited
Great video - thanks for the sidewinders USA! When we needed you, you were there.
Nice video and great that you recognise the awesome efforts of 45 Commando RM, the fact that you managed to do the route on gravel roads is a huge benefit, walking across peat bogs , tussock grass, and rock runs is a completely different ball game . Also the modern 24 hour rations you tried are far superior to those we had in 1982, which consisted of small tins of food and dehydrated rations, the modern boil in the bag rations are far easier and convenient to prepare .
Were you there?
@bzahowell I was a Royal Marine as part of the Task Force, but not 45 Cdo.
@ Thank you for your service, sir!
Do you remember much about your rations apart from the fact you were issued Arctic ones? I've heard that some soldiers had to live off of the same menu daily for weeks, etc. I imagine they would've been the rations packed in the late 70s and in storage?
Ian: Thank you. I was alive then in my early 30s and watched the Brits with charged interest. I have seen most movies based on this but none showed the stark beauty of the landscape like you do. You sir are a renaissance man. My Compliments -Grey Pigrim
IM this might be one of your best posts ever! Truly enjoyable to watch. I’m old enough to have watched the whole Falklands war on TV, and remember this all very well. Thanks so much for posting this, I found it fascinating.
Great video Ian. While I appreciate this will have taken a significant amount of effort to put together and time to organise, I would love to see more of this type of content from you!
I'm from Derbyshire. This is exactly the same as my childhood backyard. This terrain is still my favourite, especially North Yorkshire, around Whitby. I narrowly avoided a short tour repairing runways in the Falklands.
That stash of beer left really made me laugh 😃
That was epic. Bet that was one hell of a massive moral boost too
That terrain is amazing. It’s gorgeous in a barren, austere, and dreary way. I can’t imagine living there. I need sunshine, which is why I moved to Tucson.
What a fantastic video! Thanks Ian. You and your team brought to life just how challenging the terrain, distance, and conditions of the Falkland islands must have been for those brave soldiers all those years ago...
Excellent!
I would watch forgotten places where weapons wore used if Ian and these other fine gentlemens would such a show make. So heres hoping more content like this.
Nice idea.
The terrain of the Falklands is very similar to moorlands in Britain, very similar to some of the training areas the military use here. The Brecon Beacon's is famously used by the Parachute Regiment and the Marines use Dartmoor, so it was not unfamiliar terrain to them.
Every regiment uses Brecon Beacons.
Plus Welsh schoolkids
@@CabbageBloke Not exclusively, though...
@@valleybach and sheep
@@ganndeber1621 Lots and lots of sheep. Being from, and living in the Heads of the Valleys, basically walking distance from the Brecons, I can confirm! They are everywhere.
How cool. You've gone to the two places that fascinate me most---the Falklands and Guadalcanal. I'm turning green.
You should get that checked mate.
Thanks for the video! Much appreciated.
I remember being a 17-year-old Canadian infantryman going through basic training when this was all happening. Our platoon sergeant would give us regular updates about how the British just landed here, were moving there, you name it. The Falklands war is still stuck in my head. Nevermind the political stuff and Margret Thatcher.
Crazy part was we learning EXACTLY what every British infantryman was doing out on the battlefield, in real time. No matter if you were the Paras, the Royal Marines, or the Guards. You know, classic section battle drills, fieldcraft, digging trenches, etc.
I later went to Norway in 1985 and met some of the Paras and Royal Marines as the red force. They're all psychos, lol.
And one of my friends was also British artillery who handled air defense. He got there after the shooting stopped but it was still misery. Living in a trench for six months is no fun, lol.
All to say I remember the Falklands war really well. So, thanks again!
I randomly came across this video and my first thought was - it’ll be like Americans commentating on Premier league football - but I have to say their recreated yomp and narrative was well researched and chronology of the war very well delivered .
I didn’t serve - but heard many first hand recollections of the war. My oppo in EOD in RHKP back in the day fought with 42 Commando and shared over the years many interesting and horrific stories from his time “Down South” . Another RHKP colleague was an army subaltern commanding a Rapier battery and my brother was Blues and Royals … supposed to be deployed with his regiment on a Scorpion tanks … but ironically and very tragically got blown up in 1982 by the IRA in Hyde Park on his horse!!
British and Argentinian alike - their sacrifice is remembered
Absolutely fascinating..
I remember watching the Falkland conflict intensively as a teenager..
Well done to you guys for re-creating the famous yomp.
Well done lads! Next up Varusteleka Remote Military March!
Went there to install some kit years ago. If you get to visit the military base, it's definitely 'interesting'. The 'Death Star' as it is named, contains miles of interconnected tunnels so you never have to step outside in winter.
Well done one and all! As someone who was living in the UK during the war your “YOMP” brought back so many memories. A terrific video, with great insights into what 45 Commando and all British forces went through before the final victory.
The Brits carried around 100lbs or 45kg, covering over 50 miles (80 kilometres) through harsh, unforgiving terrain, including wet, boggy ground, hills, and sub-zero temperatures. Soldiers had to endure the cold and difficult conditions, often battling exhaustion, limited food rations, and the constant threat of Argentine forces.
Ok... I'm from Argentina... it's the first minute of this video... I'm a fan of this channel... in a few hours I will finish to watch this video... (now I just ended lunch and have a couple of wine glasses loaded... hope for the best and expect for the worse... anyway...
I never knew ''yomp'' was an abbreviation...I remember when this term was first mentioned on the ITN News report by Mike Nichols, it instantly became a widely used & common term for hiking in the UK that continues to this day...a lasting testament. Great video. 🙏
Brilliant "holiday" trip video Ian, a bit of Mili-n-chill.
All my life I've heard of Yomps and Tabbing but never knew they were acronyms. Thanks for that gents.
54:05 Undeniably, your best bit of kit are the sunglasses you borrowed from Grace Kelly. You looked fabulous!
Good yomp, I’m impressed by the distances covered and to better understand what our soldiers suffered through.
Brilliant video, Ian. Excellent concept, and well executed. For me, Jari was the star of the show. Throughout the exercise, the smile never left his face! No wonder the Russians poop their pants at the thought of fighting the Finns.
Went in 82 with the RAF with 1 (f) Sqn Harrier force for the medal, tea and biccies. Best memory, having a bath in a Port Stanley family's house after it was over. Went back in 84 and walked the mountains with a large map marked clearly with all the minefields that still existed on it.
As an army reservist I had the privilege of doing a very quick 2 week tour in the Falklands, incredible experience.
A good video and nice tribute to the 45 Commando [pronounced four-five not forty five] My own unusual Falklands war was also in the Royal Marines, but unusual as I joined a s a musician not a commando! RM band members served as medics and PoW guards [amongst many other duties] and my war was served mostly on the Canberra. The band members war is recorded in my award winning book 'The Band That Went To War'.
Great video! I was just a nipper when all this was kicking off. As a Brit, I'm largely aware of the events around the Falklands and understood the trials 'on paper', but you guys really helped me understand the environmental context like never before, Those 'stone runs' looked utterly brutal to traverse in full kit.
I also loved the sheer Britishness of the locals leaving you a trail of beer for morale purposes.
Great outing. Thanks to the MoD and the RAF for facilitating civilian travel. The islanders for helping the team. A great video - Im sharing this to a pal who considers a holiday there this coming season. Thanks to FW for sharing.
It's amazing how you are able to fly directly from Ascension to Port Stanley without refueling unlike Operation Black Buck.
Well, we didn't have 10 tons of bombs on board (as far as I know...)
@@ForgottenWeapons Yeah I guess You didn't... 😆
And you didn't have to fly back!
@@davidnicholls7532 And can divert to BA or elsewhere
And they are doing 2x 1 way trips, not a single round trip without landing.