The walk to Tumbledown
"Best pleased to inform Her Majesty that the Union Jack once again flies over Stanley. God Save the Queen."
Major General Jeremy Moore [on capture of Port Stanley]
CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON THE BATTLE OF MOUNT TUMBLEDOWN
One of the things that were down as a “must” whilst in the Falklands was to visit the locations of some of the most famous battles and events that occurred during the Falklands War. Most people of my generation who grew up in the years after the war have heard a lot about the conflict. Names that have become infamous – Two Sisters, Tumbledown, Goose Green and being Welsh – Sir Galahad……
Since I was young I have been interested in the Falklands conflict and had finished Max Hastings book on the conflict on the last cruise. I decided that I would “yomp” to Mount Tumbledown which dominates the heights just outside Stanley and was the location of bitter fight starting on the 13th June 1982.
The 13km walk to (passing the war memorial and government house) and then up the mountain was arduous and to have conducted it under fire must have been unbelievable. Occasionally I fell in a bomb craters hidden under the scrub and full to the brim with dark forbidding water. This area is luckily clear of mines – although I still treaded carefully.
Eerily there was no sound. It was unbelievingly quite and the only noise was the sound of me struggling up the hill and the occasional sound of the camera as I took pictures of Stanley in the distance. Later I lost the top from one of my drinks bottles when I fell into a partially hidden crater. For the rest of the walk I was treated to the spooky sound of the wind blowing across the top of the bottle… It somehow added voice to the desolation.
At the top of Mount Tumbledown stands a wooden cross. Behind the cross is Stanley. The base of the cross is covered by more poignant reminders of the battle that played out on these heights – plaques, personal effects of soldiers and messages from the comrades of those who fell. Amongst the grey stone and the colourless bracken are the poppy’s – the only colour on this windswept rocky outcrop.
So I sat for a while and looked out of Stanley and let my thoughts wander.
Above: Relics of the war are everywhere -such as this French built Panhard AML 245 light armoured car parked on someones drive. This would have been used by Argentine forces
Above: Makers name on the armoured car
Above: Rifle and artillery shell in "The Globe". A local pub decorated with lots of ensigns etc
Above: As above with rocket launcher visible!
Above: Welsh flag from the Royal Welsh Fusiliers in the Globe
Above: Plaque showing the various forces, ships and aircraft used during the conflict
Above: War memorial
Above:British ship names on the memorial
Above: War memorial
Above: entrance to Goverment House
Above: Plaque near Goverment House
Above: Goverment House
Above: Memorial to the naval battle that occured here during 1914 when the German Squadron under Graff Spee was destroyed whilst trying to raid the settlement
Above: Memorial to the naval battle that occured here during 1914 when the German Squadron under Graff Spee was destroyed whilst trying to raid the settlement
Above: Ship information at the memorial
Above: Bomb crater near Tumbledown
Above: Near the rocky outcrop at the top of Tumbledown
Above: Abandoned Argentine food canteens
Above: View from half-way up Tumbledown towards Stanley
Above: Abandoned Argentine food canteens
Above: memorial at the top of Tumbledown
Above: Author with the memorial at the top of Tumbledown
Above: Memorial
Above: RAF aircraft fly past Tumbledown
ABove: inside the rock outcrop at the top of Tumbledown
Above: Poignant reminders of the cost of the war
Above: Poppy mosaic
|