On this day - Falklands

Three Argentine Skyhawks are shot down. Prime Minister Thatcher warns that peaceful settlement may not be possible. Special British forces night raid on Pebble Island; 11 Argentine aircraft destroyed on the ground.

The only people who believed there would be a peace settlement were deluded politicians in the UN. We were making final preparations. We didn't have a clue where we were but we knew we were getting close. It was getting cold wet and windy and we stayed off deck as much as possible.

One of the weird things that happened on the way down is that we stayed on GMT, which meant that we were getting up in what was effectively the middle of the night and going to bed "early". This would put us in good stead for the landings but I remember having a slight sense of jet lag and disorientation.