Falkland veterans remember fallen amid new war of words

A commemoration event was held at Portsmouth’s Anglican Cathedral while veterans and families staged a parade through Sheffield before a service to mark 30 years since the sinking of a ship named after the city.

HMS Sheffield, a Type 42 Destroyer was struck by an Exocet missile on May 4, 1982, claiming the lives of 20 men. The Royal Naval Association marks the anniversary each year on the Sunday closest to the date.

Yesterday’s ceremony saw the parade circle the city centre, before those taking part gathered outside Sheffield Cathedral at 1.30pm. A bell was tolled 20 times, once for each of the crew lost in the attack.

In Portsmouth, retired Commander Steve Hopper attended the wreath-laying ceremony to remember his colleagues whom he served alongside during the conflict.

The 50-year-old, who served aboard the Type 22 frigate HMS Broadsword, said: “I feel this is important as 30 years ago I was down in the South Atlantic with lots of people, some of which didn’t come back.

“Thirty years is a long time and for some it’s like watching Second World War news, but it’s still very alive for me.”

Argentinian ambassador Alicia Castro claimed yesterday that British relations in South America could falter if the UK government refused to hand over the Falkland Islands to her country.

She said Las Malvinas – Argentina’s name for the Falklands – would be better off if they were to sever their ties with the UK.

Describing the islands as a “colonial enclave”, she said her government would send teachers to the islands to teach Spanish, while it also wanted to re-establish direct flights between the Falklands and the mainland.

She said Argentina “did not want to change the way of life” on the Falklands, insisting the islands had to be “given back to Latin America as a whole”.

She claimed an advertisement depicting an Argentina athlete using a war memorial on the islands to do step-ups was not designed to upset relations.

Ms Castro said: “It’s not an Argentinian cause, it’s a regional cause. The United Kingdom, by not wanting to have a proper dialogue is turning its back on Latin America as a whole.

“If it’s true that Britain wants to improve its relations with Latin America, they have to settle this dispute.”