South Atlantic Medal (1982) - Falklands Conflict

[Guest Darrell]

While obviously not Victorian, I've always wanted one of these guys and saw one that took my fancy.

This is the British South Atlantic Medal issued in 1982 for Service during the Falklands war against Argentina.

First a little background on the medal:

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The South Atlantic Medal is a British campaign medal awarded to British military personnel and civilians for service in the Falklands War of 1982, between the United Kingdom and Argentina; 29,700 were issued. The South Atlantic Medal Association was formed in 1997.

Appearance

The medal is a coin, made of cupronickel, 36 mm in diameter, and was struck by the Royal Mint and issued by the Army Medal Office, Droitwich. The obverse side bears a crowned effigy of the Queen. Like a modern British coin, it has the abbreviated form of ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA FIDEI DEFENSOR ("Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, Queen and Defender of the Faith") on the border and the Queen is facing to the right.

The reverse side has the Falkland Islands' coat of arms, which bears the words "DESIRE THE RIGHT" (an allusion to English explorer John Davis' ship, "Desire"). A laurel wreath and the words "SOUTH ATLANTIC MEDAL" make up the border.

The ribbon has a central stripe of "sea green" flanked on each side by stripes of white and "empire blue", shaded and watered. The additional rosette that could be awarded was worn on the ribbon.

Awarding the medal

To be awarded the medal with the additional rosette, the recipient would have been required to do one days service within 35° and 60° South latitude or do at least one operational sortie south of Ascension Island, between 2 April and 14 June 1982 (April 2 being the date of the Argentine invasion, June 14 being date of Argentine surrender).

The medal alone was awarded for 30 days continuous or accumulated service between 7° and 60° South latitude between 2 April and 14 June 1982 (completing no later than 12 July 1982).

The rosette remains an unusual feature for a British medal and was used in this case because otherwise fewer than two hundred medals would have been issued to the Royal Air Force. The vast majority of the medals were issued with a rosette whereas over 90% of the medals issued to the Royal Air Force are without the rosette and thus rarer, the recipients having been stationed on Ascension Island, some 3,300 nautical miles north of the Falkland Islands and the war zone.

Recipients

Less than 29,700 people were awarded the medal, including Prince Andrew. Members of the Merchant Navy and civilians were also eligible for the medal, such as journalist Michael Nicholson.

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The following Medal was awarded to a Cook on the HMS Glasgow. The edge is impressed as Ck K P SWIFT D175093K HMS GLASGOW.

The medal has the Rosette sewn to the ribbon.

[Guest Darrell]

A little Background on the HMS Glasgow that saw a little action during the first stages of the conflict. In fact, a little too close.

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Design and construction

She was built at Swan Hunter Shipyard in Wallsend, Tyneside and launched on 14 April 1976 by Lady Kirstie Treacher, wife of Admiral Sir John Treacher. With a displacement of 4,820 tonnes, Glasgow is the sixth and last Batch 1 Type 42 Destroyer in the Fleet. Named after the Scottish city of Glasgow, she is the eighth ship to bear the name. On 23 September 1976, while being fitted out, a fire on board killed eight men and injured a further six.

The ship was commissioned into the Royal Navy on 25 May 1977.

Operational history

Falklands War

Glasgow was among five Type 42 destroyers sent as part of the Task Force sent to retake the Falkland Islands after invasion by Argentina in 1982. Armed with Sea Dart anti-aircraft missile system, Glasgow along with her sister ships, Sheffield and Coventry were among the first ships to arrive in a 200-nautical-mile (370 km; 230 mi) exclusion zone imposed by the British around the islands.

Glasgow saw early action in the war when, on 2 May, her Lynx helicopter badly damaged the Argentine naval vessel Alferez Sobral. On 3 May, Glasgow detected an Exocet missile fired at the Task Force and warned the fleet. However Sheffield failed to receive the warning and was hit, later sinking. Down to two Type 42s (Exeter and Cardiff would not arrive until the end of May), Glasgow and Coventry were left to long range defense of the fleet.

On 12 May, Glasgow and the Type 22 frigate Brilliant were on a "42-22" combo; Glasgow's Sea Dart long range missiles would complement Brilliant's short range Sea Wolf missiles on anti-aircraft attacks. The ships attracted the attention of the Argentine Air Force, and a wave of four A-4B Skyhawk jets of Grupo 5 attacked. Although Glasgow's Sea Dart system failed, Brilliant's Sea Wolf shot down 1st Lt Oscar Bustos (C-246) and Lt Jorge Ibarlucea (C-208), whilst Lt Mario Nivoli (C-206) crashed into the sea evading a missile. All three pilots died on the action. When a second wave of Grupo 5 Skyhawks attacked, Sea Wolf also failed and the jets released three bombs, one of which damaged Glasgow, although it did not explode. On their returning flight, Lt Gavazzi's Skyhawk (C-248) was shot down by friendly fire over Goose Green. His bomb had passed clean through the aft end of Glasgow's after engine room, damaging fuel systems and disabling the two Tyne cruise engines. The exit hole was just above the waterline on the port side; the ship maneuvered in a tight circle to keep the area exposed while damage control teams plugged the hole. The ship returned home in a reversionary propulsion mode and was repaired in Portsmouth dockyard, returning to the South Atlantic in August 1982 when the conflict was already over.

Post-war

In later years, Glasgow served on a variety of missions.

Glasgow was deployed to East Timor as part of the Australian-led INTERFET peacekeeping taskforce from 19 to 29 September 1999.

In early 2004, the ship was deployed on the Atlantic Patrol South tasking.

It was announced in July 2004, as part of the Delivering Security in a Changing World review, that Glasgow would be decommissioned in January 2005. Glasgow was finally decommissioned on 1 February 2005. On 7 January 2009, the ship was towed to Turkey for breaking up.

[Guest Darrell]

A little more detail on the attack of May 12, 1982:

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GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYER

Type 42

The weather in the TEZ during the morning of 12 May was still poor. The Brilliant and Glasgow took up their position on the Gun Line off Port Stanley before daybreak and the Type 42 opened fire. By noon the weather had improved and Brilliant detected a raid heading towards her. She and Glasgow were fifteen miles south of Stanley 'resting' between bombardments.

Glasgow's type 909 directors picked up the target – four A4B's of V Air Brigade – but then her Sea Dart loading system 'Failed Safe' the launcher computers refusing to accept the missiles. As soon as the A4's came within range Glasgow opened fire with her 4.5" gun. This had fired sixty-seven rounds that morning without a problem but now jammed after eight rounds. Two automatic systems had now failed, leaving Brilliant's Sea Wolf system as a last-ditch defense. Brilliant fired three Sea Wolf missiles in quick succession. Two scored direct hits, the third, directed at an A4 flying at wave-top height, forced the pilot to take evasive action and crashed into the sea. The system did not have time to acquire the forth Skyhawk that released a 1000lb bomb at Glasgow. The bomb ricocheted off the water and bounced over the Destroyers hanger. The A4 escaped undamaged.

Twenty minutes later another raid was detected heading for Glasgow and Brilliant. Glasgow's engineers were still working franticly to clear her gun and repair the fault with Sea Dart. Brilliants success with Sea Wolf had given everyone confidence.

The next four A4B's to attack, lead by Captain Zelaya, adopted a different approach, weaving to upset the close-range gunner's aim. The Sea Wolf system was also confused. It had been designed to deal with multiple missile attacks, but missiles do not indulge in mutual weaving and the computer was perplexed. A computer understands 'Yes' or 'No', whereas a human operator would think 'Lets have a go', the Brilliant's GWS25 system decided to do nothing.

The emotions of those who knew what had happened can only be imagined, particularly as they also knew that there was no time left to re-engage.

The last-ditch defense was already in action, a single 40mm Bofors on Brilliant and a 20mm Oerlikon on Glasgow with an assortment of GPMG's. These scored hits on at least one aircraft but could not stop the attack and bombs were released at both ships. One bomb skipped over Brilliant but a 1000lb bomb hit Glasgow amidships about three feet above the water line and travelled through the ship and out the other side without exploding.

The Glasgow had had what appeared to be a near miraculous escape but the bomb had caused extensive damage to her Machine Room and she still had not Missile or Gun capability. Forty minutes later another raid was detected and Glasgow braced herself for the inevitable. However the third group of A4's broke off the attack and headed for home.

The Glasgow story over the next few days was an epic of hard work and ingenuity to overcome multiplying difficulties and by the 15 May was fully operational again.

On U Tube there is a sound file of the actual broadcast from the ship after the attack:

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=O6zohkGwQg8

Edited January 13, 2011 by Darrell

[Guest Darrell]

Now the medal itself:

Obverse:

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Closeup of Rosette:

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Closeup of Obverse:

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Reverse:

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Closeup of Reverse:

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A few pictures of the impressed naming along the rim:

a.

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b.

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c.

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And finally a poster that shows the damage inflicted on the Glasgow in schematic form.

[Guest Darrell]

A little closer view of the drawing above:

[Guest Darrell]

Finally a nice color picture of the Glasgow in all her glory.

[coldstream]

Darrell

Another nice addition to your collection, congratulations. Regarding the ribbon rosette, have you ever found any regulations as to the correct way up that this should be worn? The reason I ask is that usually a rose or rosette is depicted with the large petal uppermost and the small leaf pointing downwards, ie the opposite way to the one shown. The Coldstream Guards wear the rose on the shoulder strap in this manner.

Just after the Falklands War I attended a Guards Depot Instructors course at Pirbright in Surrey. The course had NCO'S from all the Foot Guards Regiments including the Scot's Guards who were wearing their newly issued South Atlantic medals with rosette. On the final drill parade the Inspecting Officer was a Coldstream Guards Captain who picked up the fact that the rosettes were upside down and ordered them all changed. The Welsh Guardsmen on the course were interestingly wearing their rosettes the other way and so remained unchanged.

All medals I have seen since have the rosette as per your medal and so the question remains, is this the correct method of wearing the rosette, is this a common tailor's error or do the standard methods of wear not apply as this is not in fact supposed to represent a rose?

Simon

[Guest Darrell]

All medals I have seen since have the rosette as per your medal and so the question remains, is this the correct method of wearing the rosette, is this a common tailor's error or do the standard methods of wear not apply as this is not in fact supposed to represent a rose?

Simon

Simon, good question. I always wondered how they knew which way the rosette should be sewn onto the ribbon. Maybe some of the members who have been issued one would know.

[Guest Darrell]

Doesn't appear to be any correct orientation. At least as yet mentioned. Posed the same question on the BMF:

http://www.britishmedalforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=63868&p=496238#p496238

[coldstream]

Darrell

Thanks for your reply, as I say it may not even represent a rose and so there may not even be any rules.

I've checked my latest issue of the Medal year book but again no information I'm afraid.

Any ideas Gentlemen (and ladies!)

Simon

[Guest Darrell]

Any ideas Gentlemen (and ladies!)

Simon

There won't be any comments in here. Let's keep an eye open on BMF.

[Megan]

Depends what you think it is.

The Tudor rose is worn thus - spike at top - as is the Lancashire rose, the York rose t'other way up.

(Thus writes someone who attended the University of York...)