Falklands veteran marks anniversary

An Elizabeth College teacher has recalled his time serving in the Falklands. It is 25 years since 46-year-old Tim Slann married Vanda, and only days later he was called into action.

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the beginning of the Falklands War, when Argentina invaded the islands.

After marrying in England on Saturday 27 March 1982, the couple came to Guernsey for their honeymoon. They arrived on the Monday and the next Sunday Mr Slann learnt that everyone from HMS Intrepid was being recalled. It sailed on 15 April.

The ship had been sold and was being stripped down just before it was called into action. The crew had seven days of hard training, with each watch getting 24 hours' leave.

Mr Slann drove back to his home in Gosport to see his new wife before heading to the Falklands.

'We thought there would be a political solution, that it was just a bit of sabre rattling by 'then prime minister' Margaret Thatcher,' he said.

But then the Argentinian cruiser General Belgrano was sunk on 2 May, followed two days later by British destroyer HMS Sheffield.

'Then we knew this was not a game.'

The sound of war was one of the things that stuck in Mr Slann's memory.

'The weapons systems being fired for real and you could hear the jets flying past from inside the ship: that's how close they were. We were well looked after, but it was very tiring. We were up probably 20 hours a day either at one of the action stations or sometimes on defence watches.'

Mr Slann was a marine engineer technician.

He added that they were lucky the ship was never hit by ammunition that detonated.

'But your thoughts are always with those that didn't come back.'

Those who died included a friend with whom he had played hockey on a regular basis.

But he said that were funny moments, too.

One of his mess mates once washed some equipment for SAS members who were on board. There was a lot of noise from the tumble drier - once it had finished, they discovered a grenade in there.

HMS Intrepid returned to its dock in Southsea on 14 July.

'It was fantastic: you couldn't imagine the number of people.

'We used to berth right up near the ferry terminal. Every little bit of quayside was covered in dock workers, people's friends and family. We were escorted up by lots of different boats. You couldn't imagine the atmosphere, but of course you have to remember the ones that didn't come back.'

Mr Slann was born in Guernsey and went to college. He joined the Royal Navy at 16.

The couple moved back to the island in 1997 and he left the forces three years later. After working at Marine & General for three years, Mr Slann moved to teach design and technology at the college.

He said that conflict today was different.

'In the Falklands, you knew who your enemy were, what they were like. We knew what we were up against.

'In the navy, Argentina had worked with us in the past. The previous year in Portsmouth Dockyard two of their destroyers were in the harbour having maintenance done on them.'

But he said that things were not as clear now.

'You don't know who you are up against: it could be anybody. It could be a woman walking down the road, a roadside bomb.'

The couple first met in Portsmouth when he was training at Fareham.

They celebrated their 25th anniversary on Tuesday by renewing their vows in the Town Church. On Saturday, a party was held in the college's main hall.

'It was nice: a lot of people came over from England and some people we had not seen for a long time.'