BRITAIN only narrowly avoided a military disaster on a par with the “Charge of the Light Brigade” during the Falklands conflict, reveals a new book by a field commander who took part in the campaign.
In the book, Ian Gardiner, who in 1982 led a rifle company of Royal Marines into battle, is scathingly critical of senior army officers for tactical blunders in the battles to retake the islands, which led to catastrophes such as the bombing of the Sir Galahad.
He says that the reputations of the army chiefs “were salvaged from a mess of Crimean proportions” only by the ranks below them. He adds that mistakes in the campaign to retake the Falkland Islands, which were invaded by Argentine troops 30 years ago tomorrow, could have resulted in the deaths of hundreds.
The Charge of the Light Brigade during the Crimean war, when a cavalry regiment charged in to the “Valley of Death” at Russian guns, is a celebrated example of the bravery and heroism of individual soldiers sacrificed by poor planning and leadership.
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