MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands: Royal Marines repeat the famous 90km yomp from San Carlos to Stanley in an impressive time

The Royal Marines team that completed the yomp in an impressive two days, at the Liberation Memorial in Stanley (Pic BFSAI)

BFSAI is reporting that the Paras are not the only elite British forces currently in Mount Pleasant Complex for the Falkland Islands 40th-anniversary commemorations.

In effect, 3 Commando, Royal Marines are also in the Falkland Islands to take part in the Liberation Day events on 14 June.

On Sunday the troops completed their own version the now-famous 90 kilometers yomp from San Carlos to Stanley which was originally completed by 45 commando in 1982, under adverse weather and peaty soil conditions .

The original plan during the conflict was to land at San Carlos and subsequently travel to the Capital by helicopter. However the Atlantic Conveyor, carrying several Chinook and Sea King helicopters was sunk, meaning the troops had no choice but to make the 90km journey to Stanley on foot.

This time around, the Marines completed the yomp in an impressive 2 days and finished, fittingly, at the Liberation Memorial in Stanley, Sunday evening.

In related news on Monday June 6, BFSAI personnel conducted a service at the newly restored memorial on Pleasant Peak, to pay respects to those four service personnel from 205 Signal Squadron, Royal Corps of Signals and No.656 Squadron Army Air Corps, who went down in a British Army Gazelle helicopter, tragically misidentified as a hostile aircraft and destroyed.

At 0200hrs, Falklands' time on 6 June 1982, the Gazelle helicopter was making a routine delivery of personnel and equipment to a radio rebroadcasting station, when it came down over Pleasant Peak, with all four occupants of the helicopter killed.

Lt Paterson, Royal Signals, said of the service;

“Today, we remember the events of June 6 1982, and those members of the Royal Signals and Army Air Corps who tragically lost their lives. As part of the 40th Anniversary, the memorial has been fully restored so that we can preserve the memory of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.”  (BFSAI)