MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

1982 veterans parade in London as the Falklands honour the fallen on Remembrance Sunday

In Stanley, at the service held at the Cross of Sacrifice, a roll of honour was read out, a two-minute silence was observed and wreaths were laid by the Governor. Photo: Judy White

The Falkland Islands community paid tribute on Sunday in Stanley to those who lost their lives in conflict at the Remembrance Sunday service, while in London many British veterans of the 1982 war paraded at the main commemorations.

In Stanley, at the service held at the Cross of Sacrifice, a roll of honour was read out, a two-minute silence was observed and wreaths were laid by the Governor, the Commander of British Forces in the islands, MLA Lewis Clifton on behalf of the community, and representatives of military and veterans’ organisations, according to local broadcaster FITV.

In London, the Falkland Islands Government Office in the UK welcomed the presence of many 1982 veterans at the parade. “We remain hugely grateful to all Falklands veterans for their service and sacrifice during the liberation of our Islands in 1982,” it wrote on social media. Last week, the Falkland Islands Government Representative to the UK and Europe, Richard Hyslop, placed a commemorative cross in the House of Commons Garden of Remembrance.

In the north of England, the leader of Burnley Council, Afrasiab Anwar, withdrew on the eve of the commemoration a motion, tabled in September, backing the islanders’ right to self-determination and paying tribute to the British service personnel who fought in 1982, including some from the town. The initiative had been criticised by Reform UK, which accused Anwar of grandstanding. “It’s not appropriate for us to cause any issues with the Remembrance service, and in respect of our veterans, I am withdrawing this motion,” Anwar said, adding that he had received thanks from a former member of the islands’ government.

Remembrance Sunday, held on the second Sunday of November, honours British and Commonwealth service personnel who have died in conflicts since the First World War. The 1982 war left 255 British servicemen, three islanders and 649 Argentine servicemen dead.