Falklands Gunner: A Day-by-Day Personal Account of the Royal Artillery in the Falklands War

The Royal Artillery played a crucial role in the British armed forces' successful operation to re-capture the Falkland Islands in 1982, with Second Lieutenant Tom Martin recording their actions in a journal. The Battery fired the first Fire Mission of the conflict and operated in support of the infantry until the Argentine surrender. Martin's notes and diary entries provide a comprehensive picture of the Royal Artillery and its pivotal role in the Falklands War.

Format: Hardback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 12 December 2017
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd

The Royal Artillery played a crucial, yet often overlooked, role in the British armed forces' successful operation to reclaim the Falkland Islands in 1982. However, the actions of the artillery were meticulously documented by one young officer in a journal that he kept before, during, and after the conflict. Second Lieutenant Tom Martin served as a Command Post Officer with 29 (Corunna) Field Battery RA, which deployed to the South Atlantic in 1982 as part of the Task Force sent to retake the Falklands. With its six 105mm Light Guns embarked on the MV Europic Ferry, the Battery sailed south alongside the MV Norland, joining 3 Commando Brigade for the landings. The five gun batteries of the Royal Artillery, totaling thirty light field guns, unleashed a torrent of shells upon the Argentine forces. In particular, 29 (Corunna) Field Battery fired the first Fire Mission of the conflict and continued to support the infantry until the Argentine surrender, in the most challenging conditions and against formidable odds.

While in the South Atlantic, Tom Martin sought to meticulously detail and record the action on the Battery's gun position. Supported by the recollections of some of his fellow servicemen, as well as a remarkable series of then-and-now images taken during a return visit to the islands in early 2017, his notes and diary entries form the foundation of this book. It is a vivid, blow-by-blow account that provides a comprehensive portrayal of the Royal Artillery and its pivotal role in the Falklands War.

Weight: 788g
Dimension: 166 x 241 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781473881211