Whist I am on line I should mention that we celebrated Battle Day in London at The Cenotaph on 8th December 2012. Once again we were fortunate with the weather and the sun shone as we gathered at The Cenotaph to remember all who had given their lives in the many battles in the South Atlantic in both World Wars and the 1982 Conflict.

Rear Admiral Lambert, Naval Hydrographer, lays the wreath on behalf of the Armed Services

 

Zoran Zuvic laid a wreath for the Falkland Islands Defence Force

 

Following the ceremony members went to the Union Jack Club in Waterloo for the Annual General Meeting of the FIA. After the formal business was over the Hunter-Christie Memorial Prize for the Student of the Year was awarded to Sonia Arkhipkina by Mrs Merle Christe

Falkland Islands MLA Jan Cheek addressed the members with an update on the present situation in the Islands.

Andrew Rosindell MP, Secretary of the UK/FI All Party Parliamentary Group brought greetings from both Houses of Parliament and presented a picture of HM the Queen to the FIA to mark Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee.

Andrew Rosindell MP with members of the FIA Executive Committee



Haven't written anything for a while but must mention the new booklet published by Falkland Islands Government - Our Islands Our History. Not available yet in hardback but the pdf is available from the FIG website, to go to the website click here.

An attractive and informative booklet it is intended as a companion to the booklet Our Islands Our Home which was published last summer 2012 and which, if you haven't seen a copy, can be downloaded from the same FIG website.

Have just received an email from Ivan Milburn who has written an book entitled "Falklands War - Get STUFT" which is described as 'a sailor's diary from the Falklands War 1982, telling the truth with tongue-in-cheek humour and charts the voyage taken by the RMS St Helena (a ship taken up from trade hence STUFT in the title). She supported HMS Brecon and HMS Ledbury in minehunting/sweeping and other ordnance clearance, including diving on the wrecks of sunken warships.

My shelf of books from the 1982 Conflict is already groaning but this may be a worthy addition - available from Amazon and other booksellers. Paperback 248 pages. My copy has been ordered.

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A Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Paddy Vincent will be held at 11am on Thursday, October 18th, at St Margaret’s Church, Lothbury, London EC2R 7HH, and afterwards at the Furniture Makers’ Hall, 12 Austin Friars, London EC2N 2HE.

A recent letter from Annabelle Spencer (see earlier post) reports that she was sorry about the cancellation of the 2012 Falkland Islands Exhibition at Fairfield Halls, Croydon due to ill health.

She goes on to reminds us that the only Falkland Islands Shop outside the Islands can be found in Wells, Somerset at Falkland House, 3 Tucker Street. The shop, which was opened by Sir Rex Hunt CMG in 1987, has everything that would have been at the Croydon Exhibition. Phone Annabelle on 01749 672357 if you are going to visit. Her last comment was "ill health sounds so 'dead' to me and I am not!"

Pictured here is the late Captain Vincent CBE RN (retired) (see last post) with Robin Lee on Narrows Island, Port Howard (photo Jim McAdam)

I have just heard that Captain P.M.C. (Paddy) Vincent CBE, RN (Retired) passed away on August 23, 2012 at the age of 87. He was born in the Falkland Islands and his father died at sea as the family were travelling to the UK for home leave. After a lifetime in the Royal Navy he worked in London. A long time member of the Association he reguarly acted as Parade Marshall at the Battle Day Ceremony at the Cenotaph in London. He was also active in the UK Falkland Islands Trust as a Trustee from 1993 and served as its Chairman from 1997 to 2001. He was also one time Chairman of the Burma Star Association. A service of thanksgiving is planned for October but details are not confirmed as yet. A full obituary will appear in due course in Penguin News and in the FIA Newsletter. Unfortunately the October 2012 edition went to the printer before we heard this sad news.