Mountain Commandos at War in the Falklands

Book excerpt: A former Royal Marine provides a vividly detailed, firsthand account of Mountain Commando operations in the Falklands War. On June 8th, 1982, eight Royal Marines infiltrated Goat Ridge in East Falkland, a rocky hilltop surrounded by Argentine infantry. From their hiding place just meters away from the enemy, they gathered essential intelligence for a British assault that overwhelmed the Argentine defenses days later. This is just one example of the missions undertaken by the Royal Marines Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre during the Falklands War, all of which are described in graphic detail in Rod Boswell’s eyewitness account. Using his own recollections and those of his comrades, he describes their operations in the Falklands: the observation posts set up in the no man’s land between San Carlos and Port Stanley; the raid at Top Malo House; and the reconnaissance patrols they carried out close to the Argentine lines during the conflict. His first-hand account gives a fascinating insight into the operational skills of a small, specially trained unit and shows the important contribution it made to the success of the British advance. This chronicle also records the entire experience of the Falklands War from their point of view, from the long voyage south through the Atlantic to the landings, the advance, and the liberation of Stanley.