In April 1982, as the Falklands War got underway, HMS Antrim steamed south through the Atlantic. On board was 28-year-old Lieutenant, Chris Parry. Parry kept a diary for ten weeks which recounted in vivid detail the action at sea and in the air, as well as daily life on board ship.
30 years later Down South: A Falklands War Diary has been published. Parry spoke to the Spectator about why the sinking of the Belgrano boat was justified, how talking about war prevents suicide, and the role the British press played in the conflict.
When and why did you start keeping a diary?
I began my diary on 3 April 1982, the day after the Argentinians invaded the Falklands because I thought that we might be about to embark on an unusual deployment. Hardly anyone I knew in the Royal Navy had been to the South Atlantic and, even if there was not going to be any action; I judged that the trip might be worth recording.
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