Tuesday, May 26, 2015

The Falkland Islands Invasion - LIVE!

Though they lie off the coast of Argentina, the British Government has always felt closer to the Falkan Islands than their 7,000 mile commute might imply.  To their credit, the islands were probably uninhabited when discovered by Europeans. In fact, the first documented visit was by English captain John Strong in 1690. The history gets only weirder from there.

The Falkland Islands remained uninhabited until the 1760s when both the French and English built small settlements which in that era appear to somehow been totally unaware of each other. Everything was copacetic until 1766 when The French sold their claim to the Spanish who promptly attacked the British. They apologized a year later. In turn, they became the islands sole residents in 1744 when the British departed the island after installing a plaque claiming the Falklands for King George III. In the 1820s Argentina began settling the abandoned island and they had a good giggle about the British plaque on the empty island. In 1830s the British, with an assist from the U.S. Navy, kicked out the Argentinians, and the British resettled the Island again,with emphasis. So when Argentina tried to take it back in 1982, things went poorly.

So with that preamble.. here is a recording of the Falkland Islands Radio Service (FIRS) with a live broadcast of the Argentine Invasion 1982: