The Falklands War took place in 1982 and forty years on from that South Atlantic campaign, Hedon Museum is staging an exhibition that will reveal the local links to those events.
Opens Wednesday 27 April and then every Wednesday and Saturday 10am – 4pm until Saturday 18 June 2022.
In October 1982, the Mayor of Hedon, Councillor Henry Vies Suggit and his wife Ann presented inscribed pewter tankards to those from the town who took part in the South Atlantic war campaign. Twelve men from Hedon were presented with a tankard for their service in the Falklands Campaign. No record was kept of the number of tankards presented or the names of the recipients. However, Tony Porter from Hedon Museum says he has identified eleven of them, albeit there is still a mystery man.
The men served in the Royal Marines, Royal Navy and the Merchant Navy, with local companies North Sea Ferries and United Towing being well represented.
The Exhibition will trace each person’s experience during the conflict, including photographs, some of which have never been seen before. Some of the men have contributed their own stories of their personal experiences of the conflict for the Exhibition. There are many artefacts from the time too, which will be on display.
Luckily no men from Hedon were lost out of the 255 British combatants killed, but people from our town contributed to the ultimate success of Operation Corporate, the codename for the re-taking of the Falkland Islands.
Note: The inscription on Tony Porter’s tankard, reads: “PRESENTED TO TONY PORTER, 2nd MATE. M.V. LYCAON ON HIS RETURN FROM THE FALKLANDS CAMPAIGN BY THE MAYOR AND MAYORESS OF HEDON COUN. & MRS H.V. SUGGIT. M.M., JP. OCTOBER 1982. A JOB WELL DONE.”
For more information on the conflict, read Falklands War, facts and information by the National Geographic.
