From the Falkland’s Battlefield To Mont Blanc – Will Kevans
On 11 September, a six-strong team of British veterans – led by former Welsh Guardsman Will Kevans – will embark on a six-day mission to scale 15,774ft Mont Blanc, in the French Alps.
And joining them will be a group of Argentinean Falklands veterans, led by Julio Aro, who has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his work identifying missing Argentinean soldiers after the conflict.
The Falklands War began on 2 April 1982 when Argentine forces invaded the Falkland Islands, sparking one of the largest major conflicts since WW2.
The Welsh Guards formed part of the 5th Infantry Brigade of the British Task Force sent to liberate the islands and, on 8 June they were on board the Sir Galahad, waiting to be landed at Bluff Cove, when the ship was attacked by an Argentine air strike, killing 48 on board – 32 of them Welsh Guards.
Three islanders, 255 British military personnel and 649 Argentine soldiers were killed in the conflict, which ended on 14 June when an Argentine surrender returned the islands to British control.
Now, 40 years later, the Mont Blanc expedition has two aims; to raise money for the military charity for limbless veterans, BLESMA – which celebrates its 90th anniversary this year – and to mark the anniversary of the conflict with an act of reconciliation.
The British contingent consists of former soldiers from the Gurkhas, Welsh Guards, Royal Engineers, the SAS and the Royal Marines.
While the Argentinean cohort comprises Julio Alvo, his daughter Tania, who now studies in the UK and Marcos Basavilbaso; the official biographer of the marine unit BIM 5 that faced the Welsh Guards and Royal Marines on Sapper Hill in the final hours of the conflict.
His son, a current serving officer in the Argentine Artillery, will also be joining the team, as will other veteran members of that marine unit.
Guiding the veterans up the mountain – the highest in western Europe – are ex-SAS 19 Troop mountain instructors, most notably Krishna Thapa, a former Gurkha who recently completed a climb of Mount Everest with partially-sighted veteran Les Binns.
Will, 59, from Birmingham and now living in southern France, first contacted Argentinean veterans some years ago to get their perspective on the conflict for a cartoon book he was writing.
His book, My Life in Pieces, was later used as a basis for a BBC Panorama documentary with a group of former Welsh Guardsmen revisiting the islands they fought on as teenagers.
“That initial contact sparked a dialogue,” said Will, “and that, in turn, led to friendship.
“Military veterans on any side have a lot in common – we were all young, we were doing our job and whether you won or lost the conflict, you have a shared experience of battle and of losing fellow comrades and friends.
“So, this expedition is about the spirit of brotherhood. It’s about sharing our stories with our former adversaries and honouring the memory of those we all carry with us.”