Baroness Vickersasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are yet able to make a statement on whether ships and units which took part in the Falklands campaign will be able to include the campaign in their battle honours.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces (Lord Trefgarne)Her Majesty The Queen has graciously approved the award of battle honours to ships and units of the three services and the Merchant Navy which took part in the campaign to liberate the Falkland Islands.
The award of the battle honour "Falkland Islands 1982" is to he made to all HM ships, submarines and Fleet Air Arm squadrons which had passed or were below 35° South and were north of 60° South in the South Atlantic between 2nd April and 14th June 1982. Royal Fleet Auxiliaries and Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service vessels will similarly qualify, as will ships taken up from trade in support of the operation. The ships and naval air squadrons which qualify are set out below.
In accordance with a long-standing tradition which dates back more than 150 years, the Royal Marines do not receive battle honours for any individual operation or campaign in which they have been engaged. Instead the corps motif of the globe surrounded by laurel is the symbol of their outstanding service throughout the world.
The Theatre Honour "Falkland Islands 1982" together with honours for the engagements at Goose Green, Mount Longdon, Tumbledown Mountain and Wireless Ridge have been approved for the Army. Those regiments which took part in the campaign will be entitled to claim these honours in accordance with normal practice in the Army. After these claims have been considered by the Army Board, recommendations will be submitted for Her Majesty the Queen's 243WA approval. I am therefore not able today to list the regiments which will be so honoured, but will make a further statement to your Lordships in due course.
The squadrons of the Royal Air Force which saw service between 2nd April and 14th June 1982 south of 35° South and north of 60° South or took part in an operational sortie south of Ascension Island will be awarded the battle honour "South Atlantic 1982". The squadrons concerned are set out below.
HMS SHIPS, NAVAL AIR SQUADRONS, RFAs, RMAs AND MERCHANT NAVY VESSELS TO RECEIVE THE BATTLE HONOUR "FALKLAND ISLANDS 1982" HM Ships HMS Active HMS Fearless HMS Alacrity HMS Glamorgan HMS Ambuscade HMS Glasgow HMS Andromeda HMS Hecla HMS Antelope HMS Herald HMS Antrim HMS Hermes HMS Ardent HMS Hydra HMS Argonaut HMS Intrepid HMS Arrow HMS Invincible HMS Avenger HMS Junella HMS Brilliant HMS Leeds Castle HMS Bristol HMS Minerva HMS Broadsword HMS Northella HMS Cardiff HMS Onyx HMS Coventry HMS Penelope HMS Conqueror HMS Pict HMS Cordella HMS Plymouth HMS Courageous HMS Sheffield HMS Dumbarton Castle HMS Spartan HMS Endurance HMS Splendid HMS Exeter HMS Valiant HMS Farnella HMS Yarmouth
244WA
RN Air Squadrons 737 809 824 829 847 800 815 825 845 848 801 820 826 846 899
Royal Fleet Auxiliaries/Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service Vessels RFA Appleleaf RFA Resource RFA Bayleaf RFA Sir Bedivere RFA Blue Rover RFA Sir Galahad RFA Brambleleaf RFA Sir Geraint RFA Engadine RFA Sir Lancelot RFA Fort Austin RFA Sir Percivale RFA Fort Grange RFA Sir Tristram RFA Olmeda RFA Stromness RFA Olna RFA Tidepool RFA Pearleaf RFA Tidespring RFA Plumleaf RMAS Typhoon RFA Regent
Merchant Ships taken up from Trade MV Anco Charger CS Iris SS Atlantic Causeway MT Irishman SS Atlantic Conveyor MV Lycaon MV Baltic Ferry MV Nordic Ferry MV British Dart MV Norland MV British Esk RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 MV British Tay MV Saint Edmund MV British Test MT Salvageman MV British Trent MV Saxonia MV British Wye MV Scottish Eagle SS Canberra MV Shell Eburna MV Conveyor Bezant MV Stena Seaspread MV Elk MV Tor Caledonia MV Europic Ferry SS Uganda MV Fort Toronto MV Wimpey Seahorse MV Geestport MT Yorkshireman
RAF SQUADRONS TO RECEIVE THE BATTLE HONOUR "SOUTH ATLANTIC 1982" No. 1(F) Squadron Harrier No. 18 Squadron Chinook No. 42 Squadron Nimrod No. 44 Squadron Vulcan No. 47 Squadron Hercules No. 50 Squadron Vulcan No. 51 Squadron Nimrod No. 55 Squadron Victor No. 57 Squardon Victor No. 63 Squadron RAF Regiment Rapier No. 70 Squadron Hercules No. 101 Squadron Vulcan No. 120 Squadron Nimrod No. 201 Squadron Nimrod No. 206 Squadron Nimrod