Number 10 at War
Falklands Conflict – Margaret Thatcher
On 19 March 1982, the Argentinean flag was raised by a group of scrap metal merchants on the island of South Georgia, a British overseas territory and dependant of the Falkland Islands. There had been a lengthy dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the sovereignty of the Islands and this action was seen as a precursor to the Argentinean invasion which would follow.
Argentine General Leopoldo Galtieri ordered the invasion of the Falklands to be brought forward to 2 April 1982, pre-empting any reinforcement of the United Kingdom’s military presence in the area. Margaret Thatcher responded by sending a naval task force to recapture the Islands, which set sail from Portsmouth on 5 April following a meeting of the Cabinet and the granting of a UN Resolution.
The Prime Minister stayed up all night in the Downing Street flat for the entire Falklands conflict. Margaret Thatcher’s personal assistant, Cynthia Crawford, who moved into the flat at Number 10 to keep the Prime Minister company during the all-night vigils, recalls the 74 days of the conflict inside Number 10:
She did not once change into her nightclothes in the flat for the duration of the war. We would sit in the flat listening to the BBC World Service for news of the task force. She couldn’t sleep because she wanted to be ready in case anything happened.
She wanted to be able to go to any briefings with the naval commanders at any time without the fuss and bother of having to get dressed. She also wanted to know everything that was happening, every single detail, so she could keep on top of events. She had to know how the soldiers, sailors and airmen were getting on.
She was so worried about them. It was awful when we heard any reports of our ships being hit. Her determination and powers of endurance were unbelievable. Denis was in the room next door. The two of us would sit in armchairs either side of a two-bar electric fire, listening to the radio.
Crawford recalls the Prime Minister leaving Downing Street at 8am each morning to attend military briefings for an update of events during the night and to discuss the next part of the campaign:
‘I would take advantage of that and jump into bed at the flat so I could get some sleep. I’d tell the Downing Street switchboard to wake me when she was on her way back so I could be ready for work. We don’t all have her energy.’
The conflict ended with Argentinean surrender on 14 June 1982. Margaret Thatcher looked back on this period:
‘When I became Prime Minister I never thought that I would have to order British troops into combat and I do not think I have ever lived so tensely or intensely as during the whole of that time.’ Margaret Thatcher – The Downing Street Years