Changes

==Liberation==

==Liberation==

The Argentinian occupation of the Falklands ended on June 14. After 74 days, the islands came under British rule again. Unlike the Goose Green residents the Port Stanley citizens had been allowed much freedom of movement. But there had been a 16-hour night curfew. The British units took over the buildings commandeered by the Argentinians. Local fireman Lewis Clifton describes how the infrastructures of Port Stanley broke under the extra strain of accommodating the British troops and processing thousands of Argentine prisoners of war awaiting repatriation{{cquote|The place just couldn't take it. There was only sporadic electricity and water and the sanitation system collapsed. The streets were ankle-deep in human waste. The stench was awful, really awful, and we were all suffering from what we called Galtieri's revenge. He lost the war but left us ill.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120420135114/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/Britain_at_War_Readers__Memorie/9130824/The-Falklands-invasion-by-those-who-were-there.html The Falklands invasion, by those who were there]</ref>}}   

The Argentinian occupation of the Falklands ended on June 14. After 74 days, the islands came under British rule again. Unlike the Goose Green residents the Port Stanley citizens had been allowed much freedom of movement. But there had been a 16-hour night curfew. The British units took over the buildings commandeered by the Argentinians. Local fireman Lewis Clifton describes how the infrastructures of Port Stanley broke under the extra strain of accommodating the British troops and processing thousands of Argentine prisoners of war awaiting repatriation{{cquote|The place just couldn't take it. There was only sporadic electricity and water and the sanitation system collapsed. The streets were ankle-deep in human waste. The stench was awful, really awful, and we were all suffering from what we called Galtieri's revenge. He lost the war but left us ill.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120420135114/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/Britain_at_War_Readers__Memorie/9130824/The-Falklands-invasion-by-those-who-were-there.html The Falklands invasion, by those who were there]</ref>}}

 

Water was scarce, since Stanley's main pumping station had been damaged by British naval fire during the mountain battles, with many Argentinian soldiers suffering from diarrhea because of Liver Fluke Disease (found in contaminated water and under-cooked sheep meat) forced to relieve themselves in bathtubs, buckets, chest of drawers and the back streets of Stanley in the face of sudden violent bowel movement and with toilets no longer working.<ref>''British naval gunfire had destroyed the roof of Port Stanley's water pumping station, causing the valves, filters and pipes to freeze up and split.'' The Scars of Wars, Hugh McManners, p. 315, HarperCollins, 1993</ref><ref>The Winter War: The Falklands, Patrick Joseph Bishop, John Witherow, p.143, Quartet Books, 1982</ref>    

   

   

There was much Argentinian criticism of the behaviour of British Paratroopers after the Argentinian surrender. Brigadier-General Oscar Luis Jofre, the commander of the 10th Mechanized Infantry Brigade in his book 'Malvinas: La Defensa de Puerto Argentino' (Editorial Sudamaricana, 1987) alleges that he complained to the British authorities and the Royal Marine Commandos took over and soon restored order in the Falklands capital. A staff officer of Commodore Michael Clapp wrote in his war diary:{{cquote|Utterly depressing. The troops are in a post war mood and very selfish. Grab, Grab - transport, houses, equipment, food, etc. - gone is the spirit of selflessness in the field. It will return but at present all is filth, squalor and (the) looting instinct prevails. Quite the worst aspect of the whole campaign.<ref>The Falklands War, D. George Boyce, p. 146, Macmillan International Higher Education, 2005</ref>}}

There was much Argentinian criticism of the behaviour of British Paratroopers after the Argentinian surrender. Brigadier-General Oscar Luis Jofre, the commander of the 10th Mechanized Infantry Brigade in his book 'Malvinas: La Defensa de Puerto Argentino' (Editorial Sudamaricana, 1987) alleges that he complained to the British authorities and the Royal Marine Commandos took over and soon restored order in the Falklands capital. A staff officer of Commodore Michael Clapp wrote in his war diary:{{cquote|Utterly depressing. The troops are in a post war mood and very selfish. Grab, Grab - transport, houses, equipment, food, etc. - gone is the spirit of selflessness in the field. It will return but at present all is filth, squalor and (the) looting instinct prevails. Quite the worst aspect of the whole campaign.<ref>The Falklands War, D. George Boyce, p. 146, Macmillan International Higher Education, 2005</ref>}}

Captain Jeremy Larken of HMS Fearless confirms the view the Argentinian occupation foces had behaved appropriately:{{cquote|It was clear General Menendez had looked after things at Government House with almost loving care. Even the ornaments were still in their place. But once 3 Commando Brigade got in there and started using it as their headquarters, I think it suffered considerably. It's fair to say that the British were less careful with Port Stanley than had been the Argentine forces... In the early days, our control over our own people was not as good as it might have been. I won't say there was rape and pillage, but there was a great deal of acquisition of war materials.<ref>Forgotten Voices of the Falklands, Hugh McManners, p. 433, Random House, 2008</ref>}}

Captain Jeremy Larken of HMS Fearless confirms the view the Argentinian occupation foces had behaved appropriately:{{cquote|It was clear General Menendez had looked after things at Government House with almost loving care. Even the ornaments were still in their place. But once 3 Commando Brigade got in there and started using it as their headquarters, I think it suffered considerably. It's fair to say that the British were less careful with Port Stanley than had been the Argentine forces... In the early days, our control over our own people was not as good as it might have been. I won't say there was rape and pillage, but there was a great deal of acquisition of war materials.<ref>Forgotten Voices of the Falklands, Hugh McManners, p. 433, Random House, 2008</ref>}}

Leftist anti-war veterans from the Buenos Aires-based Malvinas Islands Ex-Combatants Centre ('Centro Ex-Combatientes Islas Malvinas' or CECIM) tell of being tied and pinned to the frozen ground with tent pegs for hours or punched and kicked for stealing from the food depots or for shooting and killing sheep for food right in middle of minefields and booby-traps. A local, Les Harris remembers giving two young deserters that had taken refuge in his backyard and had killed five of his ducks, exactly five minutes to vacate his property before setting off to get the assistance of the Amphibious Engineer Company, ''"I waited exactly five minutes and then went to the Argentinian marines (Amphibious Engineers) who were in the Social Club. The man in charge asked me whether they were army or marines. I said army. He told his men to get their weapons and then set off to catch them. Half-way up the street they cocked their weapons. They looked very efficient; their marines were always clean and smart ... The marines arrested the two soldiers without any trouble ... We all went down to the gymnasium where the military police (601st and 602nd Commando Companies) were based. An officer came out and said, 'What, you too! Not again!' and gave them quite a bollicking. He told me I would not be troubled by those two again."'' <ref>Operation Corporate: The Falklands War, 1982, Martin Middlebrook, p. 317, Viking, 1985</ref>

Leftist anti-war veterans from the Buenos Aires-based Malvinas Islands Ex-Combatants Centre ('Centro Ex-Combatientes Islas Malvinas' or CECIM) tell of being tortured, tied and pinned to the frozen ground with tent pegs for hours, or punched and kicked for stealing from the food depots or for shooting and killing sheep for food right in middle of minefields and booby-traps. A local, Les Harris remembers giving two young deserters that had taken refuge in his backyard and had killed five of his ducks, exactly five minutes to vacate his property before setting off to get the assistance of the Amphibious Engineer Company, ''"I waited exactly five minutes and then went to the Argentinian marines (Amphibious Engineers) who were in the Social Club. The man in charge asked me whether they were army or marines. I said army. He told his men to get their weapons and then set off to catch them. Half-way up the street they cocked their weapons. They looked very efficient; their marines were always clean and smart ... The marines arrested the two soldiers without any trouble ... We all went down to the gymnasium where the military police (601st and 602nd Commando Companies) were based. An officer came out and said, 'What, you too! Not again!' and gave them quite a bollicking. He told me I would not be troubled by those two again."'' <ref>Operation Corporate: The Falklands War, 1982, Martin Middlebrook, p. 317, Viking, 1985</ref>

In a 2019 interview with ‘Radio Noticias’, former Private Gustavo Alberto Placente from the 181st Military Police Company explained that field punishments were absolutely necessary to keep the conscript soldiers in line.<ref>Gustavo Placente | Indagación a 18 militares por torturas en Malvinas (available on YouTube)</ref>

In a 2019 interview with ‘Radio Noticias’, former Private Gustavo Alberto Placente from the 181st Military Police Company explained that field punishments were absolutely necessary to keep the conscript soldiers in line.<ref>Gustavo Placente | Indagación a 18 militares por torturas en Malvinas (available on YouTube)</ref>