I’M afraid GA Walker in his letter in last week’s Echo is wrong in saying the Vulcan bomber successfully destroyed the runway in Stanley.
I served with the Royal Engineers during the Falklands campaign, so my understanding of events is as follows: The first attack by Vulcan on May 1 straddled the runway, only one bomb hitting the edge of the runway.
The Argentineans then gleefully built several dummy craters for our benefit, and two later ‘Black Buck’ attacks missed completely.
Now, to my recollection, the last Argentinean transport, a Hercules, landed there just before the surrender, and shortly afterwards, our own aircraft. Hardly destroyed!
I will of course concede as part of our Cold War defences it was successful, as we avoided a nuclear war in Europe. So I agree it must be kept flying.
P BRIDLE, Porter Road, Poole
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