A FALKLANDS war veteran has just returned from a "humbling" trip to the battlefields where his comrades died.

Jim Dunne from Poole flew out with 250 former servicemen - his first return since he fought there as a Royal Marine in 1982.

He walked Two Sisters, the hill captured by the marines during the climatic battle to break the Argentine defences around the capital, Port Stanley.

It was still covered in equipment - Jim came across what appeared to be a command bunker with two radio still inside.

"It was like we were there five minutes ago," said Jim, 47, from Egmont Road in Hamworthy.

"I don't remember it being that big. When you looked at the fields of fire and positions it makes you wonder how we got them off, because they wouldn't have got us off."

The specially-chartered flight was organised by the South Atlantic Medal Association and the charity Combat Stress.

This year is the war's 25th anniversary and Falklands veterans led this year's remembrance day parade past the Cenotaph.

"Port Stanley was about twice the size. It was nice to see, it had a thriving economy, still a good community spirit, and very friendly people," said Jim.

"People were tooting their horns at us and shaking our hands, and thanking you for what you did. It felt kind of embarrassing and humbling."

He laid wreaths and remembered two comrades in particular, Mac McAndrews, who was killed 100 yards away by a parachute bomb, and Rob Griffin, who died with five comrades when their landing craft was bombed.

The marines marched 56 miles in three days carrying 80 pounds of equipment to make their attack on Two Sisters.

Jim's role was to support the assaulting troops by firing Milan missiles at bunkers and Argentine positions.

"They got quite close before the firing started," said Jim, who met his wife Tracey while training in Poole.

"They had gone past some of the Argentine positions then that was it, it was just machine gun fire everywhere, and lots of shouting, because it was not like today where everyone has a radio.

"You didn't really think about the Argentineans at the time you were firing at them because we had an objective and we had to capture it.

"But now, looking back, and seeing them in Port Stanley, you feel sorry for them really. They were just stood round with their hands in their pockets freezing cold, depressed, just like they wanted to be told what to do."

He was involved with two of the most famous bits of news footage from the war.

His unit was the one filmed walking into the distance with the rear man carrying a Union Jack. Jim thinks he is the fifth man from the back.

And he saw the HMS Antelope explode after being bombed by Argentine jets. "The sight was something I will never forget," he said.

Jim was medically discharged from the marines in 1985 after nine years service because of knee pain. He now works for a car recovery firm.

He was very proud of his time in the marines and his house had plenty of memorabilia and photos on show.

He said he was "stunned and amazed" by the warmth shown by the Falkland Islanders at the reception for the veterans' visit.

He was a bit nervous before the visit but said it had reassured him people did not fight and die for nothing.

"They had their old ways of life, there was clean air, clean land, no rubbish anywhere. People left their keys in the ignition and at night houses went unlocked.

"I said to the Islanders, the best thing you can do is carry on being who you are.

"Because the guys that died or were injured or suffered post traumatic stress disorder, their payback is seeing you guys living the way you are living and just being Falkland Islanders."