The only surviving seaworthy craft from the Falklands war will make the short trip across the Solent from Portsmouth Historic Dockyard to feature at Isle of Wight Armed Forces Day later this month. Foxtrot 8 (F8) is best known for her contribution in the South Atlantic, during the 1982 Falklands war. F8 was one of four vessels of its type carried on board HMS Fearless. With her sister craft, F8 played a major part in landing Royal Marine and Paratroop contingents on the Falkland Islands at San Carlos Water, later to be known as ‘Bomb Alley’. This craft helped maintain a continuous flow of stores and support ashore, pausing only for enemy air raids. Ian Dore, event organiser, said:
“There is nothing glamorous about war and F8 is a reminder of some of the grim experiences of battle. “Equally though, it reminds us of the courage of those involved. Not just the troops on the craft going ashore on the Islands, but those operating the craft itself. “F8 is in incredible shape and is literally floating history. A relic from a war that took place, just shy of 8,000 miles away, 42 years ago. It is a craft that is bristling with heritage and is with us at the event. History cannot be avoided, and we can and should learn from the past. This really is something special and you’ll be able to engage and get aboard.”
F8 will be based at Ryde Marina alongside a Combat Support Boat from 17 Port and Maritime. A landing raft — known as a Mexiflote — used by the Royal Logistic Corps, will be displayed on Ryde sands. The Combat Support Boat is a powerful, versatile craft which has a major role in supporting both bridging and amphibious operations. It’s a general-purpose working boat that also supports diving and ship-to-shore operations and re-supply support. 
Ian added:
“Thanks goes to Mermaid Gin for sponsoring this vessel and the synergy is obvious. “With what their team achieved after completing the World’s Toughest Row with them crossing the Atlantic, it couldn’t be more appropriate. “Paul Berry is an ex-Naval Petty Officer and with all of them, there is a natural affinity with the sea. Foxtrot 8 will be on display for you to interact with, in Ryde Marina. “For those with an interest of waterborne craft, history, heritage and courageous spirit; the first pontoon by the slipway is your first port of call. A real mix of the old and the new. Ahoy hoy!”
Isle of Wight Armed Forces Day takes place in Ryde on Sunday, 30 June and more information is available online: https://isleofwightarmedforcesday.co.uk/
Let’s give those who lost their lives the respect they deserve by voting reform.
These brave people went to war to prevent their country and its people having their way of life changed forever by a foreign invading force.
Now past and current politicians have betrayed them by ruining our children’s future.
Even if voters use this as a protest vote, perhaps the next party will not just use words but truly limit future amounts.
This is not about hate but common sense as the numbers are endless
Immigration regulation is being promised by all parties so don’t pretend that Reform is the answer because their solution won’t work. Obviously, net zero immigration is not the answer because there would be insufficient people working to pay taxes that would fund the pensions of an increasingly elderly society and the rapidly growing population on benefits. Think about why this country needs immigration before spouting off. Maybe Reform plans to cull the elderly and those on benefits to make their plan work because it won’t otherwise.
Insufficient people to pay taxes? These people arrive with nothing. So everything has to be given to them, as they have nothing.
So why don’t you do the basic maths in your head, their clearly is room.
They need a home, minimum cost of a hundred thousand for a basic one room flat, IF lucky to find at that and claim free council tax.
They will likely earn min wage, so pay NO tax, they will likely have plenty of children, or even if not, will all be entitled to free nhs treatment, free dental care, free prescriptions, soon as they have kids, then free uniforms, school meals, a costly one to one education if their English is poor, thousands a year given in tax credits or U.C now.
So we are better off without.
The vast majority of immigrants come to work and already have jobs organised because that is how the system works. They are keeping this bone idle country going. This country would go under without all of these hard-working immigrants.
Net zero doesn’t mean people cannot work here, just they will do so on a visa system as they used to do.
Then if they work for decades, pay in full NI, stay out of trouble, then, as imm’s of yester year, no one would object.
Reform will be saving more elderly by vetting immigrants who arrive by work visas, as it is, any murderer, rapist, terrorist, prolific thief, and mentally deranged can float over , to rob, knife, rape, blow up, run over, stab, molest, enslave, acid attack, or any other crime you wish to name.
Reform will save more from harm from unsavoury, unchecked arrivals.
Why do YOU think we have passports?
AI will make many jobs redundant, we don’t need more people coming now, enough IS enough.
They fought against people who shared the same hateful xenophobic attitude as Reform.
Just because they were Germans who hated Poles, Jews, Roma, Gays, etc doesn’t make them any different to English white supremacists like Reform.
You sully the name of those who fought and died for the rights and freedom of all people.
Rubbish, islander, they fought, as most of us would now, to protect OUR loved ones, and OUR way of life and OUR country for us, and our families to enjoy the best life possible here.
It is a cruel disrespect lie to ‘pretend’ that they risked and lost their lives so the once Great Britain, could be filled FOREVER with those who often hate us, hate our way of life, and do the most vile crimes imaginable from deliberately gang raping just white young girls as in Rotherham and Rochdale, and countless bombs, beheading our innocents, let along deliberately running over innocents, combined with countless other evil deeds.
YOU fully disrespect the dead to try, in vain, to ‘justify’ having an endless supply arriving here, but most know.
Rubbish, islander, they fought, as most of us would now, to protect OUR loved ones, and OUR way of life and OUR country for us, and our families to enjoy the best life possible here.
It is a cruel disrespect lie to ‘pretend’ that they risked and lost their lives so the once Great Britain, could be filled FOREVER with those who often hate us, hate our way of life, and do the most vile crimes imaginable from deliberately gang raping just white young girls as in Rotherham and Rochdale, and countless bombs, beheading our innocents, let along deliberately running over innocents, combined with countless other evil deeds.
YOU fully disrespect the dead to try, in vain, to ‘justify’ having an endless supply arriving here, but most know.
It is you who are sullying their honour and deeds.
Do you really think, than a 1940’s British lad or girl, would risk dying for anyone other than the people they loved, and knew in their home towns?
Same stupid attitude as those who imagine that the ethnic soldiers joined up to save ‘us’ unborn generations. The truth is they fought as they knew that the Nazis would give them a vile life.
Reform aren’t about hating people but about caring for their own people and country which as we see, is struggling to feed its own let alone a never ending amount of newcomers.
Remember that the ethnics can breed faster than we can house, pay for, treat, and educate them. so instead of helping us, they hinder progress and living standards
Strange how some people want to jump on the Reform band-wagon based on an idealised and wrong-headed notion of what they stand for. Reform’s policies differ little from those of the Tories, except they want to abolish inheritance tax, scrap planning laws, and privatise the NHS, which all suit the wealthy suits who run this “party”. All parties want to regulate immigration to a reasonable level. However, Reform is the only party that provides no details of how they will regulate immigration. This is because all of their policies are clueless hand waving and they are just trying to whip up xenophobia. Reform is the National Front combined with the Monster Raving Looney party.
Who are the three geezers in jeans and jackets (not to mention the dodgy footwear)?
Be good to see you again Knocka. Remember the cart races down Ventnor Cascade way back when? Sitting in the Mill Bay most of the day wasting time? Xav looking fit after his row too. Paul should introduce himself to PP!