It’s almost four decades on but Captain Duncan Ferguson will never forget the devastating attack on one of his ships.
Twenty men died and a further 24 were seriously injured in the sinking of HMS Sheffield in 1982, the first British warship to be lost in 37 years.
It was the first of four Royal Navy ships sunk during the Falklands War – and Kirkcudbrightshire man Duncan was supposed to be on it.
“I served 11 different ships during the Falklands but I happened to be on board HMS Arrow the day that Sheffield was hit and subsequently sunk,” said the 81-year-old.
“We rescued over 200 men off that ship. These are the sorts of things you don’t forget.”
Duncan was the squadron weapons engineer for numerous ships during the 74-day Falklands Islands conflict between Britain and Argentina.
He played a crucial role in the British victory and was mentioned in dispatches for his brave efforts.
Now long retired and living at Glenlair Farm near Corsock, he has self-published a book detailing his fascinating 35-year career in the Royal Navy.
Titled “A Passage From Darjeeling To Galloway”, the book details Duncan’s life story, from being born in India and joining the navy aged 18 to his long journey with the sea forces and settling in Galloway.
His parents, Robert, from Glasgow, and Jean, from Edinburgh, moved to India as his father worked as a tea planter and went on to serve as a colonel in the Indian Army.
Duncan was born in 1940, with five years of World War Two remaining, and went on to have a remarkable career in the naval forces.
“I trained as an electrical officer which became a weapon electrical officer,” he explained.
“My first job was as the weapon engineer of HMS Brighton.
“I had a pretty interesting career overall but the main part of the book is actually about my experiences in the Falklands.
“This year is an important one – our 40th anniversary.”
Taking on responsibility for the weapons systems of eight ships during the Falklands, Duncan rose to the senior role of commander. He later became a navy captain.
On May 4, 1982, two days after the sinking of General Belgrano, the British lost the Type 42 destroyer HMS Sheffield to fire following a missile strike.
The ship was struck amidships, with devastating effect, ultimately killing 20 crew members and severely injuring 24 others. The ship was abandoned several hours later and continued to burn for six more days before sinking.
In total, 255 British military personnel, 649 Argentine military personnel, and three Falkland Islanders died during the conflict.
Duncan will honour them and mark the anniversary by attending a ceremony this year.
His book, which took two years to write, captures his own personal experiences during the Falklands and just a few copies have been published for his family and friends.
