Forces TV is promoting a Falklands 40 day on Monday 4 April 2022, which includes a program called "My Secret Falklands War: When Britain's Military Took to the Airwaves" at 20:00 UK
https://www.forces.net/falklands/new-falklands-war-documentary-reveals-incredible-story-top-secret-mission
New Falklands conflict documentary reveals the incredible story of top-secret psychological warfare mission
'My Secret Falklands War: When Britain's Military Took To The Airwaves' explores one of Margaret Thatcher's strangest operations.
It is 40 years since the Falklands - a conflict fought between April and June 1982 and which claimed the lives of 255 British service personnel.
While the UK sent a task force to reclaim the Falklands following Argentina's invasion, there was a top-secret operation launched at the same time.
It involved the creation of a radio station as part of a psychological warfare mission – those involved were sworn to secrecy.
• Falklands War: Everything you need to know https://www.forces.net/news/falklands-war-everything-you-need-know
• Events planned to mark 40th anniversary of the Falklands War https://www.forces.net/news/events-planned-mark-40th-anniversary-falklands-war
• 'It's a real war': Veteran remembers Falklands conflict https://www.forces.net/news/its-real-war-veteran-remembers-falklands-conflict
In 'My Secret Falklands War: When Britain's Military Took To The Airwaves', journalist Stewart Purvis, who covered the Falklands conflict in 1982, tells the inside story of one of Margaret Thatcher's most unusual operations to recover the Falklands from occupying Argentinian forces – 'Project Moonshine'.
After he discovered a list of people involved in Project Moonshine from top-secret documents stored in the French Alps, Stewart spent eight years trying to track them down and speak to them.Now is the first time their experiences have been spoken about.
The operation involved the creation of a propaganda radio station, 'Radio Atlantico Del Sur', through which Spanish-speaking UK military personnel tried to persuade their Argentinian counterparts to surrender while broadcasting to the Falklands and Argentina in Spanish.
After much dispute between top civil servants on its potential success, on 19 May 1982, the very first program went out from the UK with a Royal Navy lieutenant and squadron leader speaking in Spanish over the airwaves.
The radio station had two clear aims: to persuade Argentinian personnel to hesitate before firing on British forces; and to persuade them of the merits of surrender.
The station was a mix of news, music, and features – all with a nuanced psychological aim.
Watch 'My Secret Falklands War: When Britain's Military Took To The Airwaves' on Forces TV (Freeview channel 96, Sky channel 181, Virgin channel 274, Freesat channel 165) at 20:00 UK time on Monday 4 April and at the same time on the Forces News YouTube channel, and at 20:10 UK time on BFBS Extra.
(Tony Rogers/BDXC)
(photo/Britannica)
