As Ceredigion’s Armed Forces Champion and a veteran, it was a huge privilege to be asked to attend the 40th Anniversary Commemorative events of the Liberation of the Falkland Islands as a guest of their government.

Travelling in the party were General Sir Michael Rose, CO of 22 SAS at the time of the Falklands conflict; Lt/General Chris Brown, who served under General Rose and was his forward observer during the conflict; Hon Stephen Linares MP, Minister at the Gibraltar Government; Deputy Richard Renouf MP, Jersey Government; Cllr Huw Murphy, Pembrokeshire; and myself.

The journey to the Falklands is conducted by the RAF utilising a civilian airline firm actually transporting people from RAF Brize Norton via Cape Verde to the Falkland Islands – a flying time of 17 hours with a stop-over to refuel and change crew at Cape Verde for two hours.

There was a full programme of events, functions and parades for us to attend on our arrival, starting off with a ‘Welcome’ function and the showing of a film the government had commissioned entitled Falklands at 40 at the Malvena Hotel in Port Stanley; a magnificent event and a chance to meet the Falkland Islanders.

14 June is the official Liberation Day… there is another liberation day I will talk about later.

The day started off with an ecumenical church service in the cathedral at Port Stanley, closely followed by an Act of Remembrance and a March Past, led by the band of HM Royal Marines Portsmouth and contingents from all the services who were involved in the liberation of the Islands, followed by a number of Falklands veterans who were all robustly cheered by the crowd.

Myself and the other guests laid wreaths at the memorial, with Cllr Murphy and myself laying our wreaths on behalf of our respective councils and for the Welsh Government and Welsh Local Government Association.

We were then ushered into the town hall to hear the Governor General read out the ‘Letters Patent’ from HM Queen granting Port Stanley ‘city status’. This was met with thunderous clapping and huge cheering.

There were a number of receptions that day which we were invited to attend and chaperoned around by one or another of the Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) who sit as the Falkland Islands Government.

15 June is the official date of the Liberation of West Falkland. This meant an early breakfast and for us to be wrapped up warm as we were then flown out to Fox Bay for their Liberation Ceremony. This was also an opportunity to see the vast expanse that is the archipelago of the Falklands, which consists of over 700 islands including the two main islands of East and West Falklands, which are by far the largest.

It was a moving ceremony where the piper placed the lament and we all laid similar wreaths to the previous day before moving back to the settlement’s community centre for a warming drink and some lunch.

On our return to Stanley, I was able to pay my respects to my own cousin, Brian Hinge, who was lost on HMS Glamorgan on 12 June 1982 when she was hit by a land-launched Exocet missile.

The Glamorgan memorial is appropriately positioned at Surf Bay. I was then able to be driven out to Wireless Ridge, which overlooks Port Stanley, and look back at the Two Sisters Mountains, which were captured by 45 Commando Royal Marines, and then across at Mount Tumbledown, an action led by the Scots Guards with elements of the other units deployed to the Falklands Task Force.

Wireless Ridge is arguably the scene of the last big battle of the Falklands War. Said to be the catalyst for the Argentine surrender, it was also the second big battle that the Parachute Regiment was involved in.

Following this, we then headed back for an evening meal with the CEO of the Falkland Islands Government and his directorate leads; there were lots of interesting conversations and a great learning experience.

The day before we left to come back was to prove to be very bus as we left early for a 180-mile round trip, most of which was on untarmaced roads!

First off, a visit to Fitzroy Bay, to pay our respects to those Welsh Guards who paid the ultimate sacrifice on the RFA Sir Galahad ship.

A Welsh Granite Celtic Cross has been erected with the names of those lost inscribed and is placed on the cliff top opposite where the ship was bombed.

This was followed by a welcome cup of tea and real Bara Brith in what was the shop at Fitzroy settlement but is now a bolt-hole weekend retreat… all painted in the colours of the Welsh flag with the Red Dragon proudly flying outside the property now named Y Bwthyn Bach.

We then drove on to San Carlos Bay (Bomb Alley, as it is affectionately known) to visit the British War Cemetery that has a very poignant memorial wall and the graves of some of those who fell, including Lt/Colonel H Jones VC of the Parachute Regiment.

It was a very moving experience as we also met up with naval veterans from HMS Plymouth who had been in the thick of the action from beginning to end.

It was here that I had been previously asked by General Sir Rose if I would lay a wreath on his behalf to the fallen SAS soldiers he commanded as he was carrying out other duties that day. I was humbled and highly honoured to lay that wreath on his behalf.

We then moved on to Goose Green and Darwin, the scene of a heavy battle in which the Parachute Regiment lost Lt/Col Jones who led an infamous assault on well dug-in machine gun emplacements and paid with his life and the lives of other soldiers also. The objective was finally taken and the rest is written in the annuls of military history.

We had our packed lunch at the Goose Green Community Centre, which was where upwards of 115 people had been incarcerated for 29 days by the Argentinian Forces, and then also visited the Goose Green Museum just a few yards away.

We then made our way back via the battle site where Lt/Col Jones was killed and were able to see the difficulties they encountered.

The long trek back to Stanley was a welcome one after a long day out in the wind and cold. We had the comfort of being driven in a 4x4 vehicle whilst back in 1982 the British troops had to ‘tab’ those monotonous miles to get to their next objective – brave and determined men, everyone.

Our last evening was a dinner with the Falkland Islands Government and its staff. Speeches were made and received. There was an exchange of gifts from Wales, Gibraltar and Jersey.

It was a truly unbelievable time, made even more memorable by the welcome we received from all the Falkland Islanders.

Those 19 hours of travel both ways was worth the lack of sleep as this was an unforgettable experience, one which will stay with me to the day I go to that ‘great parade ground above’.

Thank you to the Falklands people. Diolch i pobol Ynys y Falklands am eu lletygarwch gwych.