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Auction: 14001 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals and Militaria
Lot: 20

The Unique and Historically Important 1982 'Defence of South Georgia' D.S.C. Group of Six to Lieutenant, Later Captain, K.P. Mills, Royal Marines, Who Aged Just 22 and Having Never Been in Battle Before Led His Detachment of 21 Men in a Valiant Defence of the Island Against a Major Argentine Assault By Land, Sea and Air. "In Spite of the Fact that His Unit Was Impossibly Outnumbered, Extensive Damage Was Inflicted on the Argentine Corvette Guerrico, One Helicopter Was Shot Down and Another Damaged."
a) Distinguished Service Cross, E.II.R., silver (Hallmarks for London 1980), reverse officially dated '1982'
b) General Service 19162-2007, one clasp, Northern Ireland (2Lt K P Mills RM), partially officially corrected
c) South Atlantic 1982, with rosette (A/Lt K P Mills RM)
d) United Nations Medal for Cyprus
e) United Nations Medal for the Protection Force in Former Yugoslavia
f) NATO Medal for Former Yugoslavia, with Bar, generally good very fine or better, mounted court style as worn, with the following related items and documents:
- D.S.C. Royal Mint case of issue
- Daily Star Gold Award '81 Medal, gilt metal, reverse engraved 'Lt. Keith Mills and the 100 Marines who defended the Falkland Islands'; with Menu from awards ceremony signed by other recipients including Sir Ian Botham, dated 6.4.1982
- Recipient's Naval Pay and Identity Book; Kit Record Book for RM and RN Personnel
- The Negative of the historic photograph of the Royal Marines force which defended King Edward Point, 3.4.1982 - this was attempted to be removed, without success, from the camera by an Argentine upon Mills' surrender
- Wall Calendar from Mills' cabin in H.M.S. Endurance, which was continued to be filled in by the ship's complement during his absence on South Georgia - he was re-united with it for Operation Keyhole
- Postcard sent by recipient to his girlfriend, from Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, dated February 1982
- "Familygram" sent by Mills to his girlfriend, via C-in-C Fleet, 'Hi Liz. Everything seems to have gone to pot down here. Can't say what I am doing but if you read the newspapers they will give you a fair idea. I won't be able to write or phone for a while so don't be surprised if you don't hear from me. Looking forward to seeing you sometime. All my love Keith', envelope dated 2.4.1982
- Letter sent from recipient to his father, stamped 'H.M.S. Endurance, Antarctica, 12.6.1982'
- Letter of congratulation to recipient from Admiral Sir Desmond Cassidi, K.C.B., Chief of Naval Personnel and Second Sea Lord, on the occasion of the award of his D.S.C., dated 7.6.1982
- Letter to the same effect from Rear-Admiral G.M.K. Brewer, Flag Officer Medway, dated 7.6.1982
- Letter to the same effect from Lieutenant General Sir Steuart Pringle, Commandant General Royal Marines, dated 4.6.1982
- Letter to the same effect from Major General J.C. Hardy, M.V.O., Chief of Staff, Department of The Commandant General Royal Marines, dated 22.6.1982
- Letter of congratulation to recipient's father from Captain N. Barker, R.N., dated 1.8.1982
- Copy of recipient's Official Record of Proceedings for the action at Grytviken to his C/O, original dated 7.5.1982
- Copy of Mills' recommendations for Operational Awards for his men as a consequence of the engagement with Argentine forces at Grytviken, 3.4.1982, originally dated 7.5.1982
- Carbon Service Certificate for the period 30.6.1982-16.9.1982, signed by Captain N. Barker, H.M.S. Endurance
- A number of photographs from various stages of recipient's career, and a quantity of original newspaper cuttings
- Correspondence relating to Mills joining the Royal Marines, and copies of Officers' Confidential Report
- a quantity of Airmail Envelopes for ships' complements use, stamped 'H.M.S. Endurance, Antarctica, 9.6.1982'
- H.M.S. Endurance Christmas Card; Return of H.M.S. Endurance cover, with British Forces Postal Service Centenary cancellation; two South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Official First Day Covers, each featuring 25p, 50p, 60p, and £1.05 stamps, the latter showing Mills Peak, with cancellations, both signed 'Guy Sheridan' and 'Keith Mills'; and postcard of Grytviken Church, in envelope addressed to the recipient, with South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands cancellation
- Admiralty Chart of South Georgia, showing the location of Mills Peak
- Limited edition Print "Action at Grytviken - 3rd April 1982" by Bert Felstead, number 100 of 100, signed by Mills
- Order of Service for the Rededication of H.M.S. Endurance, dated 8.10.1981; Order of Service to Commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the Liberation of South Georgia, 25.4.1982 (lot)

D.S.C. London Gazette 4.6.1982 Acting Lieutenant Keith Paul Mills, Royal Marines.
'Lieutenant Mills was the Commanding Officer of a 22-man Royal Marines contingent despatched to South Georgia on 31st March 1982 to monitor the activities of a group of Argentines illegally landed on the island and to protect a British Antarctic Survey Team based there. On 3rd April 1982 a major Argentine assault began on the island and, following his unsuccessful attempts to forestall the attack by negotiation, Lieutenant Mills conducted a valiant defence in the face of overwhelming odds. In spite of the fact that his unit was impossibly outnumbered, extensive damage was inflicted on the Argentine corvette Guerrico, one helicopter was shot down and another damaged. Only when the detachment was completely surrounded, and it was obvious that further resistance would serve no purpose, did he order a ceasefire, placing himself at great personal risk to convey this fact to the invading forces. Lieutenant Mills' resolute leadership during this action reflected the finest traditions of the Corps.'

Captain Keith Paul Mills, D.S.C., R.M., was born in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, and grew up in Amlwch on Anglesey. The son 'of a nuclear engineer, he attended Sir Thomas Jones' School before entering the Royal Marines, in September 1978, as a Probationary Second Lieutenant. After training in England and Brunei, and a tour of duty with 41 Commando RM in Northern Ireland, he attended a Professional Studies Course at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. At the suggestion of one of his troop sergeants, Barry Nelms, he applied for the appointment of Officer Commanding Royal Marines Detachment, H.M.S. Endurance, and was mildly surprised when his application was approved in the spring of 1981.

Of medium height, lightly framed, he was physically well adapted for the various sports which interested him. A sub-aqua diver, skier and mountaineer, he was also a light middleweight boxer and judo black belt. The angular face and deep-set brilliant eyes reflected great vitality and a driving ambition to live life to the full... Perhaps the ultimate tribute to Keith Mills was the comment - made after the war of 1982 - by one of his contemporaries: 'We were bloody lucky in the character of the bloke who happened to be in command down there.' (Operation Paraquat, The Battle for South Georgia, R. Perkins refers)

Argentina - A Brief Stop-Over
Having been appointed Officer Commanding Royal Marines Detachment, H.M.S. Endurance (Antarctic Ice Patrol Ship) Mills set sail with her and his 13 men, from Southsea in October 1981. After 'calling at Gibraltar, Funchal, Rio de Janeiro and Montevideo, the Endurance reached Bahia Blanca, an Argentine naval base, on 26th November. The principal Argentine naval unit currently in port was the cruiser General Belgrano. The visit lasted only six days but, during that time, the British established a particularly happy relationship with the ship's company of the big warship. (Ibid)

With no inkling of future hostilities the Endurance left Bahia Blanca on the 1st December and dropped anchor in Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, four days later. From here the Endurance and her complement embarked upon her survey work and visited many of the research stations in the Antarctic region, also visiting ports in Argentina and Chile. Included in these visits soon to be 'enemy waters' was a trip to Mar del Plata, February 1982, where Mills' Marine Detachment were able to meet and watch Argentine Marines carry out training including practicing Section Attacks; at ground level there was little to suggest that armed conflict was imminent, despite the increasing level of negative statements being made by the Galtieri regime in relation to the 'Islas Malvinas'. The Endurance left Mar del Plata on the 22nd of February, arriving at Port Stanley 3 days later; she set sail again, almost immediately, to commence her third and final work period in the Antarctic, 'on 1st March, in foul weather, she reached the BAS base at Rothera, four months earlier a violent storm had wrecked the two Twin Otter aircraft normally operated by the BAS at this station, so the Endurance's Wasp flight was particularly welcome. Other bases around the Antarctic Peninsula were visited and serviced, and various evolutions carried out to satisfy the needs of a Royal Naval camera crew filming sequences for a projected public relations feature entitled 'Endurance'. An important hydrographic survey was completed before she headed back to South Georgia to collect a Joint Services Expedition from Molke Harbour. On 16th March she anchored off King Edward Point' (Ibid). With almost all her duties complete for the summer season the Endurance's crew were scheduled to be back in the United Kingdom by the 20th May; however as things turned out, their much awaited arrival was not to occur until the 20th August.

"Any Old Iron"
On the 11th March an Argentine scrap-metal merchant named Constantino Davidoff applied to the British embassy for permission to take up a contract negotiated with a Scottish-based shipping firm called Salvesen. The contract was to clear the abandoned whaling station at Leith in South Georgia. Davidoff's vessel was the Argentine navy transport Bahia Buen Suceso. The British embassy agreed to Davidoff's request on the proviso that he would need formal authorisation from the British Antarctic Survey base at Grytviken once he had arrived on the island. Davidoff's ship arrived unannounced at Leith on the 19th March, the same day that the Endurance returned to Port Stanley. A four man BAS team were carrying out routine transport of stores when they stumbled upon Davidoff's men in Leith Harbour with the Argentine flag raised. The BAS team reported by radio to the Governor in Port Stanley (Rex Hunt) that the Argentines appeared to be a mixture of genuine contractors with a number of other men dressed in military style uniforms. The scientists were told to order the Argentine Captain to lower the flag and seek proper authorisation. The flag was lowered but no further action was taken - all of this information was relayed to H.M.S. Endurance on the night of the 19th and Hunt and Captain Barker came to the conclusion that Davidoff's landing was 'nothing more than a cover for the establishment of an Argentine navy base on South Georgia, leading later to assertions of sovereignty over the whole island.' (Ibid) On the same night the Governor recommended in his report to London that the entire Argentine group should be ordered immediately off the island. Hunt proposed that 'H.M.S. Endurance should return to South Georgia as heavyweight bailiff.'

H.M.S. Endurance - The Heavyweight Bailiff
The following day, a few hours after sending his report, Rex Hunt was presenting the Stanley Shield to Peter Leach (senior Non-Com of the R.M. Detachment - see Lot 445 Spink April 2012), as the Endurance's football team triumphed against the Stanley Football Club 6 goals to 3 in the final. After the celebrations 'At 0615 on Sunday morning, however, they were awakened by an urgent radio message from the ship, telling them to re-embark immediately. They were sailing in three hours' (Ibid). Mrs Thatcher with 'remarkable promptness agreed with Lord Carrington to send Endurance from Port Stanley, taking with her two dozen marines from the Port Stanley garrison under the command of a 22 year old Lieutenant named Keith Mills. They arrived off the BAS station at Grytviken four days later and were told to await orders.' (The Battle for the Falklands, M. Hastings and S. Jenkins, refers). With Mills' command now up to platoon strength, 'Lt. Mills and Sergeant Leach set about the task of planning the seizure of Leith Harbour. It was assumed that the Royal Marines landing party might encounter armed resistance. Mills prepared his men accordingly. They would go ashore fully equipped, with a generous scale of ammunition and, if it was forced upon them, ready to fight. The prospect of imminent action sent morale soaring' (Operation Paraquat, The Battle for South Georgia, R. Perkins, refers).

It would take three days for the Endurance and her Marine Detachment to reach South Georgia. In the interim period the BAS team was requested to keep a covert watch on Leith Harbour pending the return of the British ship. They established themselves on Jason Peak, the main feature of the Busen Peninsula. On the 23rd March they reported the departure of the Bahia Buen Suceso from Leith. She had unloaded a large number of fuel drums and had left a number of workmen ashore. The next day, however, the Argentine naval survey ship Bahia Paraiso (Captain Trombetta) took her place, putting ashore a full marine detachment with orders to 'protect' the remaining Leith workmen.

On the 24th March Nick Barker anchored the Endurance off Grytviken, awaiting further orders from London. The Royal Marines took over from the BAS team for the observation of the Argentines at Jason Peak. Having noted the arrival of the Bahia Paraiso, it was decided to establish a second observation post much closer to the Argentine position. The new post was set up on Grass Island, 3 miles south of Leith. Using the Wasp helicopters from H.M.S. Endurance the marines were covertly flown in at very low altitude each day for three days. The observers were withdrawn to the British ship each night, 'the Grass Island observation post was able to report activity in general terms, but it did not have a direct line of sight into the area of the buildings. On 27th March, therefore, it was decided that Keith Mills and Peter Leach would make a secret close-range reconnaissance. They were taken by launch to Carlita Bay and put ashore, at first light, at the foot of the Olsen Valley. Carrying their side arms, but with minimal equipment and no radio, the two men trekked through squalls of rain and sleet around the shore of Stromness Bay. They passed through the old abandoned whaling stations of Husvik and Stromness - where there was no sign of Argentine activity - until they came to the high ground south of Leith Harbour. Carefully ascending the 500 foot slopes of Harbour Point, they hid themselves in a rocky outcrop only 600 yards from the settlement. They watched the busy scene on the jetty and counted the oil drums, crates and containers. The Argentines evidently intended to stay on the island for a long time and in strength… After 45 minutes, satisfied that they had noticed everything of importance, Mills and Leach withdrew from Harbour Point… They covered 14 miles… over exposed terrain, without apparently being detected. Shortly after leaving Harbour Point, however, they were forced to take cover in a patch of tussock grass. An Alouette helicopter had taken off from the Bahia Paraiso and it started to patrol the coastline. The two marines lay hidden for a long time as the aircraft cruised back and forth and, for a short while, dipped low over the track which they intended to follow.' (Ibid)

Mills and Leach returned safely, and over the next few days the two naval forces shadowed each other, with Barker keeping his two Wasps busy with constant reconnaissance. On the afternoon of the 31st March the Endurance received orders to return to Port Stanley with all haste, 'the mounting volume of evidence arriving in London was indicating that invasion of the Falkland Islands was now a very strong possibility. Barker was told to put ashore his ship's detachment of Royal Marines at King Edward Point before sailing. In the same way that the Royal Marines on East Falkland gave some credibility to Great Britain's stance on the question of sovereignty there, a military presence was required on South Georgia for the same purpose. The military personnel could also provide protection - if required - for the unarmed BAS civilians. One platoon defending an island a hundred miles in length could be nothing more than a token force, but there was no alternative' (Ibid).

That evening the marines and their ammunition were brought ashore, and they entrenched themselves at the BAS station. They were alone, as the Endurance made her way back to the Falklands, 'the Argentine fleet was at sea and within striking distance of the Falklands and South Georgia. Reports spoke of major units to the north of the islands, with a second force approaching from the south, possibly two frigates, armed with Exocet missiles, were deployed somewhere between the Falklands and South Georgia… and a submarine was rumoured to be en-route… To counter this display of power, Rex Hunt and Nick Barker had 73 marines on East Falkland, 22 marines on South Georgia, and the dear old 'plum' wallowing along halfway between the two. The nearest support was at Gibraltar, 5,500 miles and two weeks' steaming away.' (Ibid)

It was decided that both the marines and the scientists would live together in the large building called Shackleton House. Mills took over Quigley's House to act as his store and armoury. The platoon was dependent on the BAS for food and drink so Mills set up a strict rationing system.

The Argentine landings on East Falkland occurred on the 1st to 2nd April 1982, and despite brave resistance, against overwhelming odds, the Marines were forced to surrender Port Stanley. Whilst this was occurring Mills and his marines were preparing as best as they could with the following orders, 'Firstly, it was his duty to maintain a British military presence on the island. Secondly, he was to protect the BAS personnel at King Edward Point in the event of an "emergency". Thirdly, he must maintain a continuing surveillance of Leith Harbour' (Ibid). One positive of the situation was that Mills had obtained the detachment's full war allowance of arms and ammunition before leaving Port Stanley, 'a quantity of anti-tank missiles; twenty 66mm rockets and a Carl Gustav launcher with twelve rounds. In addition, he had two general purpose machine guns (GPMG) and two Bren guns (LMG). Each marine was armed with the self-loading rifle (SLR), the standard individual infantry weapon. He himself carried a Sterling sub machine gun (SMG) and Sergeant Leach, a qualified sniper marksman, was armed with the L42 sniper's rifle.' (Ibid)

The marines and the BAS personnel on South Georgia had gathered around the radio and listened in shock as the invasion of the Falklands had taken place, 'Like any other young officer ever given the chance to show his mettle, Mills was fully aware of the opportunity which suddenly had presented itself. Apart from any fresh instructions which might come to him by radio, he was free of any constraining influence by officers of higher rank. It did not require a vivid imagination to understand that his reputation in the Corps might be made or marred by his personal decisions in the coming hours and days. His situation was in every respect unique. It is not possible to recall any other episode in British military history when such a small force has been placed in such an isolated position and with so much hanging on its conduct.' (Ibid)

Down to Business
Mills prepared for the worst, it was agreed that the BAS personnel should be removed from the vicinity of the Marines' main defensive position. Steve Martin, as BAS Base Commander, stayed with the marines whilst the remainder mainly withdrew to the old whaler's church behind Grytviken, 'Mills knew that he could not remain for long on King Edward Point if faced with a superior force, but his men were all trained in Arctic warfare techniques and were extremely fit… Each man had his full issue of Arctic warfare clothing and other equipment. With a little luck, they could sustain themselves for weeks in the empty wastes of the hinterland' (Ibid).

The basic plan was to resist the initial landing, make a fighting withdrawal under the cover of darkness and then fight a guerrilla campaign from the higher ground. Mills 'ordered his men to pack their Bergen rucksacks with spare clothing, food and ammunition. The packs were loaded onto the BAS tractor and trailer and hauled around the edge of the Cove to Grytviken where they were dumped at the church. Having resisted the initial landing, the marines would make a fighting withdrawal, under cover of darkness, recover their packs, and then move inland. The intended route would take them up the steep 2,000-foot slopes of Mount Hodges and northward to Maiviken. Mills hoped to hide his small force among the rock caves and snow pinnacles and conduct a guerrilla campaign until such time as a relief force might appear. He also counted upon being able to make use of the BAS hut and emergency food dump at Maiviken.' (Ibid)

Roll Out the Red Carpet
Mills undertook preparatory defensive measures including rigging the landing jetty at King Edward Point with explosives. A seaborne assault was expected and this was problematic considering there were two beaches and Mills lacked the firepower to cover both. Mills employed his explosives expert Marine Les Daniels to build 'home-made' mines and bury them along the east beach. These were to be detonated if necessary by electrical impulse from the central control post. Slit trenches were also to be dug in front of Shackleton House and continued for approximately 150 yards. The weather was atrocious, with up to Force 10 gales, severely hampering the Marines, 'by 0930 on that Friday [2nd April]… visibility was very limited. The marines were struggling to dig their trenches and Daniels had great difficulty in fixing the petrol drum under the jetty. He had not yet even started to lay his beach mines. In tactical terms, the detachment was extremely vulnerable. It was at this point that a large ship was seen to emerge from the curtain of driving rain at the entrance to Cumberland East Bay. It was the Bahia Paraiso. "Stand to, stand to!" Everyone threw themselves flat or tried to crouch in the half-dug water-filled trenches. Mills left Peter Leach in charge and hurried down to the jetty to receive possible visitors'. (Ibid)

Captain Trombetta spoke via the radio to Steve Martin informing him that he would receive an important message the following morning; having imparted his message the ship turned and left, 'with hindsight, it is evident that the Argentines intended originally that their seizure of South Georgia should coincide with their invasion of the Falkland Islands. Only the foul weather prevented them... The wind was much too strong for the launching of helicopters and the seas too violent for the operation of landing craft. Thanks to the storm, Keith Mills was granted twenty-four hours of additional breathing space in which to complete his preparations. As Peter Leach commented later: 'If it hadn't been for the lousy weather we would have been caught with our pants at half-mast' (Ibid).

Before the marines disembarked from the Endurance an ad hoc transmitting device had been manufactured for them. This meant that the troops on shore could communicate simple messages in code with H.M.S. Endurance. At 10.30 'on 2 April, Mills used this... to signal the Endurance. He reported the visit to Cumberland East Bay of the Bahai Paraiso and asked for instructions. Forty-five minutes later the reply came through: 'When the Argentines again make contact you are not to co-operate.' It required fifteen minutes for Mills to encode his second signal: 'Your last message ambiguous. Please clarify.' There was now a long pause before the Endurance again responded.

At approximately 1300, Mills was told: 'When asked to do so you are not to surrender.' Mills and Martin studied the words and looked at each other. 'Christ! What does that mean?' They debated the matter for a few minutes and Keith Mills then decided that - allowing for the limitations of the home-made code - this signal more or less permitted him to use his own on-the-spot judgement. The question of surrender had not previously surfaced in the orders given to him.

Reasonably happy with this interpretation, he left Steve Martin alone in the radio shack and went up to Shackleton House to talk to Peter Leach. A short time later, at 1320, Martin received another message from the Endurance: 'The Officer Commanding Royal Marines is not repeat not to take any action which may endanger life.'

Martin called Mills back to the shack and they stared in amazement at the slit of paper. This was something entirely new. If followed, this instruction did not allow Keith Mills even the modest latitude of the Yellow Card rules. Literally it denied him the right to open fire under any circumstances. He concluded that 'nobody wanted to take the rap for dead men' and tried to dismiss the message from his mind. It seemed that he had been 'dumped in at the deep end' and could expect little official support if things went wrong.' (Ibid)

Time To Dig In
Faced with limited resources and man-power Mills set about creating his defence works, 'the left flank trenches had a good view of the beach and their arcs of fire covered the area where Marine Daniels intended to plant his home-made minefield. The field of vision for the centre and right flank trenches was restricted because it was partly blocked by the roofs of the buildings in the area of the jetty. However, the weapons in these trenches could be brought to bear upon the track leading up from the jetty, upon anyone attempting to occupy the buildings, and upon anyone advancing across the open ground, near the radio shack, normally used as the helicopter landing area.

Concealment of the trenches was aided by the fact that they were set back from the edge of the Shackleton House plateau. This ground is approximately thirty feet higher than that on which stand the other buildings of King Edward Point. Furthermore, the thick tussock grass still had its summer foliage and this helped to camouflage the marines' positions. The only isolated trench was one of the Bren gun positions. It was sited on higher ground, two hundred yards away, on Hope Point (where Ernest Shackleton's memorial cross forms a prominent landmark). The Bren's accuracy over long ranges made it ideal for this dominant feature. It covered the sea approaches to Hope Point, could fire down onto King Edward Point, or could rake the beach in front of Shackleton House.

The home-made mines were buried in the sand and pebbles of the beach and the final connections made. Daniels still had some explosives in hand, so he proceeded to booby-trap Quigley's House and several other buildings. These were clearly unconventional measures, but Mills believed that it was his prime duty to protect the lives of his men and to sustain their fighting capability. To achieve this aim he used whatever materials were available.

Mills inspected Daniels' handiwork and felt satisfied that he had created an effective killing ground. If necessary, any hostile force coming ashore on the beach could be shredded with scrap metal. Alternatively, any craft coming alongside the jetty could be engulfed in a fireball. He had done everything possible to protect the BAS personnel and their property. His methods clearly breached the spirit of the instructions received that morning via H.M.S. Endurance, but he was determined to ensure a hot reception for any Argentines who might insist upon making an armed landing.' (Ibid)

On the 3rd April it was decided to bring the four man surveillance team back from Jason Peak. Leach went to collect them and with his return brought back well timed intelligence. Three hours earlier they had radioed in with the news of the arrival of an Argentine frigate in Stromness Bay, 'in the words of Keith Mills, 'this threw a whole new light on the situation.'

Leach and his party were 'quickly debriefed by Keith Mills. He wanted full details of the warship entering Stromness Bay... He knew that his detachment would be helpless if subjected to sustained gunfire from a ship standing off beyond the limited range of his own weaponry.' (Ibid)

The warship was the frigate Guerrico. Her formidable armament included twin MM38 Exocet rocket launchers, a 100mm semi-automatic gun on her forecastle and a 40mm gun on her stern. The two guns were immediate cause for concern; however, like many modern warships her superstructure was mainly composed of aluminium and as such if she were to come close to the shore she could be penetrated by small-arms fire. This vital information had been on the whole provided by Marine Paddy McCallion who had worked in shipyards prior to joining the Marines, and had always been fascinated by all things naval.

Within half an hour of the observation party's return, 'the morning stillness was broken by the sound of a distant engine. Several voices shouted together: "Chopper!", "Freeze!", "Take cover!", "Don't move!" In the event everyone leapt into his trench except Sergeant Leach. He had been too busy to dig one for himself, so he lay down in a fold in the ground just in front of Shackleton House "Watch your front and report. Don't shoot. Don't point your weapons. Pass the word." Leach shouted his orders to the nearest marines and they shouted to the others on the flanks. Everyone watched as a helicopter circled over Cumberland East Bay and then came lower to make several fast passes over King Edward cove.' (ibid)

The helicopter was one of the Alouettes assigned to the Bahia Paraiso. It carried out a reconnaissance of the area and then flew away after ten minutes. Within moments of its departure the Bahia Paraiso came into sight and Captain Trombetta delivered the following message:

'Following our successful operation in the Malvinas Islands the ex-Governor has surrendered the islands and dependencies to Argentina. We suggest you adopt a similar course of action to prevent any further loss of life. A ceasefire is now in force.'

Martin acknowledged the Argentine's message and asked for five minutes to consider, 'Trombetta's ultimatum contained two blatant lies. Governor Hunt had not surrendered the dependencies, only the Falkland Islands. Martin and Mills quickly agreed that they were not being told the truth on this point. The use of 'ceasefire' was, however, a different matter. They now knew that the United Nations Security Council had been in emergency session since Thursday night. All manner of peace initiatives were in the air. The BBC World Service was broadcasting regular reports on the diplomatic developments. Was it possible, wondered Mills, that the British Government had agreed to a formal ceasefire in the past few hours? If so, what would be the consequences, for himself and for his country, if he opened fire? Of all the pressures placed upon him, this was the one which caused him the greatest anxiety.' (Ibid)

Captain Trombetta also asked that Martin bring all of his BAS personnel out into the open so that they could be counted. Martin, after consultation with Mills, replied that there was a British military presence on the island and that it would be defended if the Argentines tried to land. Mills 'realised that the Endurance might not be able to monitor these exchanges. He suggested to Martin that he should switch to a high frequency channel. On the pretext that the VHF reception was not good, Steve Martin changed to a different channel and slowly read back Trombetta's ultimatum 'to be certain that he had understood it correctly.' The Endurance's operators did indeed pick up this transmission. They also heard, shortly afterwards, an announcement by Trombetta that he intended to send troops ashore by helicopter, and Steve Martin's repeated warning that any such illegal landing would be resisted by force.' (Ibid)

To add to the tension of the situation the Guerrico appeared with her two guns trained on the shore, 'as they stood in the radio shack, debating what should be done next, Mills and Martin glanced out of the window. There, on the far side of Cumberland East Bay, was the Bahia Paraiso. Around her, circling low over the water, was her Alouette helicopter. It was tracking backwards and forwards at a range of about 5,000 yards from the British position. Suddenly, moving slowly, and very much closer, appeared the grey bows of the Guerrico... Keith Mills had the distinct impression that their point of aim was him, personally... with hindsight, it is evident that the Guerrico was trailing her coat-tails to see if she could provoke a response from King Edward Point. Mills' belief at the time, however, was that she had come close inshore to launch a small boat and send ashore an envoy to discuss surrender terms.

The likeliest landing point would be the jetty. Leaving Steve Martin to stand by the radio, Mills left the shack and walked down to the jetty, two hundred yards away. With him he took the explosives party - Daniels, Church and Porter - as his personal escort. While he stood waiting on the jetty, the Guerrico entered the Cove, turned, and started to make her way out again. Puzzled, Keith Mills gazed at the ship, looking for a sign of any signs of a boat being lowered overside. There was no such activity, but the ship's guns had been relaid and were again pointing at the King Edward Point buildings.

At this point he heard the clatter of helicopter blades to his left. There, only fifty yards away, was the Alouette, already on the rough ground of the Point, with armed men jumping out and running for cover... Mills turned and faced the new arrivals, his SMG slung across his shoulder. With the idea of letting them know that he was a soldier, to confirm that there were British troops on the island, he waived to the Argentines and pointed to his combat jacket. The fifth man - just leaving the Alouette - saw Mills and his face registered total surprise. After a moment's hesitation he reached forward and tapped his nearest companion on the shoulder, shouting and pointing at Mills. The second soldier swung around, spotted the British officer and started to swing his rifle up to his shoulder. His stance was clearly that of a man about to fire.

Keith Mills took to his heels and ran. Ducking and weaving, making use of dead ground, he covered the three hundred yards up to Shackleton House in record time. At any moment he expected a bullet through his back, but in fact no shots were fired at him. As he ran, he took Les Daniels and the two other marines with him. 'Come on, get back.' There was no point in leaving the engineer at the mines control post. The Argentines were not landing by boat, as expected, so that part of the original defence plan was now useless.' (Ibid)

Contact! By Land, Sea and Air
With the Guerrico cruising into the cove and the Bahia Paraiso on the other side of the bay, the stricken marines watched as armed troops landed from the helicopter advanced towards them, 'then Keith Mills came running over the crest and dropped, panting, into the trench occupied by Marine Knocker White. 'What's the score, Sir? What's happening?'

Mills had no time to reply or explain. As he turned and looked back to the shore, he saw a Puma troop-carrying helicopter closing fast. White and several other marines shouted a warning. They had all spent much time, during their service careers, in and around helicopters. It was obvious to them that this one was preparing to land. Hovering thirty feet above the flat ground of the shoreline, the pilot started the usual pre-landing manoeuvres... the side doors were open. Two machine guns were pointing out of the door and a number of men could be seen inside, holding rifles at the ready.

Corporal Al Larkin, one of the steadiest men in the detachment, shouted anxiously: 'Sir, what are we going to do?' It was a good question. The thought flashed through Keith Mills' mind: 'If this thing lands, we're in the shit.' He hesitated only a few seconds before bellowing the order: 'Hit it!' Instantly, every weapon opened up and raked the helicopter at a range of between fifty and one hundred yards... Mills himself opened fire, loosing off half a magazine (fifteen rounds)... Hundreds of rounds were pumped into it, killing or wounding nearly all of the passengers... the machine wobbled around in the sky, emitting thick clouds of black smoke... and staggered across King Edward Cove... The marines saw the machine drop suddenly into semi-hidden ground its blades flailing vertically and clearly having rolled over.' (Ibid)

The excitement created by the helicopter had temporarily distracted the marines from the Argentines landed by the Alouette. They advanced towards Lance-Corporal Thomsen's position, 'Thomsen's men had not lost sight of the beach, their area of responsibility. They now saw seven Argentine soldiers from the Alouette advancing along the shoreline. Holding shouted up to Sergeant Leach who was some yards to his rear, "Pete, look at those daft buggers in the open down there" Leach bellowed back: "Well, don't just look at them - shoot the bastards." (Ibid)

Three of the Argentine men were accounted for with the rest sent scattering, 'Keith Mills looked around and assessed the situation. So far, so good. The big Puma had been driven off. The landing party had been forced into cover and made to keep their heads down. The Alouette had taken off and presumably returned to the Bahia Paraiso... the situation was basically encouraging.

The Guerrico- A Floating Wreck
At this moment he was startled to see the Guerrico coming back toward the shore. At no more than three knots… This time… her guns were not simply trained on the British position, they were firing. The marines ducked down in their trenches as 100mm high explosive shells screamed over their heads… The 40mm quick-firer at the frigate's stern came into action, also firing slightly too high, but tearing holes in the ground all around the area. The salvation of the marines was the fact that the Guerrico was so close to her target that the 100mm guns… could not "lob" her shells.... Overcoming a natural inclination to remain at the bottom of his own trench, Keith Mills stood up and watched the advancing ship. Her menacing grey shape and low speed seemed almost to say. 'We are the Argentine navy, we are too powerful for you.' Mills felt irritated. He also realised that the Guerrico's captain was placing his head in a noose. The dangerous Hobart Rocks, at the mouth of the Cove, were obliging him to sail closer to the Point than he might have wished.

Mills shouted the order 'Stop firing, pass the word,' and waited to see what might happen next. To his delight, the frigate came straight on. It was a golden opportunity. 'Nobody fire 'til I give the word. We'll wait 'til he's committed himself.' Obligingly, the Argentine cruised gently into everyone's gunsights.

'Fire! Mills screamed the command and every weapon on the Point burst into action.' (Ibid)

The marines hit her with the Carl Gustav rocket launcher and a hail of rifle and machine gun fire, a lot of which penetrated her hull and thin superstructure. They damaged equipment and silenced the 100mm gun. Her 40mm gun continued its fire on the marines position, 'as the ship progressed deeper into King Edward Cove, however, they became exposed to Marines Steve Parsons and Steve Chubb… Parsons squinted down the barrel of the Bren… Squeezing the trigger, he sent a series of tightly grouped bursts…Two Argentines fell to the deck and the survivors ran forward to shelter behind the ship's superstructure. The gun remained silent throughout the remainder of the battle... As Keith Mills later commented: 'One minute she was a complete fighting ship - the next she was just about dead in the water. Just us alone, we wrecked that ship.' (Ibid)

In an effort to extricate herself the Guerrico tried to turn in the narrow waters. Sensing the opportunity to inflict more suffering on the vessel Peter Leach grabbed his sniper rifle and ran into Shackleton House for a better vantage point. Moving from window to window he emptied round after round into the ships' bridge with devastating effect. Having 'finally turned, the frigate belched a stream of black smoke from her funnel and rapidly gained speed... Once again she was obliged to run the Royal Marines' gauntlet and again she was subjected to a barrage of small arms fire. The sound of the bullets punching through her hull made the noise of a dozen riveting machines... Keith Mills and Knocker White had a narrow escape. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder in their trench, they were shaken by a bullet which cracked past between them, plucking at their sleeves. Startled, they fell to the floor. 'Shit, that was close!' The two young men burst into loud relieved laughter.

Corporal Peters now had another 66mm launcher on his shoulder, ready to fire, but he was denied any further chance of scoring a hit. Standing head and shoulders out of his trench, he was suddenly knocked off his feet and flung to the bottom of the trench. Two sub machine gun bullets had struck his upper left arm, breaking the bone and throwing the arm behind his back at an unnatural angle. He lay there, shocked and stunned, while Marines McCallion and Poole crouched anxiously over him. 'Sir! Corporal Peters has been hit.' Mills barely heard the shout, he was too absorbed in controlling his battle. 'Sir, Corporal Peters has been shot in the arm.' The response was brusque: 'Yes, alright, stick a field dressing on it then.' It was a surprisingly mature response from a young officer who had just received his first battle casualty.' (Ibid)

As the action raged around King Edward Point, 'Keith Mills did not lose sight of the activity on the far side of the Cove. The Bahia Paraiso's Alouette was maintaining a constant shuttle between ship and shore, evacuating the wounded from the crashed Puma and ferrying fresh troops to the strip of hidden ground near the old radio station. At least one machine gun position had been established by the Argentines in that area and it was bringing harassing fire to bear on the Royal Marines' position.... A greater worry was the number of riflemen who could be seen moving around the shoreline toward the whaler's cemetery, the football pitch, and Grytviken settlement itself. They were advancing steadily, making skilful use of cover. These troops would eventually reach the church, capture the BAS people, and cut off the marines' only possible escape route. To counter this threat, Mills passed the order along the line of trenches that fire should be brought down on the fleeting figures... With so few solid targets now available, Keith Mills gave the order for fire to be directed at the Alouette as it flitted to and from the far shore.... The helicopter's emergency flotation gear was punctured and numerous holes were made in the fuselage.

The battered Guerrico now made her presence felt once again. Having moved two miles out toward the open sea, she turned around and, almost stationary, again started to fire her 100mm gun.... The Guerrico was the threat and, rather depressingly, there was nothing Mills could do about it. With practice, the Argentine was steadily improving his fall of shot. The shellbursts crept ever closer to the trenches and to Shackleton House. Shells arriving in series of four or five - at twenty-second intervals.... Mills now had a chance to review his situation and decide upon the next move.

The battle had started sometime after 1030, two and a half hours earlier. On the positive side, his command was still intact and holding its ground. He had suffered only one casualty. He still had plenty of ammunition and his men were in excellent spirits. Fire discipline had been exemplary. He had given his enemy a very sharp blow and, in theory, he could fight on. The Guerrico's shellfire was becoming increasingly effective, however, and it could only be a matter of only ten or fifteen minutes before the Argentine mastered the knack of pointing his ship in the right direction. A few rounds of high explosive impacting on this small plateau might kill half of the defending force. Furthermore, Mills realised that the Argentine troops in the Grytviken area would eventually approach his right flank and he would be unable to fire at them. His 'overs' would imperil the civilians in Grytviken church.

With his escape route already cut, he decided that the sands of time had run out. He had done his best to protect the people and property on the island. His men had done everything, and more, that he had asked of them. If his superiors were to decide later that he had acted improperly, that would be just bad luck. His own conscience was clear.

He waited for the next lull in firing and poked his head cautiously over the parapet: 'Well, guys, that's it. We've made our point, that's enough. I've decided to surrender. Does anyone have any violent objection?' (Ibid)

A Step In To The Unknown
After a frank discussion with Peter Leach, Mills confirmed his intentions, 'and wondered how best to communicate his intentions to the Argentines... Taking off his Arctic waterproof, he turned it inside out to expose the white facings. Using Knocker White's SLR, he poked the jacket high in the air. Its appearance was met by a burst of fire from the King Edward Point buildings. Thoughtfully he took it down and waited a few moments before repeating the process. This time there were no shots.

After a short debate with himself, Mills decided that the moment had come to take the initiative. Drawing in a deep breath, and hoping that his sphincters would continue to function normally, he climbed out of the trench and stood in the open. Nothing happened. The only sound was the whirr of the distant Alouette. After a brief pause he started to walk down the track toward the jetty, his SMG slung across his back. It was a long and lonely journey. Then, passing through the buildings, he saw a strange uniform. It was an Argentine officer.

Placing his weapon on the ground, Mills approached the man: 'Hello, do you speak English?' 'Yes, I do.' Much relieved, Mills launched into a speech which he had rehearsed on the way down from Shackleton House: 'Look, you are in a difficult position. We are well dug in and can go on fighting for a long time. We shall all get killed, but we don't care. You will lose more and more of your own men. To avoid needless casualties on both sides, I am prepared to surrender now if you will guarantee good treatment for my men.'

The Argentine officer reached out, seized Mills' hand, and shook it fervently. A smile of delight on his face, he promised that there would be no reprisals. Later in the day, he admitted that he and his fellow officers had fully expected the defenders to fight on to the death.

Mills was now feeling the reaction of battle and did not fully comprehend the speed with which the Argentine troops seemed to appear from every direction. He was told to call his men forward. Gradually they advanced, unarmed, and walked down to the beach. As they arrived, they lined up and were counted. Suddenly there was tension in the air. The Argentines could account for only twenty-two prisoners. Uneasily they fingered their triggers, looking up at the cliffs, searching for the bulk of the British force. They suspected that Mills had tricked them into an ambush. Surely this tiny force of less than two dozen men could not have held off - for more than two hours - two naval vessels, two helicopters and eighty special assault troops?

Only with difficulty did Mills convince his captors that the muddy little group was indeed his complete force. Thereafter the Argentines seemed almost respectful in their treatment of the marines.' (Ibid)

The marines were searched before Mills met with Teniente de Navio Alfredo Astiz (officer commanding the military element of the invasion). Mills informed him of the booby-traps and mines laid. The wounded Corporal Peters was brought down to the beach and 'Peter Leach injected morphine into the back of his thigh and covered him with the spare clothing... Mills and Leach were told that they could return to Shackleton House, under escort, to collect the small valuable possessions of their men. They did so, selecting everything of obvious financial or sentimental value. Several cameras went into the kitbag. These were first opened by the guards, and the film ripped out and destroyed. When they reached Keith Mills' own camera - an Olympus OMIO- the inexpert Argentine failed to discover the knack of opening it. He gave up the struggle and threw the camera into the bag.' (Ibid) By sheer luck the historic photograph taken of the Royal Marines force which defended King Edward Point on the morning of 3.4.1982 survived, the negative for which is included in the lot.

All of the marines, with the exception of Mills, were transported to the Bahia Paraiso by landing craft. Mills went with Astiz to round up the BAS civilians. By 1800 hours the Bahia Paraiso was ready to sail, with Mills and the thirteen BAS personnel having also embarked. Captain Trombetta had a large number of wounded troops aboard who needed proper medical attention and as a consequence the ship sailed at full speed for the next three days heading directly for Argentine waters. By a quirk of fate several of the guards were Argentine Marines who the men of H.M.S. Endurance had socialised with during their visit to Mar de Plata in February.

The British were placed in cabins located under the Bahia Paraiso's helicopter deck and immediately above the engine room, 'time passed slowly in the crowded cabins. Conversation centred upon two main topics: the prospect for returning to the United Kingdom, and reminiscences of the recent battle. Peter Leach admitted to Keith Mills that he had been wrong in wanting to fight on when the decision to surrender was made. Steve Martin cleared the air by telling Peter Leach that he now accepted the wisdom of having risked the Albatross on his journey to retrieve the observation party from Jason Harbour.' (Ibid)

On the 7th April the Bahia Paraiso arrived off the port of Rio Grande. The wounded, including Peters, were evacuated by several helicopter flights. Three days later, after a week of incarceration, the prisoners were allowed on deck for the first time. On the 14th April they landed at Bahia Blanca and were transported to the naval base. Here they were kept for four days, with Corporal Peters returning to the party on the second day. Peters brought with him the news that he had heard a BBC World Service report announcing the sailing of a British task force. Whilst excited by the news they were unsure as to what direct effect this would have on their guards and them as a consequence.

Mills 'was invited to go for a stroll with a suave Argentine army major who spoke polished English and who was clearly an intelligence expert. He asked a few questions regarding the battle - which Mills declined to answer - but the main drift of his subtle questioning was aimed at the sailing of the Task Force. 'Do you think Mrs Thatcher is bluffing? Do you believe that your navy be prepared to fight? Will your army try to reoccupy the islands? How would the British public react to battle casualties?' Mills himself had no means of replying accurately to these questions even if he had wished to do so, and he privately did not yet believe that the British government would commit itself to full-scale war over the issue; but he firmly assured the major that the Argentine navy would be blown out of the water in the very near future.' (Ibid)

Later Mills appeared in front of a tribunal of three senior naval officers. He was questioned for two hours before release. On the afternoon of the 16th April, whilst playing a game of football the marines were informed of their impending return to England. They were taken to a nearby airfield, and by the early hours of the following morning they had landed at Montevideo International Airport, Uruguay. After 15 days of captivity they had been freed, 'the former captives were stunned by their reception... Apart from dozens of journalists and cameramen, representing the world's media services, there was a crowd of cheering British ex-patriots who had fled to Uruguay from Argentina... The British Ambassador was there to welcome them... Blinded by the television lights and trying to fend off the swarm of pressmen, the marines and BAS personnel suddenly realised that their release was world news. Instead of returning as an embarrassment to their government - having been defeated and flung off a British island - they were being hailed as popular heroes... For Keith Mills, the style and scale of the reception confirmed his personal conviction that he had indeed done what was required of him on 3 April at King Edward Point. He had deliberately rejected the constraints of the order not to endanger life when he gave the order to open fire on the Puma, but common sense told him at the time that it was the only acceptable course. This unreserved welcome seemed to make it clear that his superiors shared the same view.' (Ibid).

Mills carried out a debrief at the British Embassy, before he and his men were returned to the airport in the early hours of the 19th April. At 4.30am the following day they touched down at RAF Brize Norton, where once again, they were met with a rapturous reception from 'dignitaries, senior officers, pressmen and relatives, all headed by Governor Rex Hunt... The Corps of Royal Marines had taken to heart the lessons learned when the men captured at Port Stanley had returned to England some days earlier. That group had been filmed and photographed in the same dirty uniforms which they had worn throughout their battle and brief captivity. Mills' group was ushered into a room where each man was able to change into a completely new outfit. Their personal records had been checked to ensure a correct fit, and their entitlements to medal ribbons and insignia of rank. Outside waited a fleet of staff cars, ready to take each of them directly to their homes. It was, by any standard, a superbly well organised affair and the images appearing later that day on television screens around the world gave a very positive impression of British resolve and military competence.' (Ibid)

Into The Limelight
Whilst most of the marines were released for leave, Mills was flown to Northwood for a further debrief with Admiral Sir John Fieldhouse, C-in-C Fleet. The latter 'wanted to hear every detail of the battle... He talked privately with Mills and stated bluntly that he had 'written off' the detachment when, on the morning of 3 April, he had heard of the ultimatum then being delivered by Captain Trombetta, 'I could have tried to save you by letting Captain Barker have a go with his Wasps - attacking the Argentines with the AS12s - but the risks would have been enormous and I couldn't afford to lose the Endurance.' Fieldhouse was plainly delighted that Mills and his men should not only have survived, but had also given the aggressor nation a very bloody nose.

Leaving Fieldhouse's office, Mills found himself being rushed in a staff car into central London. By midday he was sitting in a BBC news studio, being interviewed on live television. Then there was another dash, this time to the ITN studios to be interviewed on the one o'clock news. He had not slept properly for four nights and, although he was still feeling euphoric, the viewers saw a young man who appeared drawn and ill, his speech slurring and indistinct. Somehow he got through the ordeal and was then taken to Whitehall where he gave a half-hour lecture to a gathering of senior Royal Marines officers. 'I was shattered by now, but I wanted to go on telling the story for as long as anyone wanted to listen. And everyone seemed to want to listen.' (Ibid)

Mills was finally allowed a short period of leave, however, very shortly he was to be asked whether he wanted to return to the fray, 'Mills and his men were equally anxious to get back to their shipmates [H.M.S. Endurance]. Specifically, they wanted to avenge their enforced surrender. South Georgia had been re-occupied by British forces, on 26th April, but the Argentines still held the Falklands... The detachment departed Poole for the long haul back down to the edge of Antarctica. The convalescent Corporal Peters stayed in England, his place being taken by Corporal Steve Gogerty. After a brief stop at Ascension Island - where they had the quiet satisfaction of guarding Alfredo Astiz for two days - they boarded the Cable ship Iris which delivered them, on 25th May, to their own ship off Grytviken. For Mills and his men, the wheel had turned full circle.' (ibid).

Operation Keyhole - Role Reversal
With the surrender of all Argentine forces on the Falkland Islands, 14.6.1982, the only British territory still in Argentine hands was Thule Island. An Argentine naval base called Corbetta Uruguay had been established on the tiny island six years prior to the start of the conflict. On the 15th June a task group, of four ships and a force of Marines, under the command of Captain Barker (H.M.S. Endurance) was given orders to clear the island of the Argentine presence. The sailing of the task group was announced on an international distress frequency in an effort to give the Argentine commander the opportunity to surrender prior to any further military action. The message, however, remained unanswered.

The Endurance and H.M.S. Salvageman arrived off Thule in the early hours of the 19th June. At first light a reconnaissance patrol led by Sergeant John Napier was inserted on to the island by helicopter. The conditions were horrendous - the air temperature was minus twenty degrees Celsius, with the wind gusting at 60mph causing a chill factor of minus 52 degrees Celsius. Further appeals to the Argentine base were broadcast by the Endurance throughout the night, but they remained unanswered. By 0400 on the 20th June all four ships of the task group were present. The wind eased slightly and at 1140 Captain Barker launched the operation. The Endurance cruised to within a few hundred yards of the naval base but was not met with an armed response. The helicopters landed with the assault force, only to be informed that a flag of surrender had been raised. The Argentines had spent the previous night destroying equipment and paperwork.

The Marines, including the detachment from the Endurance, carefully searched and cleared all the buildings. The prisoners - one civilian and nine military personnel (believed before the attack to number as many as eighty) were flown to the Olmeda. The Captains of the British ships gathered in the Endurance for the surrender document ceremony. Once the Argentine base commander Corbeta Enrique Martinez had completed the ceremony the prisoners left almost immediately with the Olmeda and H.M.S. Yarmouth as escort, 'the Endurance and the Salvageman remained in the vicinity of Hewison Point overnight and, on the morning of 21st June, Lieutenant Keith Mills returned with 'the plum's' detachment to complete the search of the bright orange base buildings, ensuring that no explosives were concealed in the area. Mills and his men were disappointed that the affair had ended so tamely, but they had the satisfaction on this operation of being captors instead of prisoners. According to Lieutenant Mills: "I wasn't happy when Captain Barker took us so close inshore - I knew the effect of infantry weapons at close range - but the white flag went up as soon as the people ashore saw the ship. The Wessex 5 was ready to go, so I quickly obtained permission to take the detachment ashore. Lieutenant-Commander Blight put us down by the Argentine base more or less simultaneously with the arrival of the Sea King. It was a great moment. After that it was a race between us and 'M' Company to see who could raise the Union Jack first.' (ibid)

H.M.S. Endurance finally departed South Georgia on 16th July. She arrived in the UK, via a stop at Port Stanley and the Ascension Islands, on the 20th August, 'national coverage of her triumphant return began when the Endurance appeared in the Medway at 1400. More than eighty journalists were on hand to record the event. A crowd estimated at fifteen thousand waved from the Strand at Gillingham and thousands more cheered as she passed Grain and the river at Hoo. Hundreds of yachts and pleasure boats trailed in her wake... overhead circled helicopters and light aircraft chartered by television companies. It was all in great contrast to the Endurance's mundane departure from Portsmouth in October of the previous year.' (ibid)

After the Falklands Mills was employed on a UN tour with 40 Commando in Cyprus. He carried out another tour of Northern Ireland as OCRM for Operation Interknit, before carrying out training duties at Lympstone and RMR Merseyside. Mills was promoted Captain and appointed Adjutant at the Royal Marine Barracks at Deal, 1989. He was serving in this capacity when the IRA bombed the barracks killing 11 marines and wounding another 21, 22.9.1989. Mills served as the Exchange Officer with the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps for three years. He was appointed as a liaison officer for service in Bosnia and Croatia at the height of the Balkan War. Mills retired in 1996.

In 1989 both Mills and Guy Sheridan had peaks named after them on South Georgia. He returned to South Georgia with Guy Sheridan for the official commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of the liberation of the island from Argentine forces. Both Mills and Sheridan were flown to their respective "peaks" during the visit.

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Estimate
£140,000 to £180,000