Naval General Service Medal clasp Near East named C/K 931443 C W STEPHENS A/L M (E) RN, South Atlantic Medal with rosette named LT C W STEPHENS RN HMS ENDURANCE & Naval Long Service & Good Conduct Medal named K 931443 C W STEPHENS MECH1 RN HMS LLANDAFF. Mounted on a bar for wear.
Lt Commander Stephens was a mechanical engineer on board HMS Endurance during the Falklands War. He was made a Engineer Sub Lt (SD) 1st Mar 1971 LG 9th Mar 1971. In LG 7th Oct 1986 he was retired as a Lt Commander 8th Sep 1986.
On 19 Mar 1982, while Endurance was at Stanley, British authorities there received news that an Argentine navy ship had landed Argentine civilians on South Georgia who had raised the Argentine flag. The Argentine group (containing Argentine Marines in mufti) posing as scrap-metal merchants, occupied the abandoned whaling station at Leith Harbour on South Georgia. Endurance, commanded by Captain Nick Barker, was sent to order the Argentines off the island. Endurance had a small Royal Marines detachment and took further Marines from Naval Party 8901, and sailed on 21 Mar for South Georgia.
Arriving on 25 Mar 1982 Endurance encountered the Argentine transport ARA Bahía Paraíso, whose forty Argentine troops had come ashore while the scrapping operation took place. Endurance landed her marines, then returned to the Falklands on 30 Mar. In April the UK command ordered Endurance to join the UK Task Force, which in April landed SBS soldiers at Hound Bay on South Georgia on 22 Apr.
Task Force vessels moved into deeper waters as a precaution against Argentine submarines, but Endurance moved into sea ice near the shore. Endurance was involved in combat action on 25 Apr 1982 when her two Wasp ASW helicopters took part in attacks on the submarine ARA Santa Fe, which was later abandoned by her crew. When Argentine forces surrendered the next day, Endurance remained near the island to show the UK flag, maintain a naval presence, and guard the waters.
Endurance also took part in the rescue of wildlife film-makers Cindy Buxton and Annie Price, who were caught up in the war while working on South Georgia. After the Argentine surrender of the Falkland Islands, Endurance, HMS Yarmouth, RFA Olmeda and the tug Salvageman sailed to the South Sandwich Islands, where Argentina had established a base in South Thule since 1976. Endurance was carrying a Wessex helicopter for the first time, in addition to her two Wasps. The ten Argentine military personnel surrendered after they saw HMS Yarmouth's firing display and when they realised recce marines from Endurance and 42 Commando Royal Marines had landed. The surrender was signed in the wardroom of Endurance.
