The new display, entitled 'Task Force South: The Royal Navy and the Falklands War', has been compiled by the RN Museum, in conjunction with other Naval Service museums, to recall the maritime component of the campaign in its 25th anniversary year. The leading elements of the Task Force departed from Portsmouth in April, 1982.

Baroness Thatcher was accompanied by the Naval Base Commander, Commodore David Steel, and by the Chairman of Trustees of the RN Museum, Admiral Sir Peter Abbott. While at the museum she also met members of staff who produced the exhibition.

The exhibition describes Naval Service involvement through the stories of some of the 18,000 people who sailed 8,000 miles to deliver, supply and defend the land forces who recovered the Falkland Islands following Argentina’s invasion. Men and women of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Fleet Auxiliary, Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service, and the Merchant Navy all played a role.

Dr Colin White, Museum Director, said:

"It is a great honour for the museum that Baroness Thatcher is making a special visit to see our Falklands exhibition. Our displays focus on the experiences of the veterans and, in a real sense, she is the war’s most senior veteran. I am sure that the exhibition will bring back many memories for her, as it has done for the other distinguished guests we have welcomed."

Among those distinguished guests were the then First Sea Lord, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Henry Leach; the Task Force Commander, Admiral Sir John (Sandy) Woodward; and the Commanding Officers of HMS Sheffield and HMS Coventry, Rear Admiral Sam Salt and Captain David Hart-Dyke respectively.

Task Force South is the fruit of a joint project by the RN Museum, the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton, the Royal Marines Museum at Eastney (Portsmouth) and the Royal Navy Submarine Museum at Gosport.

Curators from each museum worked together to ensure that the whole range of Naval activity �?on sea, under the sea, in the air and on land �?is represented.