In 1982, Argentine forces were convinced that UK troops would attempt to recapture Stanley using amphibious landing craft to bring personnel ashore in the local bays. To prevent this they swathed the beaches with minefields. In all, by the end of the conflict, 140 minefields were laid throughout the Falklands Islands by Argentine troops, 117 of which still exist today.
 
HRH Prince Edward, visiting the Falkland Islands as part of the 25th anniversary commemorations, was given a brief by members of the UK Explosive Ordnance Disposal team based down in the Islands:

"There are about 25,000 mines out there we reckon," said Warrant Officer David Powell, "but, I suppose you could say that at least as mines go, they are the best to have, because they are all pressure mines so you have to stand on one or drive over it to set it off."

The biggest problem today is that most are made out of plastic and many of the minefields, especially those laid by the conscripts, are very poorly charted. So the current policy is not to clear the minefields but to deal with any that suddenly come to light as they are uncovered by sand drift, the action of streams and rivers, tides or peat rejection.

In the Falkland Islands it is illegal to enter a minefield (why would you want to?), deliberately set off a mine or drive livestock into a minefield. The consequence of doing so is a £1,500 fine and a 12-month jail sentence:

"I suppose all this keeps you pretty busy," Prince Edward told WO Powell as he tried his hand at remotely controlling the EOD’s famous wheelbarrow.

"Mines are not our biggest problem, it’s unexploded ordnance, anything from small arms rounds to artillery shells," WO Powell replied.

Ordnance that has fallen in areas of peat are often almost perfectly preserved. Preparation of the area for the new wind farm recently unearthed a 105mm artillery shell:

"When we looked at it, it was so well preserved we could’ve put it straight into a gun and fired it. That’s how good it was," WO Powell added.

Sergeant Richard Simpson is one of the EOD engineers tasked with keeping Islanders safe from the dangers of mines. When he is not working with unexploded ordnance he takes groups to visit some of the famous battle sites:

"It's mostly army people at the moment who have a particular interest in one of the battlefields, such as Mount Harriet or Longdon," explained Sgt Simpson. "So we do a huge amount of research for that. This week of course we have had a lot of veterans round, and that’s good because it helps them to go over their experiences.

"We tend to look at three or four aspects, what went wrong, what went right, the significance of the battle, what was learned. And the veterans help us because they can give us extra information and fill in some of the gaps for us."

Anniversary events a real success

Meanwhile Falkland Islands Governor Alan has been speaking to the MOD Website News team about how pleased he is with the success of the programme of commemorative events which have been taking place across the Islands during the last fortnight:

"The programme has gone really well and I’m sure that the Prince has really been enjoying himself, but he has also been finding it all very poignant," explained Governor Huckle.

""He has met a lot of people and been impressed by how important the events have been to them, both to veterans and to the Islanders. Of course it has been emotional at times, but the Prince is pleased to be here, it is a place that he has always wanted to visit."

But for the Falkland Islanders, this time of year is always a time for remembrance, is there a danger that they may feel that with all the media interest in the 25th anniversary, the emphasis has been changed?

"No, I don’t think that has happened. The 25th is recognised as particularly important. Many Falkland Islanders haven’t really spoken about what it was like to be invaded and their experiences have been bottled up, but these events have helped them start to talk about them and that is proving to be cathartic, and is relieving emotions."

It seems that coming back to the islands helps the veterans to come to terms with painful memories as well?

"Yes, when the veterans come here they receive such an excellent welcome. But also, for many, the battles they fought were at night, in the dark, so when they come here, suddenly they see the battlefields in the light, and it can help them to come to terms with it.

"I must also praise all those who have arranged the logistics, getting everyone where they needed to be at the right times has been a tremendous achievement, and I must admit there have been times when we have arrived by helicopter to places with kids welcoming the Prince that I have choked up a bit. That fervour demonstrates a link with the Crown and a sense of being British whilst at the same time having a pride in the Falkland Islands."