Forty years ago, Royal Navy frigate HMS Argonaut was hit by two bombs dropped by Argentine aircraft in the Falklands War.
Neither bomb exploded, although two crew members were killed.
Argonaut was badly damaged in the attack and had to be initially towed away from the scene by HMS Plymouth, but she did eventually make it back to the UK under her own steam.
A Westland Lynx helicopter – call sign XZ233 – that operated from HMS Argonaut is now on display at the Yorkshire Air Museum, as part of its Falklands War exhibition.
And on Saturday, the museum welcomed a navy veteran who kept this aircraft flying throughout the conflict and beyond.
Bernie Gould was a Senior Maintenance Rating in 1982, eventually becoming a Chief Petty Officer with 815 Squadron, Fleet Air Arm.
He retired from the Navy in 1986 and now lives in Northampton. He worked on XZ233 and when his squadron flew out from the Royal Naval Air Station at Yeovilton in Somerset to join their ship in the Channel, as it was being deployed to the Falklands, he was on board the helicopter, flying directly over his own house and waving down at his family.
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On Saturday (21 May), when it was the 40th anniversary of the attack that claimed the lives of two of his shipmates, Bernie paid a visit to the museum.
Accompanied by his family, he was able to see inside ‘Jason’, the Argonaut’s Lynx, which he worked on.
Bernie said: “It’s lovely to see her (the Lynx). She’s been very well restored and it’s nice to see you’re looking after her.”
Of the anniversary on the attack on Argonaut, he said: “Those two lads who died were very young – one wasn’t even out of his teens, so it is quite emotional today.
“But I’m glad I came up to see the helicopter. It does actually bring back a lot of happy memories, even with what happened during the Falklands. I’m glad I came.”
The helicopter has been loaned to the Yorkshire Air Museum by Jet Art Aviation of Selby who have restored it immaculately. It forms part of the Falklands Air War exhibition that has been running at the Yorkshire Air Museum since 2 April.