During the Falklands War, on the 21st April 1982 Royal Navy Wessex HAS.3 ‘Humphrey’ led two other Wessex HU.5 helicopters onto the Fortuna Glacier to drop SAS troops with orders to observe Argentinean positions at Grytviken. They met a freezing storm with appalling 100mph winds. When the SAS attempted to camp it out, their tents blew away, forcing the troops to request evacuation. Using its radar to guide them through the storm, Humphrey led the helicopters back to collect the troops. But blizzard conditions caused the other helicopters to crash as they tried to take off from the glacier. Humphrey made a return trip to rescue all the troops and crew.
Royal Navy Westland Wessex HAS.3 ‘Humphrey’ rescuing SAS troops from the Fortuna Glacier - by Dan Hedger
On the 40th anniversary of this dramatic rescue of the SAS from the Fortuna Glacier, my painting of the Westland Wessex 'Humphrey' was displayed alongside the actual aircraft from the Falklands War at the Fleet Air Arm Museum. Humphrey’s flight crew from the Falklands Conflict: Commander Ian Stanley DSO, Rear Admiral Dr Chris Parry CBE PhD and Lt Stewart Cooper were in attendance and kindly signed some very limited prints of the painting to help raise funds for the museum.
Humphrey,
Rear Admiral Dr Chris Parry CBE PhD and artist Dan Hedger with one of the limited prints they signed for the 40th Anniversary
All procceds from the print sales went towards the upkeep of airframes such as Humphrey at the Fleet Air Arm Museum
Rear Admiral Dr Chris Parry CBE PhD about to deliver his lecture on Humphrey's missions from HMS Antrim during the Falklands War, staged under the wings of Concorde prototype 002 at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, Somerset, UK
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