A scarce H.M.S. Ardent casualty South Atlantic Medal 1982 with rosette awarded to Marine Engineering Mechanic (Mechanical) 2nd Class R. Butters, Royal Navy who suffering wounds was one of 30 wounded when the type 21 frigate H.M.S. Ardent was attacked and sunk by Argentine aircraft in San Carlos Water on 21st May 1982. The frigate was attacked by at least three waves of Argentine aircraft, with the ship being hit by a number of bombs which resulted in the ship sinking the following day.
South Atlantic Medal 1982 with rosette; (MEM(M)2 R BUTTERS D188250H HMS ARDENT)
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine
Along with a letter from Butters’ father confirming that his son had suffered burns when aboard H.M.S. Ardent in the Falklands.
Marine Engineering Mechanic (Mechanical) 2nd Class (No. D188250H) R. Butters saw service aboard the type 21 Frigate H.M.S. Ardent and would suffer burns when the ship was sunk by Argentine aircraft in San Carlos Water on 21st May 1982, suffering 22 killed and 30 wounded in the attack.
On 19 April 1982 Ardent sailed from HMNB Devonport near Plymouth for the Falkland Islands. En route, she escorted task force ships that had left late, on their way to Ascension Island, arriving on 3 May and sailing on the morning of the 7 May. On 9 May 1982 while 700 miles south west of Ascension, Ardent closed to within 200 yards of the starboard side of the troopship Canberra and provided a gun power demonstration to the troops sailing south.
On 21 May 1982, whilst lying in Falkland Sound and supporting Operation Sutton by bombarding the Argentine airstrip at Goose Green, Ardent was attacked by at least three waves of Argentine aircraft. The air strikes caused Ardent to sink the next day The first attack took place when a A-4 Skyhawk dropped two bombs at 16:00 Z (UTC), which straddled the frigate but both failed to explode.
The bulk of the air strikes began at 17:40 Z. Ardent was ordered to proceed west of North West Island along with Yarmouth to "split air attacks from the south". A group of three aircraft, either Skyhawks or IAI Daggers, crossed the Falklands Sound from the west and then turned to their left to attack from the north east. Cannon fire and three bombs struck home as the Argentine aircraft pressed their attack from the port side. The only defensive weapons which reacted properly were the 20 mm AA cannons
The Sea Cat anti-aircraft missile system failed to lock onto the attackers, who also outmanoeuvred the 4.5" gun by carrying out their run out of its arc of fire. Two bombs exploded in the hangar area, destroying the Westland Lynx helicopter and blowing the Sea Cat launcher 80 ft (24 m) into the air before it crashed back down onto the flight deck, and the third crashed through the aft auxiliary machinery room but failed to explode. The aft switchboard was severely damaged, causing loss of power for some key assets, such as the main gun. The hangar was left in flames, and the crew suffered a number of casualties.
Still in full control of her engines and steering, but virtually defenceless, Ardent was told to head north, toward Port San Carlos. But at 18:00 Z five Skyhawks approached the frigate and dropped numerous free-fall and retard bombs. A pattern of two to four bombs exploded in the port quarter (aft), while an undetermined number of others which failed to explode penetrated into the ship. Some of the remaining bombs exploded in the water nearby, battering the ship and causing minor flooding in the forward auxiliary machine room.
The dining hall was shattered, communications between the bridge and the ship control centre were cut off, and the frigate lost steering. This attack caused many casualties, especially among the damage-control teams working in the hangar.
Ardent stopped in the shallow waters of Grantham Sound, the fires in her stern now out of control. With the ship listing heavily, Commander Alan West gave the order to abandon the ship. Yarmouth came alongside to take off survivors, and the crew was transferred to Canberra. At that time it was known that 22 men were killed. Ardent continued to burn throughout the night, accompanied by the occasional explosion, until she sank at 6:30 the next day, with only her skewed radar antenna on the foremast remaining above the water.
Able Seaman John Dillon was able to remove an injured sailor from the debris and, despite his own burns, got the man topside and into the water where they were both rescued. For his heroism he received a George Medal, one of three awarded for the war.
The last man to leave was her captain, Commander Alan West, who was subsequently awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, and served as First Sea Lord from 2002–2006.
Within days naval divers removed her light AA guns for fitting to other ships and her foremast was used as a navigational warning and datum by her sister ship Arrow whilst she bombarded Goose Green.
The wreck is designated as a prohibited area under the Falkland Islands Protection of Wrecks Act.
The Commander of the Ardent would later be awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in the London Gazette of 8th October 1982, the citation for the award:
‘On 21 May 1982, H.M.S. Ardent, commanded by Commander West, was deployed to Grantham Sound to conduct Naval Gunfire Support during the amphibious landings in San Carlos Water; in particular to cover the withdrawal of an S.A.S. diversionary patrol. Isolated there, H.M.S. Ardent was subject to heavy air attack (at one stage eleven aircraft were involved). Despite these overwhelming odds, Commander West covered the S.A.S. withdrawal and supported 2 Para establishing themselves on Sussex Mountain. He fought his ship bravely, shooting down one Pucara, and continued to bring fire to bear on enemy aircraft despite the progressive loss of the ship’s propulsion, Seacat system and 4.5-inch gun. Eventually, after being hit by no less than nine bombs and several rockets, and with no hope of saving the ship, he ordered her to be abandoned. The utmost credit should go to Commander West for continuing to fight his ship in the face of extreme adversity and in particular for the well organised manner in which she was abandoned. Without his calm courage and personal direction in the face of overwhelming odds far greater loss of life might have occurred.’
