Oral History Gallery

Extract Text (Duration 1.39)

D Hart Dyke: I certainly did, obviously during the Falklands War, had a great system of support going and I have to... I must actually say how wonderful the Navy was, it was such a help to me at that time. Because I wanted to find a way of getting all the families together and so they enabled me to have this enormous tea party down at HMS Sultan at Gosport. And people came from all over the country, the parents of sailors, you know, from as far afield as Wales and Yorkshire, and that was entirely due to the Navy supporting me in that. And it was a tremendous advantage that. And so, particularly during the Falklands War, there were great systems of support going on, yes.

Interviewer: Tell me a little bit more about that tea party, when did it happen?

D Hart Dyke: Quite early on in the war I think it was. I can't remember exactly when, but I felt rather than just having my address and telephone number we must... you know, it would be nice... I think it was particularly difficult for families living away from naval ports because they were the only people, very often in their part of the country who were involved in the Falklands War and people around them hadn't any idea what they were going through. So I just felt, for them all to be able to get together would, and talk to somebody else in the same situation would be a help. And I think they did find so, and having met them there of course, then it was much easier to keep in touch after that ‘cause I knew the people, I could put a face to the name.