As we searched for a stairwell we met a couple of airmen coming forward. 'How do we get down from here?' Andy asked. One of the men jerked a thumb over his shoulder and hurried on without stopping.

'Fucking crab,' Andy grunted. 'Shitting himself in case the Argy planes come back.'

You couldn't exactly blame him, though. It was bad enough being on a troop ship, but with holds full of fuel and ammunition these guys were sitting on a bomb - literally.

The war at this point was becoming very real. I had seen enemy aircraft blown out of the sky over the anchorage, and ships burning from missile hits.