Ardents: The remarkable men of F184

At 2300Z on Thursday, May 20, 1982, the 200 men of HMS Ardent were called to Actions Stations as the Type 21 Royal Navy frigate closed on the Falkland Islands. Within 20 hours, 22 of them would be dead, another 30 wounded. For every one of them, there’s a story. For each of their loved ones, there’s another. This is just one more, a Falklands War 40th anniversary commemoration of the spirit of Ardent, and the shipmates still on patrol, told by some of those who were there or waited at home for news. By association, it’s also a tribute to all others who experienced life and death in a warship heading for battle, and the other members of the UK Task Force whose sacrifices ensured the freedom of the islanders. A film by Mark Higgitt, author of Through Fire and Water: HMS Ardent, the Forgotten Frigate of the Falklands War (Lume Books)