Woman’s bravery behind truce

Press, 18 June 1982, Page 1

Woman’s bravery behind truce

NZPA Port Stanley A young doctor and mother of two young children has emerged as the heroine behind the surrender of Port Stanley. Dr Alison Bleaney, aged 30, ran through shellfire to the Argentinian communications centre and... “bullied them into being able to talk to the British,” writes Tony Show, of the “Suh,” and A. J, Macllroy, of the “Daily Telegraph,” in a pooled dispatch.

“If it was not for her — and I know I am talking about my own wife — then I don’t believe there would have been a truce,” said her husband, Mr Michael Bleaney, aged 44, works manager of the Falkland Island Company.

As she told her story, Dr Bleaney had to be prompted by her husband about how she braved the shellfire — first to save British lives and then to get the Argentinians talking. She said: “We were very afraid after hearing on the 8.8. C. news .that the cathedral was a neutral zone and the civilian population were all in this area. This was completely wrong. No-one here knew anything about it. “In fact, people were in houses all over the town. We had chosen the stone-built houses as safe houses and people went there to shelter during the naval bombardments.

“I told the Argentinian authorities that we must tell the British about this or lives would be lost.

“They said, ‘Can’t you get everyone up round the cathedral?” I said it was too dangerous because of all the firing going on. In any case, the Argentinian barracks was near the cathedral. “At first they would not let me use the radio, but I kept on at them and they finally agreed. This was at 9 a.m. on Monday; 7; Z», “Later in the morning on my own R.T. radio I heard the Navy calling Stanley. I returned to the Argentinian communications centre and in the end they let me speak to the Navy. I told the Navy about the cathedral situation and then they asked if they could speak to someone in authority, meaning the Argentinians. “An officer then arranged for them to call back an hour later and he would get General Menendez (the Argentinian commander) on the line, and that is how they got together.” Mcllroy and Snow quoted the Royal Engineers as saying ,it could be a long time before the hills round Stanley would be able to be walked upon. The Argentinians had mined indiscriminately; not keeping maps oi places they mined. After the surrender, British troops found a.fearsome arsenal of weapons in Stanley ready to meet the assault. “They had land-based Exocet missiles, as we had suspected,” said an officer. “We found them up at the airport all ready to be used.”