Skip to content

Falklands veteran recalls HMS Coventry bombing and rescue

John Sheldon was among the first to rescue people from the bombed HMS Coventry during the Falklands War.

The ship was sunk on 25 May 1982, with the loss of 19 crew.

But he said returning home to his family when the conflict ended after losing his two best friends was a "double-edged sword."

Video journalist: Deborah Collins

18 April 2022

British Armed Forces

Falkland Islands

Explore More

Andrew Bruce

'The German army blew up a cup of tea next to me'

Rishi Sunak

Sunak: Strikes on Houthis in Yemen self-defence

Sir Keir Starrmer

Starmer backs military operation against Houthi rebels

George Du Preez developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after mistakenly shooting a child

Soldier who took own life was waiting for therapy

Daniel McNeil walking on the Isle of Man

Ex-soldier on trek 'inundated' with Manx support

Isle Of Man / Ellan Vannin

Rishi Sunak

LGBT veterans: On behalf of the British state I apologise

John Shannon

'I did things in the war I still can't talk about'

Jack Mortimer

'The only heroes are the ones that don't come back'

HMS Richmond

On board HMS Richmond for Armed Forces Day

Harry Southern

Harry Southern: Our ship played music to deceive enemies

Mike Hermanis

Ship bombing survivor's anger at inquiry findings

Roger Roberts

Roger Roberts: 'When she was sunk, it was a big blow'

Edmund Szymczak

Edmund Szymczak: 'I am proud to be here'

King Charles III

King leads Remembrance Sunday ceremony

Brian Hough

Finding the faces of forgotten comrades

Christian Lamb

Christian Lamb: 'You had no idea what was going to happen'

Birmingham Victoria Square

'I actually expected Birmingham people to be grey'

Birmingham & Black Country

Sky news

Ukrainian troops being trained in the UK

Tony Hadley

Ex-Spandau Ballet singer releases Falklands song

Hampshire & Isle of Wight

Veterans

Veterans gather in city for Falklands parade

Hampshire & Isle of Wight

Riley Tolliver being arrested

Watch: Moment men are arrested after fatal stabbing

Avon and Somerset Police release footage of when Antony Snook and Riley Tolliver are arrested.

Timothy West. He is pictured looking up and away from the camera.

Late actor had strong connections to West Country

Timothy West went to school in Bristol and was a huge enthusiast of the Kennet and Avon Canal.

Luna pictured in her buzz lightyear suit. She is looking directly at the cameral and is also wearing a red lanyard around her neck.

Buzz Lightyear fan raises £1k for food bank

Luna, 11, walks across part of the city dressed in costume to raise funds for the "amazing" charity.

Bristol Rovers player launches mental health walk

Footballer Taylor Moore invites people to join his new mental health initiative called '5K your way'.

A singer singing into a microphone wearing a glittery headpiece which covers their face.

'I don't want my face as part of my music process'

A rapper, who only started writing music during lockdown, is releasing her first album.

A woman doing acrobatics above a toy horse

'We turned city's empty spaces into playgrounds'

The Invisible Circus looks back at two decades of performances in the city it has fallen in love with.

Henry performing a BMX stunt

BMX rider, 8, could soon be crowned world champion

Henry could soon be a world champion after winning ten out of ten of his races.

The Bristol Brabazon

The luxury plane that took flight 75 years ago

The Bristol Brabazon laid the foundation for the development of Concorde.

A man proposes to his partner while Joe Sims interviews them for BBC Radio Bristol

Couple get engaged at Bristol Balloon Fiesta

"She said yes!"

Hot air balloons light up their burners in the dark at the Bristol Balloon Fiesta

Night glow lights up dark skies at balloon fiesta

The after-dark event, watched by thousands, sees burners on balloons go off in time to music.

A man stands against a green door shutter. He is wearing a dark jacket and red cap

'Bristolians will not allow chaos'

Thousands of people are in the city for an anti-racism demonstration.

A woman in a blue top looks at the camera as she sits in her kitchen

'I'm just glad everybody's safe'

Philippa Swatton was caught up in the disorder in Bristol city centre.

Dan Johnson

Route taken by man who dumped bodies on Bristol bridge

The remains of two adult males were found in suitcases left on the Clifton Suspension Bridge on Wednesday, police say.

Darren Hicks, the school's assistant headteacher

'Play day is about children being free'

Pupils at a school in Bristol have been enjoying their annual play day.

Bristol singing choir

'I'm a sea of emotions when I sing with others'

Researchers and 400 volunteers are experimenting to see if singing can improve people's wellbeing.

Pupils celebrate winning award

School delighted to be named in world top 10 list

Venturers' Academy in Bristol has been honoured for its work in overcoming adversity.

The tree covered in webbing

Why is there mysterious webbing on trees in a park?

The webbing can be found on trees in St George's park in Bristol.

Flowers in a polytunnel

The city flower farm that is changing lives

Heart of BS13 Flowers is a social enterprise based at Hartcliffe City Farm in Bristol.

Mr Justice Saini

'A plague of knife crime' - Judge jails teenager

Shane Cunningham is jailed for life after stabbing Mikey Roynon to death with a zombie knife.

Upfest Bus

City bus transformed by street artist

A street art festival teams up with a bus company to create the unique, colourful vehicle.