Falklands War photographer from Huddersfield to auction medal

A Huddersfield photojournalist who covered the Falklands War and captured "perhaps the most famous image" of the conflict is auctioning his medal.

Paul Haley, from Linthwaite, photographed 7 Platoon, G Company on Mount Tumbledown after they found out the war had been won on 14 June 1982.

The medal is expected to sell for as much as £3,000 at auction on 18 April.

Mr Haley, now 73, said: "I don't think the British public knew how big a conflict it was at the time."

The South Atlantic medal is being sold alongside his Falklands-stamped passport, an Argentine bayonet and bullet from the conflict, two stones from Mount Tumbledown and 200 original hand-printed images.

Mr Haley said "now is the time" to sell the items, which he hoped would be bought by a museum.

He took about 2,000 pictures during his three-month posting from April to June 1982.

"It was just a matter of getting forward at every available opportunity and with a bit of luck getting to the right place at the right time," said Mr Haley, who worked for Soldier magazine.

Mr Haley was with the 2nd Battalion Scots Guards when news of the Argentine surrender filtered through.

He remembered the soldiers being "ecstatic" when they found out.

"They had had a tough night," said Mr Haley, who now lives in Morley.

"They had nine people killed, they thought at the time, it was a fairly horrendous night. But the relief flooded over them in seconds."

He vividly remembered ushering them into position to capture the moment on camera as a snowstorm closed in.

"They were all excited, hugging and shaking each other's hands.

"I could see there was a big cloud of snow coming towards us. I was desperately trying to get a photo of them there and pushing them into position."

Auction house Spink valued the items at between £2,000 and £3,000.

A spokesperson described Mr Haley's photo at Mount Tumbledown as "perhaps the most famous image of the entire conflict".

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