Falklands War: Memorial unveiled to crew of HMS Sheffield

A memorial to mark the 40th anniversary of the deadly attack on a Royal Navy destroyer during the Falklands War has been unveiled.

HMS Sheffield was hit by an Argentine missile on 4 May 1982, killing 20 crew members and injuring many more.

The sculpture, resembling the prow of a ship breaking through a wave, was unveiled at the National Memorial Arboretum.

Former crew member John Galway said the memorial was "long overdue".

The memorial is also dedicated to the crews of two other Royal Navy ships to bear the steel city's name, and is intended to create a focal point for veterans and their families to meet and pay their respects, a Royal Navy spokesperson said.

Speaking at the unveiling Mr Galway, who is the chairman of HMS Sheffield Association, said: "We'd been out in the gulf for six months and we'd bonded together, so yes, I did lose friends. Every one was a friend. We were a Sheffield family.

"A lot of the former crew members have said it's long overdue, but as well as remembering the ones we lost in the Falklands, we're also remembering all who have served in previous HMS Sheffields".

A £15,000 fundraising drive was launched to create the sculpture, which was made in the Yorkshire city.

The Type 42 destroyer was hit off Port Stanley in the South Atlantic and was towed away from the islands before it sank on 10 May.

It was the first British ship to be lost in enemy action since World War Two, and the first of four British ships to be sunk by the Argentine air force in the Falklands conflict.

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