A fine South Atlantic Medal awarded to Guardsman J. G. Mitchell, No. 7 Platoon, ‘G’ Company, 2nd Battalion Scots Guards, who took part in the assault and capture of Mount Tumbledown 13-14 June 1982, one of the most ferocious British infantry engagements since the Second World War

South Atlantic 1982, with rosette (24313868 Gdsm J G Mitchell SG) extremely fine £1,400-£1,800

John G. ‘Oddball’ Mitchell was born in 1955 and served with the Scots Guards during some of the most intense fighting of the entire Falklands Campaign. Like many of his young comrades, he thoroughly enjoyed the voyage to the South Atlantic, indeed: ‘it was a good laugh, because we all thought that peace would be declared before we got there... but we were wrong, and in the end we had to be the point platoon on Tumbledown’. Described by the contemporary press as ‘ordinary’ men from ordinary backgrounds, it fell to Mitchell and his pals of the 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards, to take on a well-dug-in and determined battalion of Argentine Marine Infantry, capture the summit and open the gateway to Port Stanley.

The importance of Mount Tumbledown lay in its height and its location just four miles west of the Capital. A barren and inhospitable outcrop, its value lay in commanding views and rocky crevices which effectively made any kind of daylight attack suicidal. Recognising this, H-Hour was fixed for 2100hrs, the men of the Scots Guards being airlifted by helicopter to the assembly point some three kilometres away. Here they dug temporary sangars and were shelled by the enemy for most of the day, wounding one man. The blessing of darkness couldn’t come too soon.

With ‘G’ Company in the lead, Mitchell and his comrades began the advance along Goat Ridge in line-ahead formation. Amid sporadic snow flurries and artillery and mortar fire, as well as star shells, all from the Stanley direction, they managed to get onto their first objective, only to find that the Argentines had abandoned it in favour of stronger positions near the summit. Remaining undetected, the Scots Guards lay in the tussocks and listened to the sounds of Spanish being spoken above them. At 2230hrs the Left Flank passed through the Company, upon which all hell broke loose as the defenders opened up. To the left, Second Lieutenant James Stuart struggled to negotiate rocks which had a propensity to break ankles and lacerate calves at will; both left, right and centre platoons then tried to dislodge the enemy with 84mm and 66mm rounds and M79 grenades, but the Argentines, who turned out to be regulars of the 5th Marine Battalion, were not to be budged.

Fighting crag to crag, the battle became reminiscent of scenes from the Great War. At 0230hrs Company Commander Major John Kiszely informed Battalion Headquarters by radio that he intended to attack with fixed bayonets. Leading his men forward in a charge: ‘The sangars were overrun and enemy killed, but it was tough fighting. Major Kiszely himself had a lucky escape. An enemy round lodged in the compass on his belt and he killed one Argentine with his bayonet’. Finding himself atop Tumbledown with only six men, three of whom were immediately wounded, the Major went though some very anxious moments, only relieved by the arrival of the Right Flank to consolidate the position. As the sun rose, it finally became clear that the enemy had lost any desire for a counter-attack, and in scenes reminiscent of the Raising of the Flag on Iwo Jima of 23 February 1945, the men of No.7 Platoon, ‘G’ Company, Scots Guards, had their photograph taken atop the summit. Published around the world, the image became one of the best known of the entire war, the recipient being easily identifiable as the ‘gap toothed’ Guardsman wearing the beret to front.

The Battle of Mount Tumbledown resulted in 9 men killed in action and 43 wounded. The Argentines lost 30 men with a further 30 taken as Prisoners of War. For their courage displayed during the attack, soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards, were later recognised with the award of 1 DSO, 2 MC’s, 2 DCM’s (one posthumous), and 2 MMs.