Terry Peck facts for kids

Terence John Peck (August 2, 1938 – December 30, 2006) was a brave Falkland Islander who became a hero during the 1982 Falklands War. He was part of the Falkland Islands Defence Force. During the war, he secretly spied on the Argentine forces who had taken over the islands. He then managed to escape to the British side.

Terry Peck became a scout for the 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment, helping them find their way. He also fought in the important Battle of Mount Longdon. Terry loved the Falkland Islands very much and strongly believed they should belong to Britain. After the war, he even became friends with an Argentine soldier who had fought against him.

Growing Up in the Falklands

Terry Peck was born in Stanley, the capital of the Falkland Islands. His family had come from Ireland and England many years before. As a young person, he went to school in Stanley. He also enjoyed boxing and was a member of the Boys' Brigade, a youth group.

After finishing school, Terry worked helping to build a factory that processed meat in a place called Ajax Bay. Later, he joined the Police Force and the Falkland Islands Defence Force. He soon became involved in the ongoing disagreement about who owned the Falkland Islands.

A Plane Hijacking in 1966

On September 26, 1966, an Aerolíneas Argentinas plane flew very low over Stanley. It tried to land at the local racecourse. But it hit some telegraph poles and got stuck in the soft ground. This plane had been hijacked by a group of Argentine nationalists. They forced the pilots to fly to the Falklands, not knowing there was no proper airport there at the time.

Islanders, including Terry Peck, thought the plane was in trouble and rushed to help. But the hijackers took them hostage. As part of a deal, 26 passengers from the plane were exchanged for seven islanders, including Terry Peck.

Life as a Police Officer

Terry continued his career in the Police Force and eventually became the Chief of Police. He even went to a special police college in England. Terry was known for being very brave and determined. One Christmas, he drove for 10 hours across the wild Camp area to rescue a family whose house had burned down. Another time, he ignored orders and dived into a sunken aircraft in Mare Harbour to help recover bodies.

In 1975, he received the Colonial Police Medal for his excellent service. However, he later decided to retire early from the police. He didn't like some of the secret duties, like collecting information on local politicians. Soon after, he was elected to the local government, called the Legislative Council. There, he strongly spoke out against the Falkland Islands being given to Argentina.

The Falklands War Hero

The day before Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands in 1982, Terry Peck became a special police officer again. The Argentine forces even thought about making him their Chief of Police, but they were very wrong about him! Terry immediately started working against them.

He pretended to wander around Stanley with a drainpipe. But inside the pipe, he had a telephoto lens. He used it to secretly take pictures of the Argentine soldiers getting ready to defend the town. These important photos were then smuggled out of the Falklands by British workers. This gave British forces valuable information.

The Argentine military police had detailed files on many islanders, especially those who didn't like Argentina. Their leader, Major Patricio Dowling, often treated islanders badly. Terry Peck's former police colleague, Constable Anton Livermore, heard that Dowling was planning to arrest Terry. He quickly warned Terry.

Terry had already planned his escape. He grabbed a pistol, borrowed a motorbike, and left Stanley. He went to a farm where a party was happening. A helicopter full of Argentine soldiers arrived, but Terry hid in a toilet and wasn't found. He then went to Green Patch and found warm clothes and food left by British sailors. He spent 10 difficult days camping alone in a remote valley.

Feeling very low, he eventually sought help from a friend at Brookfield Farm. After a warm meal and a bath, he felt much better. With the help of other islanders, he found weapons that British Royal Marines had hidden during the invasion.

On May 21, Terry heard the news he had been waiting for. A local resident sent a secret message: "We've just received a lot of friends." The BBC then confirmed that British forces had landed! Terry immediately set out to meet them. He was questioned for three days by intelligence officers who wanted to learn everything he knew about the enemy.

On the second day, Major Roger Patton from the 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment asked Terry to be a guide for his troops. Terry agreed right away and joined their D patrol company. He helped organize local farmers and their vehicles to move supplies, as the military didn't have enough transport. For 10 nights, he went on dangerous patrols to find out where the enemy was and how many there were. At 43, he was twice the age of the soldiers he was guiding, but he kept up.

Mount Longdon was attacked on June 11, 1982. It was meant to be a surprise attack, but a soldier stepped on a mine, giving away their position. The Battle of Mount Longdon was one of the toughest battles of the war. Terry fought alongside the British forces the whole way. When a soldier near him was shot, Terry volunteered to help carry him down the mountain. He later described the intense fighting:

We carried him down this slope but sometimes we had to lie across him, because of the fire that was coming. We were catching it left, right and centre. It was lit up like Blackpool. Really horrendous. We got this guy down into a crater caused by a shell. We had eight wounded in that hole with two medics, that's how big the hole was.

Terry stayed on Mount Longdon with the battalion, eating sweets and food found in Argentine trenches. He also endured heavy artillery fire. He didn't go home until the 3 Para soldiers marched into Stanley. For his brave actions, he was awarded an MBE in 1982. However, he felt that being made an honorary member of the 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, was an even greater honor. He proudly wore their maroon beret. Every year on June 11, he visited the memorial on Mount Longdon to remember his fallen comrades.

After the war, Terry felt unsure about the future of the islands for a while. In 1984, he moved to Scotland to start a new life. But he later returned to the Falklands and ran for election to the government. He didn't win at first, but he succeeded in 1989 and served until 1993. As a councillor, he spoke his mind, criticizing the British Government for not providing enough help. He also worked to make sure local businesses got fair chances in post-war projects. He also became a manager at the local YMCA.

Later Years and Friendship

Miguel Savage and Terry Peck after exchanging berets. Miguel gave Terry his Gaucho beret, and Terry gave him one of his special berets from the Parachute Regiment.

After his experiences on Mount Longdon, Terry suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He spent a lot of his time helping others through the South Atlantic Medal Association (SAMA 82). As the head of the local SAMA 82 group, he worked hard to organize visits for British veterans. He used his own experiences to help them deal with their wartime memories.

Terry's son, James, became a well-known artist on the islands. His artwork about the Falklands War often showed the suffering of individual soldiers, including the Argentine conscripts. When James was offered an art show in Argentina, he talked to his father about it. Terry supported him. At the exhibition, James met and became friends with Miguel Savage, an Argentine veteran of the Falklands War.

Later, when Argentines were allowed to visit the islands, Miguel traveled there. He met Terry Peck, and together they walked over the battlefield where they had once fought against each other. Miguel described their farewell:

Life has given us the opportunity to meet and be friends and we won't waste it. When Terry came to say goodbye, we embraced as friends.

Miguel returned to the islands, and Terry gave him one of his treasured maroon berets. One islander said, "Getting that from Terry is like being awarded the Victoria Cross."

Terry Peck passed away from cancer on December 30, 2006.