East Sussex author, who broke the story of the Falkland Islands invasion, pens new book on experiences

Harold Briley OBE, who spent 30 years with the BBC as news editor, political correspondent and as a foreign, war and defence correspondent in about 70 countries, was in Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capital when the islands were invaded in April 1982.

He was Latin America correspondent and even faced several death threats from the military junta that was ruling Argentina, he said.

Mr Briley was the BBC ‘radio man’ in Buenos Aires and broke the story of the invasion on the BBC World Service.

Next Wednesday (June 14) marks the 40th anniversary of the end of the Falklands War, when Argentina surrendered.

Mr Briley’s book, Fight For Falklands Freedom, recounts the events of the time, from his eyewitness standpoint, as the man on the ground in Argentina.

The 91-year-old, who lives in Battle, said: “In Argentina the people were fed up with the corruption, crime and repression so the military government invaded the Falkland islands earlier than they intended. I interviewed Margaret Thatcher, the British Prime Minister at the time and she told me it came as a ‘great surprise’.

"I was in Buenos Aires when the invasion took place and was the first person to file the story globally on the BBC World Service as it was happening at dawn on April 2, 1982.”

Three days after the invasion, the UK dispatched a naval task force to engage the Argentine Navy and Air Force before making an amphibious assault on the islands.

Mr Briley said: “I covered the whole war while I was in Buenos Aires, filing several despatches a day.

"I was forced out of Argentina several times by death threats. During the occupation of the Falkland Islands there were eight policemen watching me. There were 120 journalists murdered in Argentina during the six years the military dictatorship was in power.”

During his long career, Mr Briley reported on several other areas of conflict including the Iran Revolution in 1979, the Uganda Revolution in 1985 and the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971.

In 1990 he was awarded an OBE for services to journalism and broadcasting. After retiring he spent 20 years as a member of the Falkland Islands Association, editing their magazine and publications.

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