The Story Behind the Photo

A painting of the famous photograph of 45 Commando Yomping into Stanley, which appeared on the cover of many publications in 1982, by Mr Dave Whittley was recently presented to Cpl Peter Robinson, whose back view is more famous than his front. Petty Officer Peter Holdgate who took the photograph is pictured left and he relates that he was accompanying 45 Commando into Stanley just after the ceasefire. It was then that Cpl Robinson put the Union Flag on his aerial but it was a case of the 'picture that nearly wasn't'. The flag blew off into a minefield as they approached Sapper's Hill and was delicately retrieved and re-masted to produce a picture that summed up the pride and the reasons we were fighting.

The print was presented to Cpl Robinson, an anti-tank detachment commander, at Stonehouse Barracks by the artist in 1984.