In the early hours of the 15th May 1982 three SeaKing helicopters lifted off the British aircraft carrier HMS Hermes in complete darkness. On board were 42 soldiers of the Special Air Service - their destination, an enemy airfield whose position threatened the entire British landing force.

The stakes were high. If the assault failed, the British could not only lose nearly half its special forces soldiers in one go but an Argentinian strike from the airbase could lead to the failure of the troop landings... and the war itself.

Like any SAS raid it was a huge roll of the dice, but as the regiment’s motto says, Who Dares Wins and the troopers on board those helicopters had no intention of losing...They were... The Punishers of Pebble Island.

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Contributors:

Matt Hellyer, Former SAS Warrant Officer, CEO Pilgrims Bandits

Julie Miller - Curator, Combined Services Museum

Dr Chris Mann - Director of The War Studies Department, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst

Episode Credits-

Written, Researched and Executive Produced by Ed Sayer

Associate Producer Lois Crompton

Editing, Sound design & 3D mastering by Vaudeville Sound Group

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The Punishers of Pebble Island

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