Operation Blackleg and Dive 003. Over four decades ago I served as part of Fleet Clearance Diving Team (2) our team wasn’t at the sharp end of the Falklands War but we played our part unquestionably. Flown back a few days after the Argentine surrender with Major-General Jeremy Moore I suspected our team was required for a special operation. Indeed, after a brief period of leave and underwater cutting training the team joined Naval Party 2200 onboard the Dive Support Vessel Stena Seaspread. The team was tasked with using deep diving saturation techniques to recovery or destroy NATO sensitive cryptographic equipment and Top Secret documents. Dive 003 was the second dive on the ship after the dive site had been set up by Dive 002, this team had surveyed the Operations room which was totally destroyed by one of the bombs. Dive 003 cut a larger hole in the starboard side to gain access to the Computer Room to recover the crypto tapes still in the consoles. This Dive saw two divers suffer underwater explosions , one had to be medivaccd back to the UK. A diver trapped deep within the wreck having to be freed. The cutting into Captain Hart-Dyke’s safe and recovery of Top Secret documents and his family silver. The recovery of the “ Cross of Nails” and the destruction of the armed Sea Dart on the launcher. Over four decades on the dive experience has never been far from my thoughts. What I witnessed and emotions I still felt have intensified with the passing of time. Those who lost their lives were young. So much life sacrificed doing their duty. No one goes to war thinking they may not return home. Fate, destiny sadly doesn’t discriminate. I have read Captain Hart-Dykes book “ Four Weeks in May” recently and having seen the death and destruction as Coventry lay 300 ft down in the South Atlantic, the book gave me a greater appreciation for ships company and the impotent and brave role all the crew undertook. Lest We Forget. [url href=https://https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1623612/falklands-war-royal-navy-shipwreck-dice-hms-coventry-operation-blackleg]