Airman who still holds islands' front line (From Penarth Times)

Airman who still holds islands' front line

A PENARTH airman is playing a big role in keeping the Falkland Islands trouble free - 20 years after the war.

Corporal Andrew Protheroe, 35, who went to St Cyres School before joining the RAF in 1984, is serving as a vehicle technician based at Mount Pleasant military complex.

He faces cold winds, snow and rain just as servicemen did 20 years ago when Britain went to war to liberate the Islanders from Argentine occupation.

Britain maintains a large military base on the islands with 1,800 servicemen and women from all three services.

There are constant Royal Navy ship patrols, army foot patrols and RAF Tornado jets patrolling the skies to deter any military aggression against the islands.

Andrew, whose dad Rhys lives in Penarth and mum Pamela lives in Dinas Powys, said: "This is my third time down here so I'm quite an old hand. I've seen the battlefields and when you see the ground they fought over you have to take your hat off to the guys for what they did.

"Walking 70 miles across very difficult country and then fighting their way up mountains, they did a fantastic job."

The Falklands workshop is manned by Army and RAF mech-anics and technicians, both male and female. They are responsible for keeping the 700 vehicles used on the complex on the road.

All types of vehicles are maintained, from small cars to giant recovery trucks, tankers, fire engines and snowploughs.

The work ranges from a simple spark plug change to a major engine rebuild.