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| Tributes to 'hero' former Falkland Islands governor Sir Rex Hunt | Tributes to 'hero' former Falkland Islands governor Sir Rex Hunt |
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| Rex Hunt, fully dressed in his governor's tights and ostrich plumes, was widely seen, not least by toffs in the Foreign Office (FCO), as a slightly Wodehousian figure, the kind more likely to be seen in slacks propping up the golf club bar in a colonial outpost. | Rex Hunt, fully dressed in his governor's tights and ostrich plumes, was widely seen, not least by toffs in the Foreign Office (FCO), as a slightly Wodehousian figure, the kind more likely to be seen in slacks propping up the golf club bar in a colonial outpost. |
| If it was not for the 1982 Argentine invasion of the Falklands, the 86-year-old Yorkshireman, who died in hospital on Sunday night, was unlikely to have been even a footnote in history, and certainly not knighted – an honour he loved but one that many in the FCO said he should never have been awarded. | If it was not for the 1982 Argentine invasion of the Falklands, the 86-year-old Yorkshireman, who died in hospital on Sunday night, was unlikely to have been even a footnote in history, and certainly not knighted – an honour he loved but one that many in the FCO said he should never have been awarded. |
| However, this "strictly out of the way man", as someone who got to know him after the invasion put it, was thrust into a role no one in Whitehall could imagine. All the signals were that no UK government department, not the FCO, not the Ministry of Defence, not the then Ministry of Agriculture, certainly not the Treasury, had any interest in the islands thousands of miles away in the south Atlantic. Hunt warned London that the signals it was sending, including the withdrawal of the British survey ship the HMS Endurance would be interpreted in Buenos Aires as saying the UK had no real interest in the islands. | However, this "strictly out of the way man", as someone who got to know him after the invasion put it, was thrust into a role no one in Whitehall could imagine. All the signals were that no UK government department, not the FCO, not the Ministry of Defence, not the then Ministry of Agriculture, certainly not the Treasury, had any interest in the islands thousands of miles away in the south Atlantic. Hunt warned London that the signals it was sending, including the withdrawal of the British survey ship the HMS Endurance would be interpreted in Buenos Aires as saying the UK had no real interest in the islands. |
| This seemed to be reflected in the signal the FCO sent to Hunt on 1 April 1982, the eve of the invasion. It said simply: "We have apparently reliable evidence than an Argentine task force will gather off Cape Pembroke early tomorrow morning 2 April. You will wish to make your dispositions accordingly." After he read the telegram, Hunt turned to his signals officer and said: "They might have added goodbye and the best of British!" | This seemed to be reflected in the signal the FCO sent to Hunt on 1 April 1982, the eve of the invasion. It said simply: "We have apparently reliable evidence than an Argentine task force will gather off Cape Pembroke early tomorrow morning 2 April. You will wish to make your dispositions accordingly." After he read the telegram, Hunt turned to his signals officer and said: "They might have added goodbye and the best of British!" |
| Hunt, described on Monday by Sukey Cameron, representative of the Falkland Islands in London, as "stoic", deployed the local defence force of about 60 men (of which he was commander-in-chief) and a contingent of about 80 Royal Marines. After the first landings, Hunt told Rear Admiral Carlos Busser, one of the Argentinian naval commanders: "This is British property. You are not invited. We don't want you here. I want you to leave and to take all your men with you." | Hunt, described on Monday by Sukey Cameron, representative of the Falkland Islands in London, as "stoic", deployed the local defence force of about 60 men (of which he was commander-in-chief) and a contingent of about 80 Royal Marines. After the first landings, Hunt told Rear Admiral Carlos Busser, one of the Argentinian naval commanders: "This is British property. You are not invited. We don't want you here. I want you to leave and to take all your men with you." |
| There were already 800 Argentinian troops on the Falklands and a further 2,000 on their way. Hunt decided he had no alternative but to surrender. | There were already 800 Argentinian troops on the Falklands and a further 2,000 on their way. Hunt decided he had no alternative but to surrender. |
| When the Argentine commander tried to shake his hand, he said: "It is very ungentlemanly of you to refuse to shake my hand". Hunt replied: "It is very uncivilised of you to invade my country." His response gave the film of the invasion made 10 years later, in 1992, starring Ian Richardson, its title: "An ungentlemanly act". | When the Argentine commander tried to shake his hand, he said: "It is very ungentlemanly of you to refuse to shake my hand". Hunt replied: "It is very uncivilised of you to invade my country." His response gave the film of the invasion made 10 years later, in 1992, starring Ian Richardson, its title: "An ungentlemanly act". |
| Hunt left the Falkands, in full uniform, plumes and all, driven by his chauffeur, Don Bonner, in what became the governor's famous red taxi flying the Falklands' flag. Before boarding a plane that took him to Uruguay, he stopped on the way to the airport to record a farewell message at the radio station. | Hunt left the Falkands, in full uniform, plumes and all, driven by his chauffeur, Don Bonner, in what became the governor's famous red taxi flying the Falklands' flag. Before boarding a plane that took him to Uruguay, he stopped on the way to the airport to record a farewell message at the radio station. |
| "Sir Rex Hunt should be a hero to everyone in Britain," the prime minister, David Cameron, said. "He gave years of dedicated service to this country and to the Falkland Islands. Faced with invading forces in Port Stanley in April 1982, his courage, resolve and judgement fired the spirit of the islanders and the British people to stand up to aggression and to defend the rights and freedom of the islanders. My thoughts are with his family and friends as they mourn him today." | "Sir Rex Hunt should be a hero to everyone in Britain," the prime minister, David Cameron, said. "He gave years of dedicated service to this country and to the Falkland Islands. Faced with invading forces in Port Stanley in April 1982, his courage, resolve and judgement fired the spirit of the islanders and the British people to stand up to aggression and to defend the rights and freedom of the islanders. My thoughts are with his family and friends as they mourn him today." |
| He was certainly a hero as far as the islanders were concerned. "He was extremely popular in the islands almost as soon as he arrived. He quickly got into the islanders' way of thinking", said Sukey Cameron. As far as the FCO was concerned, he simply went native, opposing in the years before the invasion any attempt to make a deal with Argentina, including leaseback and joint sovereignty arrangements. | He was certainly a hero as far as the islanders were concerned. "He was extremely popular in the islands almost as soon as he arrived. He quickly got into the islanders' way of thinking", said Sukey Cameron. As far as the FCO was concerned, he simply went native, opposing in the years before the invasion any attempt to make a deal with Argentina, including leaseback and joint sovereignty arrangements. |
| Hunt would be remembered for his "courage and dignity" in facing the invasion, the Falkland Islands government said. It added: "His passion and commitment to the Falkland Islands will be sorely missed. The thoughts and deepest sympathies of all Falkland Islanders are with his family and friends at this sad time." | Hunt would be remembered for his "courage and dignity" in facing the invasion, the Falkland Islands government said. It added: "His passion and commitment to the Falkland Islands will be sorely missed. The thoughts and deepest sympathies of all Falkland Islanders are with his family and friends at this sad time." |
| After the bloody conflict that forced Argentinian troops out of the islands, the British government decided to do away with the title of governor. At Margaret Thatcher's insistence, the title was restored. The FCO opposed the move but the islands' legislative council saw it, as Sir Lawrence Freedman, author of the Official History of the Falklands Campaign, put it "as a means of demonstrating a return to normality". Thatcher, reflecting perhaps the personal bond she and Hunt developed, told the FCO: "He will be called governor, whatever title you decide to give him. What is wrong with that?" | After the bloody conflict that forced Argentinian troops out of the islands, the British government decided to do away with the title of governor. At Margaret Thatcher's insistence, the title was restored. The FCO opposed the move but the islands' legislative council saw it, as Sir Lawrence Freedman, author of the Official History of the Falklands Campaign, put it "as a means of demonstrating a return to normality". Thatcher, reflecting perhaps the personal bond she and Hunt developed, told the FCO: "He will be called governor, whatever title you decide to give him. What is wrong with that?" |
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