Sir Henry Leach

Sir Henry Leach was the First Sea Lord at the Admiralty when the Argentinians invaded the islands in 1982. The British found out about the invasion on the 31st of March and Henry Leach did much to convince Margaret Thatcher that the Royal Navy was up to the task of retaking the islands. His advice set in motion the chain of events that led to the despatch of the Task Force on April 5th, an amazingly quick turnaround time for such a massive undertaking. His advice certainly had a political element to it. He had been concerned at that the Royal Navy had taken the brunt of the defence cuts and he wished to show that it still had a vital strategic role to play in the defence of Britain and its interests. The quick and decisive despatch of the Task Force showed Britain's resolve and helped ensure that a diplomatic compromise was much less likely to succeed. He published his memoirs as: Endure No Makeshifts: Some Naval Recollections