Operation Condor


Operation Condor saw a DC4 hijacked when it was flying from Santa Cruz with 35 passengers aboard. It was forced to land on Stanley's racetrack as there was no suitable airfield at the time. The plane got stuck in the mud. The hijackers were all armed Peronist supporters and had planned to seize Government house and declare the islands 'liberated'. In reality they were surrounded by the local population and FIDF. The hijackers held out for 36 hours before turning themselves over to a Catholic Priest and were flown back to face charges in Argentina. Subsequently, all but three of the hijackers were released. This event helped convince the British to maintain a year round full time garrison on the islands.


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by Stephen Luscombe